Table of Contents
Bargaining Basics
Know your rights
- What are my rights as an international GE to participate in union activities?
- Will my union membership or union activity affect my student visa?
- Are there any special precautions I should take as an international GE?
- What should I do if I experience retaliation for my union activity?
- If we voted as a membership to collectively withhold our labor, what demands could we legally strike over?
Bargaining Basics
What is bargaining?
Collective bargaining is the process by which we negotiate the terms of our employment directly with the university. We, as the GTFF, negotiate on behalf of all GEs at the UO, and we meet directly with the UO administration to hash out what our wages, benefits, and working conditions are. Our current contract expired as of June 15, 2023, so it’s time to fight for what we need in our next contract!
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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Know Your Rights
What are my rights as an international GE to participate in union activities?
Short answer: International GEs have full legal rights as employees to participate in union activities, including strikes. Labor activities such as joining a union, attending union meetings, picketing, passing out leaflets, attending rallies and demonstrations, and participating in strikes, are all legally protected concerted activities for foreigners in the U.S. (including foreign students with visas) just as they are for U.S. nationals.
Will my union membership or union activity affect my student visa?
In over 40 years of graduate employee unionization in the United States, there is no reported instance of any international student having problems with the law or with their visa status as the result of their union activity. It is against the law for the university to retaliate against you for union activities. There is no known case of any international student begin expelled from the university as a result of union activities, nor would such expulsion be legal.
Are there any special precautions I should take as an international GE?
It is important that the activities you participate in are legal, peaceful, and non-disruptive. Should an activity become threatening or disruptive or if violence appears to be starting, you should leave the area. It is the case that arrests, criminal charges, criminal proceedings, and convictions could negatively affect your interactions with immigration officials, and if serious enough, your immigration status. International GEs should feel free to participate in rallies and protests, including a strike, but should also be aware that if law enforcement is called it is a good idea for non-citizens to safely remove themselves from the area.
What should I do if I experience retaliation for my union activity?
If you experience or suspect retaliation from UO faculty,
administrators, or law enforcement as a result of your participation in union activities, contact your steward or other GTFF leadership immediately. The GTFF and our parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, are committed to protecting the rights and interests of all GEs.
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.