A new center aiming to support students, faculty and staff with South and Southwest Asian and North African heritage plans to open in the Erb Memorial Union next fall if approved on June 15 by the EMU Board of Directors. 

Currently, there is a space in Agate Hall housing the Middle East and North African minor program, but Muslim Student Association Co-President Mohammed Shakibnia said an EMU location would be centrally located and more accessible.

“The SSWANA center (would be) more encompassing… and much more student oriented. This is a place students can come (to) if they’ve had a long day of classes and want a home base on campus and if they have ties to the community they are able to come there and hang out with students from a similar background,” Shakibnia said.

Despite North Africa and South Asia’s geographical distances, Shakibna says there are a lot of cultural, historical and religious similarities between the regions, and students with SSWANA heritage might benefit from sharing their experiences as immigrants.

“A lot of us (are) second generation immigrants here …  (and) share the same experience of how we were raised — prioritizing academics and prioritizing our family — and we can share that and bond over those things in a similar environment,” Shakibnia said.

Two main goals of the center are supporting research focused on the SSWANA region and working to break down stereotypes.

“One of the things that we want to do is uplift the work (that) students and faculty are doing academically, like research-related to the SSWANA region. Being able to … share that with a wider campus community is really important to create mentorships and learn about what is going on in SSWANA,” Shakibnia said.

According to Shakibnia, members of MSA, UO Arab Student Union and South Asian Cultural Alliance met with EMU Director Eric Alexander, Vice President of Student Life Angela Chong and University President John Karl Scholz a handful of times this year. 

Members from these cultural clubs submitted their application for an SSWANA EMU space early this spring, along with other student organizations vying for a space in the building. 

The process of allocating the EMU space is part of a spring 2025 pilot program that creates a more systematic review of EMU applicants and occupants. The EMU director will make the final decision on who gets the space by June 15. 

The funding of the center is still up in the air, but Shakibnia and his fellow organizers are researching and discussing all of their options. 

Shakibnia said it would be difficult to operate the center without a long-term director paid by the university, and it’s unclear whether those funds are available.

“The big thing for us is finding long-term leadership to staff the center and sustain it and it is really important for the university to commit resources to that otherwise it will just be a project that falters out,” Shakibnia said.

The future leaders of the center, including Shakibnia and SACA Treasurer Rayna Patel, have already requested money from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon for the center’s development. 

“We went to ASUO for funding and support and now we are navigating how to keep that funding and keep it going for many years,” Patel said.

ASUO’s newly elected President Prissila Moreno encouraged UO to commit resources to the center.

“It is so important for UO to invest in things that support students right now. If they don’t want to speak out … and become a target, they should invest,” Moreno said.

If UO does not provide as much support as Moreno and the center hopes, Moreno said ASUO will fill the funding gap. 

“I’m interested in UO investing long-term, but (the ASUO) executive (branch) will step up and use surplus funds if needed,” Moreno said.

ASUO also plans on creating a memorandum of understanding, aiming to continue SSWANA center funding through future ASUO administrations.

Sophia Burghout is a member of the Arab Student Union who is also helping apply for the center. If the space is approved, she is most looking forward to relaxing in a place of community.

“Sometimes it’s nice to have a space where everyone is not always asking you questions but instead you can just rest and take a deep breath,” Burghout said. “Belonging is where you feel safe and where you feel at home and I feel the SSWANA center can create that belonging.”

The post SSWANA Center hopes to move into EMU for next fall appeared first on Daily Emerald.

When walking around campus near sunset, it’s hard to miss the crowds of upcoming graduates flocking in front of buildings and posing for the camera. University of Oregon’s 2025 Commencement is quickly approaching on June 16, and there are many places to take that memorable shot that might be on the family fridge for decades. But what makes a photoshoot attractive and what locations are most popular? Here are some suggestions.

Lighting

An important factor in graduation photos is lighting.

“Above lighting is not ideal because you can’t really see your eyes and shadows,” Kyle Siu, UO student and graduation photographer, said.

According to photographers Siu and Jay Eads, the best time for ideal lighting is the morning or evening to avoid this harsh above lighting, but Eads said he focuses on evening shots to fit with the college student schedule.

“I don’t know that I’d have college students reliably showing up if I did an early morning session, so I don’t shoot in the mornings,” Eads said. “Pretty much every single one of my grad sessions is either starting at 5:30 (p.m.) or 6 p.m.”

Locations

One of the most popular spots to take photos is in front of Lillis Business Complex, where the “O” stands loud and proud at the building’s entrance.

“It’s a nice building and the O and pathway and pavement is pleasing,” Siu said.

Another popular location is in front of Johnson Hall, UO’s administration building.

“There are pillars and you can lean on them — (it is a) change of scenery and the lines of the stairs look pretty cool,” Siu said.

Lily Roach, a UO student, took some of her photos in front of Johnson Hall, along with a group of fellow graduates. She also found the pillard background appealing and said it was a “classic spot.”

“It looks very professional. It’s a classy look and it’s not super modern too, which I like in comparison to other buildings,” Roach said.

Off campus, Max’s Tavern and Rennie’s Landing are also “classics,” according to Siu.

Technique

Siu said he looks for eye-catching lines and symmetry, just like he does for sports photography, while also working hard to edit out unnecessary background noise. Eads also likes to have a clean background.

“I don’t like a bunch of people in the background. I watch some photographers, and they don’t care if people are coming in and out of the doors at Lillis. I would rather wait, even if it takes a few minutes longer, so that you don’t just have a crowd,” Eads said.

Siu says one of the best parts of taking graduation photos is the connections formed on the job.

“I like meeting new people. For me, I’m a yapper and I like finding which major they are and knowing more about them as a person,” Siu said.

The post Graduation photos: tips, tricks and best spots appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Late this morning, the University of Oregon sent out a “difficult message” regarding the UO budget over email. The email was signed by President John Karl Scholz and Provost and Senior Vice President Christopher Long.

Federal actions that have “ceased or paused” research funding, lagging out-of-state and international student enrollment and a tighter-than-expected state budget for universities were among the reasons stated for these hardships.

“Any one of these factors would cause us significant financial challenges, but the cumulative effect of their simultaneous impact creates a level of financial difficulty the university has not experienced in many years,” the email read.

To “approach” these changes, UO says it will engage “leaders across the university” in discussion and host a town hall during the spring 2025 term.

United Academics Treasurer Keaton Miller said the email was slightly unsettling.

“You are always concerned when your managers are saying stuff is in trouble. I’ve been through economic cycles before and gotten emails like this before, and it is never good news,” Miller said. 

Miller said he felt like the lack of discussion on budget contingency plans in bargaining was “a little bit of a missed opportunity.” UA was bargaining with UO for 14 months before ratifying a contract earlier this spring.

“It (this email) is a little unsurprising and a little disappointing. We just went through a long bargaining process, and we just had an opportunity to go through the contract and work out different scenarios as a group, and that would have been a natural time to have some of those conversations,” Miller said.

Going forward, Miller is “hopeful” that conversations between UA and UO administrators will begin soon and that faculty will be protected by their recently ratified contract.

UO did not immediately respond to clarifying questions in expansion to the initial email.

The post Scholz and Long send email regarding “difficult” financial outlook appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Late this morning, the University of Oregon sent out a “difficult message” regarding the UO budget over email. The email was signed by President John Karl Scholz and Provost and Senior Vice President Christopher Long.

Federal actions that have “ceased or paused” research funding, lagging out-of-state and international student enrollment and a tighter-than-expected state budget for universities were among the reasons stated for these hardships.

“Any one of these factors would cause us significant financial challenges, but the cumulative effect of their simultaneous impact creates a level of financial difficulty the university has not experienced in many years,” the email read.

To “approach” these changes, UO says it will engage “leaders across the university” in discussion and host a town hall during the spring 2025 term.

United Academics Treasurer Keaton Miller said the email was slightly unsettling.

“You are always concerned when your managers are saying stuff is in trouble. I’ve been through economic cycles before and gotten emails like this before, and it is never good news,” Miller said. 

Miller said he felt like the lack of discussion on budget contingency plans in bargaining was “a little bit of a missed opportunity.” UA was bargaining with UO for 14 months before ratifying a contract earlier this spring.

“It (this email) is a little unsurprising and a little disappointing. We just went through a long bargaining process, and we just had an opportunity to go through the contract and work out different scenarios as a group, and that would have been a natural time to have some of those conversations,” Miller said.

Going forward, Miller is “hopeful” that conversations between UA and UO administrators will begin soon and that faculty will be protected by their recently ratified contract.

UO did not immediately respond to clarifying questions in expansion to the initial email.

The post Scholz and Long send email regarding “difficult” financial outlook appeared first on Daily Emerald.

On April 29, the University of Oregon Campus Planning Committee voted unanimously to move the UO Grove Community Garden in light of the East Campus development plans. The new site will be located between Moon Lee Lane and Moss Street and will border the Moss Children’s Center and the UO Northwest Indigenous Language Institute. 

The UO Grove Garden, operated through the Student Sustainability Center, has been in its current location on Moss Street between 17th Avenue and 19th Avenue since 2012 and gives students the opportunity to learn about growing food without being in a designated class.

“Growing food for students is the main thing that holds us together to this day and since I have been here it has been also that we want to teach people… to grow food now and in the future and point to why food needs aren’t met and work to mobilize them to build a better world,” Valentine Bentz, a co-organizer for the Grove Garden, said.

The new site and the previous site are both 8,736 square feet. The relocation will start at the end of fall 2025 and end during the “Spring 2026 growing season,” according to UO. 

“It (the move) is going to be a hard process. We are grateful we have been given a place to move to, but there is a lot of “us” (garden) that will be hard to move,” Bentz said. “We’re going to grow as much food as possible this summer to celebrate this land and what it has given us, and then as that summer season comes to an end, we are going to be getting ready to move.”

Unlike the last location, which was always slated for “temporary usage,” the new location is more permanent, according to UO. Bentz said he is taking these claims of “permanence” with a grain of salt.

“Another 10 years would be epic. Permanence is not in the discussion,” Bentz said.

The current Grove Garden hosts a composting system, garden sheds and bee hives. According to UO, these same “elements” could be available in the new site. Fruit trees are also present in both sites.

Bentz also sees an opportunity for developing infrastructure for more garden education and food harvesting at the garden.

“I’m excited to see how we can build a little more towards food production, like food harvesting infrastructure, because it’s hard to wash produce and get it to students who are not coming to this space,” Bentz said.

During the East Campus developments, the area surrounding the garden will remain open space for at least several years, according to the East Campus development plans. However, concerns about construction debris and noise were brought up at the April meeting.

Emily Eng, director of Campus Planning, said UO would “work with the contractor to help mitigate impacts” of construction debris. Eng mentioned that the staging for the construction of the new residential halls could be moved away from the site. 

One reason why this site was chosen for relocation revolves around community connections. The Children’s Center, Native Indigenous Language Institute, the Longhouse and the Black Cultural Center are all within a block.

Taylor McHolm, the program director of the Student Sustainability Center, and Bentz said the garden hopes to broaden its community reach and connect with these neighbors. 

“We heard from many students that what makes the Grove (Garden) special is that it is set off from campus, and we took that into consideration, and we can’t be connected and respite at the same time, so we reached out to cultural centers,” McHolm said. “There is the opportunity to strengthen these connections with the community benefit(ting) this as a whole.”

Bentz shared a similar opinion.

“I think part of being close to these other campus programs is (that) maybe we can have more resources to provide more structured education and maybe there would be more collaboration with other groups as opposed to us trying to take everything on ourselves,” Bentz said. 

McHolm compared the garden’s relocation to a move from a childhood home. 

“There is an undeniable sense of loss… as much as we are looking forward to moving forward,” McHolm said.

The post UO Grove Community Garden to relocate due to campus development appeared first on Daily Emerald.

According to the University of Oregon Student Workers Union, last week, UO charged resident assistants who chose to strike $2,400 to $5,000 for occupying their rooms while on strike.

According to RA and bargaining team member Ryan Campbell, this amount represented the price for their rooms for the entire term. According to UOSW media liaison Carolyn Roderique, these charges were rescinded to only include the days striking RAs are on strike following what Roderique called “sustained public outcry.” 

UO confirmed it charged RAs for the entire term and then rescinded these charges. UO said RAs were also given the opportunity to move to “lower-cost room(s).” 

“Resident assistant compensation includes room and board in addition to a stipend. The RAs who choose to withhold labor are responsible for the costs of their meals while on strike. The union and RAs were notified of these changes prior to the strike,” UO Spokesperson Eric Howald said.

According to Campbell and other RAs, on May 1, the university revoked the meal plans from striking RAs. Campbell said UOSW’s lawyer got involved due to this “retaliation,” and RAs’ meal points were reinstated the same day.

“The university essentially took these points and blocked RAs from accessing basic needs like food,” Campbell said.

The charges for room and board have left many RAs with difficult decisions, including a RA in Global Scholars Hall who talked on the condition of anonymity for fear of harassment or retaliation.

“I essentially decided not to go on strike because I found that the university was putting me between a rock and a hard place,” the GSH RA said.“I can’t afford my room, even if the union was able to afford our room and our food for while we were on strike, I honestly couldn’t trust the situation, so I decided to keep working and to keep my living situation.”

Campbell said he believes the charges are meant to scare RAs into not striking.

“It (charging RAs) is really just an intimidation tactic. That is kind of where we’re at,” Campbell said.

According to Campbell, if these charges become debt and not paid by May 19, RAs would likely not be able to register for summer and fall classes. Campbell said the union’s strike hardship fund could help students struggling financially, but some RAs are not ready to trust the system.

“It was hard to put my livelihood on the line in terms of whether or not they’d be able to fulfill their promise to pay us,” the GSH RA said.

According to UO, RAs could also avoid charges by fully moving out of their rooms. But for many residents, this is easier said than done.

“I didn’t want to be a burden to my friends sleeping on the couch or anything, so I wanted to ensure that I had ample space to still be a student, which is my first priority,” the GSH RA said. “It was a hard decision, but I needed to continue studying and doing my thing, so I ultimately have to choose to stay where I can where I have all my stuff.”

Lyra Wiggins, a RA in New Residence Hall, shares a similar predicament.

“We did a calculation, and it (the charge) is like my whole paycheck. I can’t afford that,” Wiggins said. “There (are) definitely some RAs who are from Eugene who are able to go back home, but I’m from Texas.”

The RAs are part of the larger Student Workers Union unit that covers nearly all student workers at UO, but part of the broader UOSW contract relates to RAs specifically.

For the last several months, the university has proposed dividing RA roles into Community Builder, Community Coordinator and Community Safety Assistant positions instead of the current all-encompassing RA role.

UO proposed 50% room and board compensation for the Community Builder role, 75% compensation for the Community Safety Assistant’s room and board and 100% of the Community Coordinator’s room and board, whereas UOSW’s proposal compensated 100% of room and board for all three positions. 

On May 1, UOSW agreed to split the RA roles with modifications to allow for full compensation in certain scenarios.

“That (UOSW’s modifications) essentially allow a RA to make the choice if they didn’t want to work with one or the other of the split roles, the on-call one or the community builder one, but if they want to work both of those roles together and still find a 100% compensation, they can,” Campbell said.

During a rally on May 2, Oregon State Representative Lisa Fragala said she “does not believe that the actions that are being demonstrated by the University of Oregon represent bargaining in good faith.”

Campbell said that the way UO has been handling the situation and charging RAs could be considered retaliation, leading UOSW to file an unfair labor practice complaint, which is being processed by Oregon’s Employment Relations Board, according to Campbell.

The post “It is really just an intimidation tactic”: RAs speak on room charges and the picket line appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Updated 8:00 p.m.

Approximately  60 striking student workers are currently occupying Johnson Hall and have been since around 5:30 p.m. 

According to Victoria Robison, a media liaison for UOSW, the protesters are not expected to leave “until their demands are met.”

“I think we’re all really, really outraged and frustrated that it’s taken them this long, but you know if this is what it takes, we’ll be here until we make good progress,” Robison said.

Several UO Police Department officers are also inside the building.

“The people inside the building are aware that what they’re doing is illegal and that’s a risk that they took on by doing this autonomous action,” Robison said.

There are currently 30 picketers and 75 striking workers outside of Johnson Hall.

The Emerald has not received immediate comment from UO.

Updated 5:00 p.m. 

Around 5:00 p.m., the University of Oregon Student Workers Union hosted a theatrical boxing match outside of Johnson Hall. 

Approximately 375 people attended the event to see the staged boxing match between two UOSW members, one representing  “UOSW’s contract” and the other “UO’s contract.”

The boxing referee, portrayed by UOSW organizer Valentine Bentz, announced key events in the union’s development and bargaining, with each “round” in the boxing match representing a stage in bargaining and organizing. 

“We wanted to mix it up, educate people on our union’s history and do something theatrical that would bring the crowd joy and ultimately like turn a big crowd out in support of our union efforts,” Bentz said.

Bleu Jones, a student worker, represented the UOSW contract.

“I am really glad to do it (be the boxer). Despite the fact that this is supposed to be something to energize people and represent the conflict in a more lighthearted way, I do think the concepts are really important,” Bleu said. “We are what makes UO run and we are students first and to be students first we need to be able to eat, afford rent and feel safe in our workplace.” 

Following the boxing match, student workers marched around Johnson Hall in an attempt to “seige” the building, according to UOSW member and organizer Mae Bracelin.

The picketers also came together in song, singing a variation of “Mighty Oregon” and a rendition of Pete Seeger’s “Which Side Are You On?”

Striking UOSW workers also spoke on their involvement in the demonstration.  

“I think unions are good and I feel it would be good if we had fair grievances and arbitration (for) protecting workers from harassment and discrimination in a more tangible way… also it would be nice to get paid more and like you know actually afford nice groceries,” Abby Beckstrand said.

Striking worker Parker Lemme said he was participating in the Johnson Hall march to show his support for UOSW’s first contract. 

“For me personally it (showing up) is because I’ve seen so much injustice in my own job, so I’m here to help push forward a contract that will make workers feel like citizens, I guess,” Lemme said.

Lemme also said he hoped the amount of people surrounding Johnson Hall would pressure UO administration into accepting UOSW’s version of the contract. 

“I think it (the demonstration) is just putting pressure on them (UO administration) to really listen to us. A lot of the stuff we (UOSW) have done, I feel like they haven’t really responded to what we’re saying or just like anything really. It just seems like they’re trying to go past it and by marching around, they’re kind of obligated to engage with us,” Lemme said.

Several legal observers affiliated with the American Civil Liberties Union attended — they said they came to monitor the situation.

Editor’s Note: The Daily Emerald values transparency in its reporting and coverage production. While some Emerald staff are actively involved in the student workers strike, these staff members are not involved in the production or reporting of The Emerald’s strike coverage.

The post UOSW strike enters seventh day as students hold theatrical boxing match and occupy Johnson Hall appeared first on Daily Emerald.

For the past 11 months, UOSW has been pushing for an arbitration article in their union contract. An arbitration article would allow third parties a chance to look over an employee’s grievances and determine if the union contract was violated. 

UO has agreed to part of UOSW’s proposed arbitration article in mediation, but according to a UOSW spokesperson, Carolyn Roderique, there has been no agreement regarding arbitration for cases of harassment and discrimination. 

All other campus unions representing UO faculty, service employees, graduate employees, printing and mailing services and campus police list the right to arbitration in their contracts, with no exclusions for harassment and discrimination cases.

Gordon Lafer, a professor at UO’s Labor Education Resource Center, described the arbitration process as a “fundamental thing that makes a union contract worth anything.”

“It (arbitration) is not a new thing at the U of O, and… every union contract in the country that I know of has this, because without that you almost might as well not have a contract and not have a union,” Lafer said. “(If there is no arbitration article) you’re just trying to appeal to the employer who, if they don’t want to do something that you have, you have no enforceable rights.”

UO released a survey in 2022 with an attempt to improve workplace conditions and diversity for UO workers, according to a letter accompanying the survey. 

They found that 25% of respondents experienced either verbal, written, online or physical “harassing behavior” in the workplace. The survey is not put out regularly, and since 2022, there have been no similar workplace surveys and none focusing specifically on student workers. 

In response to the survey, UO created a “Response, Reporting and Anti-Discrimination” committee. The committee is led in part by Nicole Commissiong, chief civil rights officer and Title IX coordinator. 

Commissiong also helps direct UO’s Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance, the office that would help process harassment and discrimination grievances before arbitration, according to UOSW’s final offer. 

According to Forest Reszka, a student worker in the library who said he has experienced workplace discrimination because of his gender identity as a transgender man, the current internal reporting process for harassment and discrimination is not sufficient. 

“At the library, we deal with harassment from patrons and our managers… harassment and discrimination are important things and aren’t taken seriously,” Reszka said.

Reszka said arbitration would be a chance for student workers to receive “justice.”

“When we have a contract and UO violates it, it won’t just be UO reviewing things. There will be a chance for more justice,” Reszka said. “If we had arbitration, UO couldn’t just sweep things under the rug.”

UO Spokesperson Eric Howald said UO may be wary of accepting UOSW’s offer for an arbitration article because of the fear of possibly interfering with the privacy of a potential victim.

“The existing system leans into the privacy protections of the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance (OICRC). The OICRC processes provide safe havens that would not be part of arbitration. For example, if a student worker filed a harassment complaint, they would likely have to come face to face with the accused in an arbitration setting,” Howald said. “That is not necessarily the case with the OICRC process, and it limits the possibilities for the victim to feel or be intimidated. That is what the university wants to preserve in the union contract.”

According to Ashton Pressman, a bargaining team member for UOSW, the union is interested in attempting to resolve grievances with a worker’s supervisor or UO administration before involving a third party, but would like to keep arbitration as a “last resort” option.

“Arbitration is a last resort. It costs money, takes time (and) if we can figure it out in lower steps that would be good (because) arbitration is super expensive and time consuming for both parties,” Pressman said.

Pressman said stopping at UO’s OICRC is not sufficient.

“OICRC has failed many students and it is a process that fails students nationally. UO has a history of Title IX issues and ULPs (unfair labor practices) and… it goes to show they are not building a line of trust,” Pressman said. 

Without the arbitration section of the grievance process, Pressman said the contract would be “toothless.”

“Especially if you look (at) how times have changed post-Trump election, if you are looking at Title IX rights getting dismantled across the country, it is a whole legal mess, and this is an accountability mechanism,” Pressman said.

The post UO Student Workers Union pushes for third-party review in harassment and discrimination cases appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Following nearly 11 months of bargaining with the University of Oregon administration, UO Student Workers Union filed a notice of an intent to strike with the Oregon Employment Relations Board on April 16, according to UOSW bargaining team member Izzie Marshall.  

Marshall also said the union could strike as soon as April 28. A copy of the notice was also delivered to the UO Office of the President during the practice picket which took place April 16, in front of Johnson Hall. 

UOSW and UO have yet to come to an agreement on wages, grievance processes and resident assistance roles. UO and UOSW submitted final offers to the relations board on March 19.

UOSW’s final offer includes hourly compensation of $21.00 to $22.00 for all hourly student workers represented in the bargaining unit. While UO’s final offer includes hourly compensation of $15.15 to $19.50 for all hourly student workers in the bargaining unit. Salary varies by role.

According to the final offer, UOSW would also like grievances regarding harassment and discrimination to be investigated by the Office of Investigations of Civil Rights Compliance. While UO also has a three-step process for grievance handling listed in their final offer, there is no mention of OICRC involvement. 

Additionally, UO’s final offer includes plans to split RA roles into a “Resident Assistant Community-Builder” role and a “Resident Assistant On-Call” role beginning fall of 2026. The first role would offer 50% compensation for room and meal plan, and the second would offer 75%. UOSW has rejected this proposal throughout bargaining. 

According to UO spokesperson Eric Howald, the university remains committed to reaching an agreement with UOSW. 

“We value our student workers and their contributions to the University of Oregon and the student experience. The UO is committed to negotiating a contract that fairly compensates student workers while ensuring long-term financial sustainability for the institution and preserving student employment,” Howald said.

Despite the filing of an intent to strike, UO is continuing mediation with UOSW’s bargaining team.

The post UOSW files intent to strike on April 28 appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Following over 10 months of bargaining sessions, the University of Oregon Student Workers Union is preparing for a potential strike if an agreement with UO administration is not reached — the exact date of when the union could go on strike is unclear. 

As of April 11, UOSW has not submitted a 10-day notice of an intent to strike to the Oregon Employment Relations Board, according to Izzie Marshall, UOSW bargaining team member.

In early March, UOSW held a strike authorization vote —  94.5% of the union voting “yes” to the authorization, but only 60% of the total union participated in the election, according to a social media post by UOSW.

According to Marshall, the union represents roughly 4,000 student workers. 

According to UO’s website, over 160 students work at the campus libraries while nearly 800 students work at the dining halls — 80% of the dining hall workforce. 

Others work at the Erb Memorial Union, as resident assistants, or in other roles at the university.

Dining

According to Marshall, since some dining hall workers play an active role in UOSW, dining hall services will likely see a major impact if the union decides to strike. 

“Imagine handling 6,000 freshmen at 20% capacity; a lot of those essential roles would be empty,” Marshall said.

UO Spokesperson Eric Howald said that “dining services will continue to provide food services to our (UO’s) resident students in the event of a student worker strike.” 

In February, the University of California, Los Angeles worker strike affected dining hall services, which resulted in the university closing some dining halls and changing hours for others. 

It is unclear if UO would take similar actions.

Ashton Pressman, a negotiator for UOSW and a dining hall worker for two and a half years, said UOSW would encourage the campus community not to use cash or bank cards to pay for meals.

Pressman said it would be “unrealistic” to ask students and UO community members with meal plans to avoid using meal points. 

“It’s about not spending real money at the dining halls and so that is like the larger pressure point there: don’t spend money that they don’t already have,” Pressman said. “But asking students to go without trying to eat is not what we’re interested in.”

EMU

Some centers in the EMU, including the Multicultural Center and the Student Sustainability Center, are staffed primarily by students and could be impacted if EMU workers choose to strike. 

“These programs (centers) are essential for students. We understand that,” Valentine Bentz, an SSC worker and union organizer in the EMU for two years, said. “If the university wants these programs to run… they have the chance to avert a strike by meeting our demands now and coming to the table and giving us a good contract.” 

Bentz also said EMU student workers are continually discussing ways student resources could be met if work is slowed or stopped because of a strike. These resources could look like helping address food insecurity or continuing projects. 

“We’re already planning things for the whole spring… so that could be a concern too. If there’s a strike called, what if I’ve been planning something for months? That puts me in a tough spot in a lot of ways. So I think those concerns (of) a lapse in your programming that you are working hard on (arises),” Bentz said.

The total number of EMU workers who go on strike could be challenged by the fact that the EMU workplace is not consolidated, according to Bentz.

“What’s challenging is there’s so many of us in one building and so we kind of group ourselves together and yet most of us don’t work with each other,” Bentz said. “Whereas in some of these other bigger workplaces, there’s more consistent cross-pollination.”

Residence Halls

According to UOSW bargaining team member and Resident Advisor union organizer Ryan Campbell, RAs would strike by not performing on-call duties such as handling roommate disagreements, helping students who are locked out or filing incident reports.

“If we are in the halls and someone comes to us with a pressing emergency: someone is having a medical issue, there is a fire starting (and) it is something that takes it out of our role and is truly just being a good person and using the resources we have, we are still going to encourage our members to help out,” Campbell said.

According to Campbell, non-unionized employees do work in housing and could potentially fill these roles, though Campbell cautioned against this outcome.

“If the university wants to have their prostaff (community directors, assistant directors) handle that they could do that if the university wants to somehow bring in community resource options they could do that,” Campbell said. “They have multiple options they could try but being fully honest none of them are good because all of them involve bringing grown professional staff into the dormitories to deal with the issues.”

Library 

Victoria Robison, a UOSW worker and union organizer at the Knight Library, said students who work in the libraries are primarily responsible for checking out books and organizing the library’s stock.

“If there is a strike… I think that it would be really hard for people to access things that make them able to get education. I think people in classes really rely on the library for like research papers and whatnot,” Robison said.

UOSW hosted town halls to cover strike logistics on April 4, 9 and 10. 

UOSW will also be hosting a practice picket on April 16.

“I’d imagine it (a strike) would be pretty disruptive. We don’t want to go on strike, we want a TA (tentative agreement) and the UO has that ability,” Marshall said. “But if UO doesn’t make progress we will be forced to do whatever it takes and strike if we have to.”

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