Administration and graduate employee union reach 3-year deal

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The University of Oregon and the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, the university’s graduate employee union, have reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations.

After nine months of bargaining, the negotiators on both sides were able to come to terms on a three-year contract. The agreement will be brought to the union’s membership in early fall for a ratification vote.

"We are excited about the great contract we have negotiated for our Graduate Employees," said Kadie Manion, GTFF president. "We are especially proud of the new training provisions that will ensure our graduate employees have the necessary information and tools to be better and more effective teachers, researchers and contributors to the university community."

“I am thrilled that we were able to reach an agreement with the GTFF,” said Jamie Moffitt, vice president for finance and administration. “It is an acknowledgement of a strong, collaborative relationship with the GTFF and the university’s commitment to world-class graduate education.”

"This contract reflects the great contributions that graduate employees make to the University of Oregon,” said Shawna Meechan, GTFF lead negotiator and former president. “We are really happy that we were able negotiate increases in salaries for graduate employees, financial help for new parents, a reduction in summer fees and maintained our excellent health insurance."

The tentative agreement includes a number of both substantive and technical changes to contract language, including:

  • A 35 percent summer fee remission
  • Increases of 3.5 percent to minimum salary floors in each of the first two years, with a 3.7 percent increase in the third year
  • New provisions on the issuance, rescission and termination of GTF appointments
  • The establishment of a new Graduate School paid training program for GTFs
  • Changes to the Graduate Student Assistance Fund to help address the child care needs of graduate students

The tentative agreement comes as the GTFF celebrates its 40th anniversary. If approved, it would expire March 31, 2019.