Employees hope for a pay increase and their student fees subsidized

Oregon State University graduate employees and OSU labor negotiators have yet to reach an agreement on salary increases and student fees, but both sides are confident they’ll come to an acceptable compromise.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that we’re on the road to negotiations that will lead to an agreement,” said Brett Nair, Oregon field representative with the American Federation of Teachers.

Nair is acting as spokesman for the Coalition of Graduate Employees during bargaining sessions with OSU.

OSU and the graduate employees’ union have reopened negotiations on their contract, which expires in 2008. The graduate employees want a pay increase, and for the university to subsidize their student fees.

The contract was signed in 2004, while the state-mandated salary freeze for public employees during the 2003-05 biennium was still in effect.

The Coalition of Graduate Employees asked that the minimum monthly salary for graduate employees be increased from $2,275 to $3,035. They requested that the raise be retroactive from July 1, 2005, the day the salary freeze ended.

The union also wants OSU to subsidize student fees for graduate employees. These fees range from $35 to $430 per term, depending upon the program of study.

OSU made a counteroffer. The university bargaining team offered to raise the minimum monthly salary to $2,426. This increase would not be retroactive. The proposal did not address student fees for graduate employees.

Nair said no graduate employees make less than $2,426 per month, so the supposed salary-increase offer from OSU would actually have zero effect.

“Their counterproposal was almost identical to the current contract,” said Jack Rundel, president of the Coalition of Graduate Employees. Rundel is a graduate student in chemistry at OSU. “The message we got from them is they’re not willing to negotiate.”

Not so, says OSU.

“We are very interested in the needs of our graduate students,” said Jeri Hemmer, OSU associate director for employee and labor relations. “We will work out an agreement. It just takes time to really understand what the other side wants, and whether we’re able to provide that.” Hemmer is acting as OSU’s spokeswoman during these negotiations.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for April 7, with times also designated on April 14, 21 and 28.

Graduate employees are subject to Oregon state public employee labor laws. The end of April marks the conclusion of the 150 days of bargaining required.

At that time, either party can request mediation. After mediation and a cooling off period, the administration can impose its final offer, and the union can strike.

“We are optimistic that we we can reach an agreement short of that,” Nair said.

Hemmer said she hopes OSU and the Coalition of Graduate Employees come to an agreement by the end of April.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.