The University of Oregon Student Workers, after nearly 11 months of bargaining for pay, pay periods, resident assistant roles and more, have begun its strike as of 8 a.m. today.
Picket lines are currently set up in front of Johnson Hall.
During the strike, dining halls, mailing and package services will continue to operate, though dining hall hours may differ. Changes in hours of operations will be updated at each dining venue. Customers will not be able to use cash at dining halls, according to signs posted outside of dining venues. Cash can be converted to duck bucks at kiosks located at the Erb Memorial Union and Knight Library.
Striking Resident Assistants will likely not respond to non-emergency situations such as roommate disagreements, lockouts and paperwork.
Dining Hall Hours and Services
Global Scholars Hall: No cafe.
Unthank: All dining venues, including the cafe, are open.
Living Learning Commons: No cafe; pastries available.
Hearth Cafe: Closed.
Lillis cafe: Open.
Service Desks, Additional Venues
Erb Memorial Union “O desk:” Closed.
Lillis front desk: Closed
New Residence Hall: Open, normal hours.
Global Scholars Hall: Open, normal hours.
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art: Closed.
Updated 11:45 a.m
At 11:15 a.m. roughly 200 strike supporters gathered in front of Johnson Hall, the university administration building, ahead of a scheduled 12:00 p.m. rally.
There are approximately an additional 75 workers gathered across the street on the steps of Fenton Hall as multiple union members make speeches to the crowd.
Union member Ashton Pressman told the crowd that UOSW is striking for the first majority undergraduate workers contract at a public university in the country.
“Not only will our contract enshrine these benefits for us and our co-workers and generations of UO student workers to come, it will enshrine and offer more to fight for thousands of workers across the country,” Pressman said. “Right now is a critical time, to stand up, to take action. Right now is the time to fight for what we deserve and what we need.”
Around 11:45 a.m, strike supporters began marching west down East 13th ave before entering the Lillis Business Complex and exiting back out and preceding east down 13th.
Updated 10:00 a.m
Student workers are chanting “UO works because we do” and some are drumming on buckets.
“The university left us with no option (except to strike). It is super disappointing. UO students need to be compensated to live in Eugene and go to school here,” Victoria Robison, a media representative for UOSW said.
Pickets are expected to continue until 8 p.m. and clean up is expected to last until 11 p.m., according to UOSW’s instagram page. Picket lines will primarily be held in front of Johnson Hall, according to UOSW bargaining team member Izzie Marshall.
“It is insulting and we deserve better than this. We are going to do whatever it takes to get student workers what they deserve,” Marshall said.
On UO’s bargaining webpage, the university states they have come to some agreements on arbitration, wages and are exploring options for a bi-weekly pay system. These are all major sticking points UOSW has been bargaining on for months. Despite this “ongoing effort to reach an agreement,” Marshall said it was not enough.
According to UOSW bargaining team member Jonah Gildea, current base pay is set to $18.50/hour in UOSW’s offer and $15.54/hour in UO’s offer.
Kamalei Doswell is a student worker at the Yamala Language Center that joined the picket line.
“I agree with the cause — dining workers deserve free meals and I agree with the 2 week pay period and the 3rd party investigation article too,” Doswell said.
Sabine Winkler is another student who joined the morning picket line, she said the university is not “prioritizing us (student workers).”
Daily Emerald reporters are on scene and will continue to have live updates throughout the day.
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