A bargaining unit of over 1,700 research workers at Oregon Health & Science University is one step closer to a strike. After more than a year of bargaining over a first union contract without coming to agreement — and after unsuccessful mediation — their union Oregon AFSCME declared impasse.
Declaring impasse triggers the next steps in Oregon’s public sector bargaining process. Both sides submitted formal final offers on Dec. 9, after which a 30-day cooling-off period began. If no agreement is reached by the end of that period, the researchers may legally strike under Oregon’s public employee collective bargaining law. That would be right around the time they’d be eligible for unemployment benefits under a law passed this year by the Oregon Legislature.
What constitutes a reasonable wage is the crux of the disagreement. In bargaining, OHSU has offered raises of 2% to 3.5% a year for most members. Union negotiators have been promoting a $27 an hour wage floor, which the Massachussetts Institute of Technology calculates is what a single adult in Portland needs to earn around just to meet basic expenses. Oregon AFSCME says many OHSU researchers earn far less — despite years of advanced education, grant-funded work that fuels the university’s mission, and significant contributions to OHSU’s research reputation.
The two sides are continuing to meet, and bargaining sessions are scheduled for Dec. 22 and Jan. 7.
