Bargaining FAQ 2026-2027

What are mandatory bargaining topics and permissive bargaining topics?

Mandatory bargaining topics are those which the UO, as our employer, is legally required to negotiate with GTFF over. These are topics which directly impact “wages, hours, and working conditions” or otherwise have a “significant impact on employees.”

Permissive (or non-mandatory) bargaining topics are those which the UO is not legally required to negotiate over. These designations are decided by the National Labor Relations Board and Oregon Employment Relations Board.

Mandatory topics include things like: wages & benefits, grievances, health & safety, nondiscrimination, no-strike clauses, length of contract, and discipline policies.

Some permissive topics may include: some targeted support for groups of workers (i.e. some proposals in the International GE Article & Caregiver Articles), housing, summer funding, etc.

The distinction between mandatory and permissive bargaining topics is not always clear. While we know the law’s general guidelines, we can’t say for certain whether some of our specific asks qualify as mandatory or permissive. In the case of a labor dispute, the designation would be determined by the Oregon Employment Relations Board.

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If we voted as a membership to collectively withhold our labor, what demands could we legally strike over?

If our membership voted to authorize a strike, we could only legally withhold our GE labor in a protected strike over mandatory bargaining topics–that is, the topics UO is legally required to negotiate with us over. (Click here to jump to the mandatory bargaining topics explainer.)

During a legal strike over mandatory bargaining topics, all GEs (including international GEs and non-members) would have the protected legal right to withhold their labor.

Can non-members go on strike?

If a GE who is not a GTFF member wants to support our union in the event of a strike, the first step in that process is to sign a card and join

Are non-members legally protected in the event of a strike like members? 

The answer isn’t cut and dry here. Could the university target non-members for striking? Possibly. However, why would a non-member go on strike? The first and most foundational step for supporting our union is to join. 

What about associate members?

Associate members are GTFF members that are technically not funded through the university, but through external funds like the National Science Foundation, etc. They pay monthly dues, but have to sign up to do so each term because it’s not automatically deducted from their paychecks throughout the year.

Associate members have many of the same rights as regular members, however, they can’t vote to go on strike or to ratify a contract. They can participate at any level of leadership and can join any committee. 

Will I get paid if I decide to strike?

Employers are not obligated to pay striking workers, so it is likely we will not get paid while on strike. It may take the university a while to figure out who exactly is going on strike—that happened with the UC system strikes and at OSU when CGE was on strike. People on strike got paid (ostensibly by accident) by their universities, and that’s pretty cool, but that’s not something we can depend on.

Bargaining still happens during a strike and when negotiating a return to work. Unions often bargain for back pay for wages lost during a strike, although this is not always guaranteed. The stronger and more cohesive a union is, the more likely they are to win back pay.

What about rent? Bills? Groceries? How can we make ends meet? 

That’s the biggest question, right? Strikes are effective, strikes are the best tool that workers have for improving their workplaces, but they come with big risks. Unions take measures to take care of each other during strikes and our union is working on that right now.

First, we have established a strike fund. Some of it has come from our parent union (the American Federation of Teachers Oregon) and some of it has come from our own budget—from the dues that we have all been paying. We will be asking for more donations to our strike fund from many different sources—other unions will donate, other organizations will donate, members of the public will donate. We have a great deal of support from our community, both with labor and beyond!

Our strike fund will help us out immensely, but we also need to take advantage of other available programs. Utilize food banks, sign up for the affordable connectivity program for a discount on your internet bill based on income, sign up for the EWEB customer care program if you pay utilities to EWEB.

In the state of Oregon, workers on strike may apply for unemployment benefits. Workers can apply for unemployment after one week on strike and may receive 8-10 weeks of unemployment benefits. GEs will need to apply for unemployment directly to the Oregon Employment Department, and will need to fulfill weekly requirements, such as updating a resume and browsing job postings. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that these unemployment benefits will be available to international GEs. 

Ultimately, we need to be caring for each other during a strike. Our strike fund and external assistance will go a long way, but it’s up to us to hold each other up. Get to know people in your department and set up communication networks using Whatsapp, Slack, Signal, or whichever app works best for your department. Share what you need and share what you have! We have a mutual aid committee that is a great place to get involved and learn how we can support each other.

What about health insurance?

This is another place of uncertainty. The university may try to take away our health insurance. We own our own health insurance through the health and wellness trust; every month, we get a bill from the health insurance company and the university pays a portion of it. If we go on strike, the university may throw up their hands and say they won’t pay our bill. It sounds very cruel (because it is) but this has happened to other striking grad employees, like grads from Temple University. 

Unfortunately, we do not know how long it would take to feel repercussions from that. There is a lot of uncertainty here. What we can tell you is that if UO tries to pull this move, there will be an immense shame parade and an outpouring of outrage.

General advice: see the doctor now. Been procrastinating on blood work or a dental appointment? Make an appointment now. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about 60 or 90 day prescriptions.

Not to be alarmist, but we don’t know if UO will come for our health insurance. It’s better to be more prepared than less!

Why should we do this if the risks are so high? I don’t want to lose my health insurance or get evicted.

We’re not going to pretend that this isn’t scary. Many of us do not have enough money in savings to cover one month’s rent. Some GEs have more support/savings than others, but striking makes us all more vulnerable. Striking, by nature, is a risk. 

Our current working/living conditions are untenable. No GEs make a living wage at this university. We’re experiencing record inflation. Housing costs in this city are sky high. GEs regularly pay at least half of their income on rent alone. 

Can you afford to continue in this program without substantial change? Can you continue on your current wages? Many GEs can’t. Asking nicely will not give us meaningful raises, or protect our insurance but exercising our power by striking will. 

We are academics. We are researchers. We are professionals. We do the essential work that keeps this university functioning. UO’s foundation is built on our labor, yet we are paid pennies. This is absolutely insulting. We deserve better. The road to that better future may involve a strike. It is a risk we may have to take, but it will be done collectively and strategically.

I’m graduating soon. Why should I stick my neck out like this when I won’t reap the full benefits?

Going on strike is a risk. It may not make much sense to do something risky while so close to graduating when one may not even reap the full benefits of the risk. Workers go on strike to improve their own working conditions, but also to improve the lives of their co-workers.

If you are graduating soon and questioning why you should go on strike, consider those around you, perhaps in your own department. Consider those that are struggling to get by. Perhaps remember your own struggles when trying to get by on so little. You can help improve their lives by taking this risk with them. Together we will improve the university.

We are all benefiting right now from decades or organizing done by people we will never meet. We have our health insurance, we have low student fees, we have wages at all because of the organizing of countless people before us. Now we can be organizers just like them. We can improve the lives of untold future GE’s we may never meet. The labor movement builds upon collective actions taken across time. 

How long will a strike last?

This is another big point of uncertainty, and part of the nature of strikes. Because going on strike is a democratic decision, when to end a strike lies in the hands of members. We also cannot anticipate how UO will react. In the past a strike authorization vote has been enough to move UO. A lot of factors can influence when a strike ends so we can’t say much with certainty right now. Some grad employee unions have struck for a few weeks, while others have struck for months at a time. 

Starting strong, with large involvement and minimal cases of scabbing may end a strike earlier, but that’s no guarantee.

What is scabbing?

Scabbing is when someone does the work of a striking worker during a strike or someone works while fellow co-workers are on strike. Scabbing hurts our labor power. Strikes are supposed to be disruptive and scabbing lessens their impact. Scabbing occurs, but we want to heavily discourage it and build solidarity instead.

What about international GEs?

International GEs have the same rights as domestic GEs. International GEs can go on strike and their student visas are not impacted by strike activities. Confusion/uncertainty is a tactic that employers use to sow division before/during strikes. You may hear UO say, “We don’t know about your visas.” That is nonsense! International and domestic GEs have the same labor protections. 

International GEs are in a more precarious position than domestic GEs in other areas, because international GEs can’t apply for SNAP, can’t get unemployment, and can’t get off-campus jobs. International GEs will need more support during a strike. Our International GE Caucus is a great outlet for international GEs to organize around their needs. 

How will a strike impact my students?

It’s important to recognize that our living and working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. Many undergrads do not know how much we make. We can tell them. 

Many undergrads support us and we support them! Their union, UO Student Workers, has strongly supported GTFF in the past, and we strongly supported them during their strike. If a strike were to happen, students can join us on the picket line– that’s an educational experience for sure!

If a strike was to occur, classes would be canceled and grades would not be submitted. If a strike was to go beyond the term it would be difficult to predict what would happen with grades. At the University of Michigan, they recently had a long strike and the administration gave out fake grades to students. This is insulting to students, GEs and to faculty. There is no guarantee UO would do something like that, but there is no guarantee that they wouldn’t, either. 

How will a strike impact faculty and PIs?

Faculty have their own union, United Academics, and GTFF has a great relationship with them! In their own contract, they are protected from taking on additional labor that would be an unreasonable burden–like the work of a striking GE. 

Hundreds of faculty members support us and have supported us in the past during strike escalations. Our pitiable salaries have been impacting recruitment and retention at this university. Faculty and PIs know this. They know that living wages will attract more applicants and build stronger programs. 

Some GE’s have been concerned about retaliation from faculty or PI’s, and those concerns are valid. However, instances of retaliation are serious and striking is a protected activity. Faculty and PIs hold a lot of power and clout at this university, but so do we. Classrooms and labs need us, so our needs—including living wages and dignified working conditions—should be their concern as well.

If you know a faculty member or PI that is concerned about a potential strike, direct them to their union United Academics.

Can I still go to my classes as a student myself?

You sure will! You’re an employee and a student here at UO. Keep going to your own classes, keep doing your own homework, and keep working on papers that you’re not getting paid for. If there is overlap between your research for your academic progress and your employment, RAGE is here to help you figure out what you should do in the event of a strike.

What about Master’s students who lost GE positions?

UO has been cutting two-year funding norms for masters students in various departments. Master’s students are increasingly offered no funding at all, or merely one year of funding with the threat of future funding being revoked last minute. This is horrible behavior on behalf of the university. Master’s students are just as valuable to UO’s mission as PhD students as researchers and teachers.

Master’s students who lose funding are encouraged to communicate with stewards about their situation as soon as possible. Our union has your back and we are organizing around this emerging issue.

Master’s students who lose funding and not longer have GE positions are, unfortunately, outside of our bargaining unit and may not withhold labor in the event of a strike. However, master’s students may still support a strike by joining picket lines, joining committees, and may join as legacy members. Legacy members pay dues, but may not vote to authorize or end a strike.