Gary Brodowicz in the O

Below is a letter to the editor appearing in today's Oregonian:

The report "Students cope with tuition hikes, budget cuts at Oregon's universities" (Sept. 27) states "(Portland State University) was the only large university in the system that cut faculty salaries this school year to help balance its budget."

However, many unknown facts remain. The PSU tentative agreement has yet to be ratified, and even if it is, there is no way to know how many University of Oregon and Oregon State University faculty have lost their jobs or have suffered salary reductions as a result of the continued, inadequate state funding of higher education.

It is important for Oregonians to understand that PSU -- unlike UO and OSU -- is represented by a faculty union and many of its employee relation transactions are transparent. There is no doubt that it would be advantageous for the Oregon University System, which controls negotiations with PSU faculty, to do what it can -- in a union-busting sort of way -- to make certain that UO and OSU faculty are perceived to suffer less than PSU faculty, especially since organizing efforts are currently being made on those campuses.

Although class sections and faculty are being cut at other institutions -- and athletics maintain its odd priority status -- I am proud to stand among the PSU faculty who value the education of Oregonians, with the promise from our university President Wim Wiewel -- whose feet we intend to hold to the fire -- that restoring faculty salaries is his highest priority.

GARY R. BRODOWICZ
Beaverton
Brodowicz is a professor of community health at Portland State University.