They may be the youngest strikers in Oregon history. On April 28, as many as 4,000 undergraduate student workers at University of Oregon went on strike, shutting down university dining halls — and an active construction site.
Student workers voted to unionize in October 2023. The bargaining unit includes undergraduate workers all over campus, including dorm resident advisors, library and research assistants, tutors, and dining hall workers. Their union University of Oregon Student Workers (UOSW) — a local of United Auto Workers — negotiated for more than 11 months without reaching agreement on a first contract.
At the end of the final bargaining session April 27, the two sides were still far from agreement, bargaining team member Izzie Marshall told the Labor Press. UOSW wants a minimum starting wages of $18.50 to $19.50 an hour, depending on the job, and across-the-board annual raises of 5%. UO is proposing starting wages of $15.44 to $16.44 an hour and annual raises of 3%. As of July 1, the lowest wage under UO’s proposal would be just 39 cents above the $15.05 area minimum wage in high-cost Eugene. University rules limit student workers to 25 hours a week…