Graduate teaching fellows may be on strike in the coming months after a Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation vote on Oct. 24.

The GTFF has been bargaining with the administration since November 2013. The University of Oregon and the federation meet every two years to negotiate their Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Bargaining continued into February, when members of the GTFF held a rally outside Johnson Hall to bring attention to their bargaining priorities, including major dental coverage. The issue of healthcare was resolved by the GTFF Health and Welfare Trust.

In March, the contract expired as bargaining continued. During the summer, the university called for mediation. However, the administration and the GTFF were unable to come to a resolution and the GTFF declared an impasse. On Oct. 24, 721 GTFs voted, and 618 voted to strike.

One unresolved issue is GTF salary. Interim provost Frances Bronet confirmed that GTF salaries range from $31,025 to $56,466 including the tuition waiver, but GTFF President Joe Henry believes that the waiver should not be included because it is not taxed as a wage.

“GTFs make somewhere between $9,000 and $12,000,” Henry explained. “People are struggling, selling plasma, going into debt.”

The GTFF asked for a 5.5 percent raise for two years for all GTFs. According to Bronet, the university offered two proposals: a 6 percent raise per year for two years to level one GTFs and 3 percent to levels two and three, or 5 percent in the first year and 4 percent in the second for all GTFs.

“We are happy with either of those because we want to meet their interest and their needs,” Bronet said.

The other unresolved priority is paid leave. According to Bronet, the university cannot offer the GTFF paid leave because they are part-time employees (working under 0.5 Full Time Equivalent, or FTE).

“What they can do right now is have 12 weeks of protected job leave,” Bronet said. “In terms of paying for family leave, one of the dilemmas is that we have many employees on campus that work less than 0.5 and don’t have access to family paid leave. We’re trying to have some kind of equivalence across all the people who are working and contributing to our collective community.”

The Service Employees International Union released a statement on Sept. 30 announcing solidarity with the GTFF and revealing that part-time classified staff accrue paid leave. This leaves adjunct faculty as the only part-time employees that cannot acquire paid leave.

According to Henry, the issue of paid leave is a form of discrimination towards students who want to have children.

“We’re told, ‘Dissertate before you procreate,’” Henry said. “Without paid leave, the issue of gender equity comes into play because you’re saying men can pursue professional track positions, wives can stay at home and have children. This gets rid of the best and brightest women on their way to becoming professional scholars because you can’t do both.”

Henry also brought up the aspect of paternity leave.

“An unfair share of the burden is placed on the woman,” Henry said. “While she’s trying to recover, men should be at home helping out. This is based off president Scott Coltrane’s research. This is an excellent opportunity for him to put his own research into practice.”

GTF and mother Denielle Perry highlighted the importance of paid leave as an educator.

“I teach students about levels of development in the world and that the Unites States is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t offer paid leave to its parents,” Perry said. “We’re teaching classes sanctioned by the university, we’re telling students this is the situation in your country, you should make this change. If we can’t change the system on a college campus, how are we going to change the entire country?”

On Oct. 27 Bronet released a statement addressing the recent vote to strike.

“I am disappointed that GTFs who voted felt it necessary to take this step,” Bronet wrote. “The university has updated and expanded its offer throughout the bargaining process to address most of the GTFF’s concerns. At the same time, we must treat other employee groups at UO fairly and equitably.”

The deadline for final contract offers from both sides is Monday, Oct. 27.

Emerald Editor Alex Cremer contributed to this article.