Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the strike lasted nine days. This is not the case. The strike lasted ten days. 

Updated 10:30 a.m.

UOSW reached a tentative agreement at 10:30 p.m. last night, May 7, ending the ten-day strike.

What is in the contract?

UO and UOSW agreed to a $16.00 minimum base pay, according to Ryan Campbell, a member of UOSW’s bargaining team. When the strike began on April 28, UOSW was proposing an $18.50 hourly base wage. UO proposed a $15.44 hourly base wage.

The probationary period for student workers was dropped, according to Campbell. During a probationary period an employee is evaluated and has fewer protections.

A “working group” is being established to determine bi-weekly pay period, according to Campbell and UO.

According to Campbell, the RA roles were split into 3 roles with 65% room and board compensation for the “community builder” role, 85% compensation for the “community safety assistant” role. The third role, “community coordinator,” will provide 100% compensation. The changes would not occur until the 2026-2027 academic year.

The safety assistant role will not have roommates, while the community builder role will be assigned a roommate after a selection process.

Arbitration for harassment and discrimination grievances was added to the contract. Campbell said the “main stipulation” is that arbitrators are not in any union and have the designated training. 

“This is a historic and amazing contract whatever way you slice it,” Campbell said.

What led to the tentative agreement?

According to Campbell, reaching a tentative agreement was “very inspiring.” 

“They (UO) can’t push some of this stuff out of the way now. Some of this stuff is going to be tried for a while,” Campbell said. “Going through this experience, now we can help other people, so it’s a very very cool thing.”

Campbell said the internal and external pressure at the bargaining table finally led to an agreement.

“They (UO) were getting increased pressure to settle, but also externally there was a lot of pressure coming in, so we (UOSW) were already getting closer and closer. They were on the phone for a while and it seems like they made that big call to get it done. Then they came back with that package,” Campbell said.

UO Spokesperson Eric Howald said some striking resident assistants are still expected to be charged for housing during their participation in the strike. Last week, UOSW filed an unfair labor practice against the university for room charges.

“(UO) dropping unfair labor practices is still under discussion with lawyers,” Howald said. “We have not agreed to not charge RAs.”

According to Campbell, UOSW disputes these charges.

“It came as a shock that wiping charges isn’t happening… charging a resident assistant for where they live is very dirty and we think it is just wrong,” Campbell said. 

Campbell said UOSW would like to add the condition that RAs not be charged in another section of their return-to-work agreement, however student workers would still return to work independently of whether an agreement is reached over these charges.

“Just because we signed this (the return-to-work agreement), it is not set in stone,” Campbell said.

According to a social media post by UOSW, the union is expected to hold a general membership meeting tomorrow “late afternoon” where the logistics of the strike ratification vote are announced. Student workers will be able to vote on contract ratification from May 9 at 10:00 a.m. until May 14 at 5:00 p.m. The contract is expected to be ratified, according to Campbell.

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Following a nine-day strike, the University of Oregon Student Workers union has reached a tentative agreement with UO administration. 

UOSW members will now move to a ratification vote.  

According to an email sent to the UO community by Mark Schmelz, vice president and chief Human Resources Officer, and Angela Lauer Chong, vice president for student life, UOSW members will take the “tentative agreement to their members for a ratification vote within the next week.”

The email also stated that the agreement “supports student employees and establishes a new framework across the university to ensure consistency in the employment experience for student workers.”

Striking student workers are expected to return to work tomorrow, May 9, according to the email.  

“We are grateful to the members of the UO and UOSW bargaining teams for the many hours they worked together to reach this agreement,” the email stated. Negotiating an initial contract is inherently complicated. Nevertheless, the bargaining teams found a path forward that will serve the shared interest of our university community.” 

Stay with the Daily Emerald for further updates.

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