GTFF reaches tentative agreement with UO administration

Late Tuesday night GTFF’s bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the administration, after 14 hours bargaining. GTFF won no cuts to healthcare on Friday and went into Tuesday to finish the contract that includes 3% raises for minimum salaries and 1.4% raises for all other salaries.

Before reaching the last agreement, admin made an offer that used international GEs as a bargaining chip. The offer was to fully reimburse visa fees for international employees that could prove a financial need if the GTFF agreed to do interest based bargaining for their next contract, a method that would have hamstrung the union. Along with this was lower wages. Given this the bargaining team dropped visa funding in their proposal to obtain 3% raises to minimum salaries and maintain power in the next bargaining cycle.

GTFF secured a health insurance deal that has the university paying 95% and GTFF paying 5% up to 10% above current costs. This deal came in the day after the union declared their intent to strike 10 days later. The union also held info pickets that same day they declared their intent to strike. GTFF members and allies kept pressure on the administration Tuesday with a sit-in at Erb Memorial Union (EMU) from 8:30 AM to after 11 PM, when the union reached a tentative agreement. The administration was originally scheduled to have their bargaining team meet in the EMU, when upon encountering the GTFF bargaining support presence they were scared off and moved to an entirely different building.

Additional gains in the contract include 6 hours of paid training, bumping childcare assistance to $700 for children up to age 7, 6 weeks of paid parental leave, protections against ICE, and provisions to safeguard employees against workplace bullying and harassment. The next step will be ratification vote by the membership that will take place within the next two weeks.

Local links

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The week ahead

Friday, 8 PM-12 AM — Halloween benefit party for Sunrise Eugene @ 552 W 11th Ave, Eugene

Tuesday, 6:30 PM — Debbie Bookchin Speaking Tour @ Lillis Hall 185

Wednesday, 12 PM — Ballet Outsider: Gender Politics & Power @ Tykeson Rehearsal Hall, Berwick

Wednesday, 6 PM — Ideas on Tap: Eugene’s LGBTQ History @ Viking Braggot Company Southtowne