Graduate Teaching Fellows protested unfair labor practices outside Johnson Hall Friday afternoon. University of Oregon GTFs have been working without a contract for the past month. This afternoon there will be another bargaining session between the GTFF and the university.

“The GTFF has been bargaining with the University of Oregon since November,” Matthew Hannah, English Ph.D. candidate and vice president of organizing for the GTFF said. “The university has consistently failed to meet us at the bargaining table.”

According to Hannah, the university did not come prepared with counter offers at last week’s bargaining session.

“They’ve hired this very expensive lawyer from Portland who just shows up and demeans us at the bargaining table,” Hannah said. “We’re frustrated, we’ve had enough and we’re going to start seeing more of these actions as GTFs continue the process of trying to get a fair contract.”

The fair contract that the GTFF refers to includes the addition of major dental, parental leave, and a raise to match the cost of living in Eugene. GTF monthly salaries are currently $264 short of the cost of living outlined by the UO financial aid website.

“To us that’s unconscionable,” Hannah said. “We shouldn’t be taking out loans, most of us can’t take out loans. We really want to meet the cost of living raise here in Eugene.”

Hannah isn’t optimistic for today’s bargaining session.

“It seems like they’re stalling,” Hannah said. “We’re disturbed by the way they treat us at the table.”

Julie Brown, University of Oregon Director of Communications, told the Emerald that the University is presenting a counter offer this afternoon. The proposed offer includes a 4.5 percent salary increase of the two-year contract.