UO Student Workers Union earns certification, beginning bargaining plans
EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon Student Workers Union hosted its first “town hall” meeting Nov. 18 to address questions about and explain its post-election plan. According to its Instagram, the election, which determined whether UOSW would become a certified union, resulted in 97% approval.
UOSW formed in early 2022 and launched its campaign to unionize undergraduate student workers later that year. Its first attempt at certifying as a labor union started with a union card project. By April 2023, UOSW had over 2,000 signed union cards and submitted them to the Oregon Employment Relations Board, said organizer Noah Thompson.
Ashton Pressman, UOSW’s unofficial finance chair, said as of this fall, over 4,000 workers are participating in the union.
Thompson said university administration refuted the union cards by sending UOSW a message claiming that there are only 700 undergraduate employees at UO. UOSW called for undergraduate workers through Instagram to fill out a form to avoid being “cut out” from the certification process in an attempt to re-certify the union cards. Attempts to hinder advances in a labor union, formally called union busting, is an illegal practice.
According to UOSW, UO employers have practiced union-busting by banning UOSW paraphernalia, including buttons on uniform hats. According to the UOSW Instagram, organizer Will Garrahan, who used to work in one of the university’s dining halls, was “fired discriminatorily for union organizing.” On Feb. 17, UOSW organized a rally outside of Fresh Marketcafé, Garrahan’s former workplace, to protest union-busting on campus.
An alternative to re-certifying union cards is opening an election in which undergraduate workers could vote yes or no for UOSW to become a certified labor union. UOSW held its election from Oct. 5 to 24. Up until Nov. 6, either UO or UOSW could object to the election, but neither party did.
At the town hall, UOSW organizer Mae Bracelin announced that as of Oct. 25, the election results tallied to 1,055 “yes” and 30 “no” votes. Bracelin said now that UOSW is a certified labor union, UO administration is legally obligated to bargain with union representatives.
Bracelin said representatives from various undergraduate workplaces will meet with admin representatives. Each party will state its demands and negotiate until they agree on a contract that would “dictate working conditions for student workers such as pay, pay periods, harassment measures, etc.”
Along with bargaining, UOSW now has the opportunity to collect union dues, which fund a union by collecting a portion of members’ paychecks. According to the National Labor Relations Board, “Federal law allows unions to…require all employees in a bargaining unit to…begin paying union dues and fees.”
Pressman said Oregon law no longer requires employees to pay union dues, meaning non-union employees can opt out of having a portion of their paycheck go towards UOSW. However, UOSW will require students to opt into paying dues if they want to vote for matters regarding the union.
Pressman said only a maximum of 2% of a worker’s paycheck would go towards the union if they agree to pay dues. He added that as of this fall, there are over 4,000 workers in the bargaining unit.
“Hopefully having a strong dues drive will bring in a decent amount of money. Even if it was just 2,000 workers per month, that brings in a significant amount of income,” Pressman said.
Dues would also aid UOSW in operations. Pressman said current funds come from donations. He said most of the union’s money is in savings, but UOSW would like a steady income.
“The biggest cost for us right now are legal fees. Lawyers cost hundreds of dollars an hour. From going through card check process, from having unfair labor practices— that is a very expensive process,” Pressman said.
UOSW will also dedicate this winter term to finding a group to affiliate with. According to Bracelin, affiliation is when a union joins a larger federation of unions.
Roderique said UOSW wants due-paying members to help decide and vote on which group to affiliate or whether to affiliate at all.
UOSW presented a few well-known federations at its meeting, including the American Federation of Teachers and the United Auto Workers. Bracelin said if UOSW decides to affiliate with a larger group, there is no requirement for a shared workplace. For example, UOSW said undergraduate workers could vote to affiliate with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union for freight drivers.
UOSW hopes to dedicate income to organizing a structured executive team as it launches its bargaining campaign, said organizer Izzie Marshall. Its goals include electing a stewards council and contract action team. UOSW hopes to open an office space in the Labor Education & Resource Center on Agate Street. The contract action team would help translate workers’ needs into actionable bargaining items— a significant tool for UOSW’s bargaining process.
According to Roderique, one of the biggest obstacles for the union will be finding volunteers to fill steward and executive positions because most current members, including Roderique, are graduating in the spring.
The union is preparing to organize an election for steward positions. Roderique said the primary responsibility of a UOSW steward will be leading the organizing committee of a UO workplace. Organizing committees are groups of workers that discuss specific workplace issues and forward concerns to bargaining meeting agendas.
Plans for a bargaining campaign are in progress, so there is yet to be a date when UOSW will begin bargaining with administration.
According to Bracelin, it is illegal for employers to dramatically change a worker’s employment status between the verification and contracting period.
UOSW says it’s the first undergraduate-majority student-worker union in the country and the second-largest independent union in Oregon.
Cover image via UOSW’s Instagram
