A drive to unionize faculty at Oregon State University (OSU) is in the final stages. In mid-February, supporters of the United Academics of Oregon State University (UAOSU) began collecting signatures on union authorization cards. Under Oregon law, if a majority of the faculty sign the cards within 180 days, their union would automatically be recognized.
On March 5, the campaign announced a milestone: posters with the union mission statement signed by over 1,000 faculty. The mission statement lists goals of the union, including ensuring shared governance of the university and securing working conditions that promote excellence.
UAOSU is a joint project of American Federation of Teachers and American Association of University Professors.
If the union effort succeeds, it would join five public universities in Oregon that are unionized: University of Oregon, Portland State, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon, and Southern Oregon. Only the Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls is be nonunion.
MORE: Find out more about the campaign at uaosu.org