University of Oregon Graduate Union Threatens Strike by Nov. 16

Graduate employees at the University of Oregon are preparing to walk off the job if a contract isn’t settled by Nov. 16, a move that could disrupt classes and halt grading in the middle of Fall Term.

The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, representing around 1,200 student employees, including research assistants, graders, and instructors, announced the strike authorization after 98% of participating union members voted in favor, according to a union press release.

The Deadlock Over Healthcare and Pay

Negotiations have stalled over core financial disagreements concerning healthcare, job security, and annual salary increases. The university is asking employees to shoulder a larger percentage of their health insurance expenses, pointing to a plan that has increased the school’s annual costs by $1.6 million.

Amelia Cuomo, a co-chair for GTFF’s bargaining team, said broader economic factors and increased benefit usage by members are driving up those costs. “It’s a big unknown how much these costs are going to increase by, and somebody has to take on that risk,” Cuomo said, adding that graduate employees are in a less financially stable position.

The two sides are also split on wage proposals. While both parties agree on offering no raise for the current fiscal year, the university has proposed two 2.5% raises over the following two years. The union is countering with requests for 3.5% and 4% increases.

Mediation and the Pressure of the Grading Crunch

The bargaining teams have spent eight months in negotiations and entered state-led mediation in September. A university spokesperson referred KLCC to a Nov. 6 statement indicating that recent mediation sessions have yielded tentative agreements on all non-economic articles.

Even so, union leadership remains skeptical about the pace of talks. Ava Guhama Olson, a Vice President for Communication with GTFF, said that it has been difficult to pin the university down compared to a 2024 bargaining cycle that successfully averted a strike just days before a deadline.

If the strike proceeds as threatened, the timing will apply maximum pressure on campus operations. “Students want their final grades. They have midterms and final exams that they’re taking. And if we go on strike then, withholding all of that information is a more powerful strike,” Cuomo said.

Another mediation session is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9.