PSU Spring Term Begins as Possible Faculty Strike Looms
New Offer Fails to Meet PSU-AAUP Student-Centered Priorities
Portland, OR: Spring term began today at Portland State University with the possibility of a faculty strike still looming. The faculty union, the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (PSU-AAUP), and the Administration continue to be significantly apart after a year of negotiations.
On March 12th, PSU-AAUP voted overwhelming to authorize a strike with the vast majority of its membership turning out to cast a 94% yes vote. The vote was a resounding referendum that rejected the previous contract offers of the Administration, while there has been recent movement it has not gone nearly far enough. PSU-AAUP may now give 10-day notice for a strike at anytime after this Thursday, April 3rd.
Last week the PSU Administration brought an Oregon University System lawyer into the negotiations, interacting in a manner that PSU-AAUP bargaining team members have characterized as disrespectful, distracting and counter-productive. Little progress was made towards a contract settlement.
On-going misinformation from the Administration also continue to detract from negotiations. A communique distributed by the Administration on Friday, March 28 falsely stated that the PSU-AAUP “increased its financial demands” in mediation last week; in fact, AAUP reduced them by removing asks for a continuation of an early retirement incentive available last year, and calling for a less expensive tiered approach to summer session pay.
Issues at the center of this contract dispute:
• The top priorities of PSU-AAUP are not monetary. They are faculty stability, academic quality, and educator-led higher education.
• The Administrations current offer, while improved, still does not meet the standards for faculty stability set by other public universities in Oregon. It is a top priority to move away from short-term contracts for faculty.
• Faculty involvement in university governance is in dispute. The Administration persists in its effort to remove historic protections of the faculty role in evaluation, promotion and tenure.
• In the Administration's current offer 87% of AAUP members would receive a pay increase of 1% a year, amounting to a pay cut with 2.8% inflation.
“The proportion of the University’s budget dedicated to instruction is plummeting, recently dropping to 1/3 of total spending. Current budget priorities fundamentally undermine our ability to continue to provide this vital opportunity to our community,” said Mary King, President AAUP, “PSU faculty and academic professionals work here because we are deeply committed to our university’s mission. PSU is Portland’s University and if we are forced to strike to protect it, we will.”
“The bargaining sessions last week show that President Wiewel and his Administration continue to be unwilling to fully divert from a path that has fundamentally undermined PSU’s core academic mission,” said David Osborn, Instructor. “ We cannot compromise on faculty stability, academic quality and our role in university governance, protected in our contract for 35 years, until removed by President Wiewel this year. They cost the university nothing and are all fundamental to providing the kind of high quality education we are committed to offering our students.”
Negotiations are being scheduled for this week.
Quotes about the Administration’s statements come from their bargaining updates:
http://www.pdx.edu/oaa/2013-2015-psu-aaup-collective-bargaining-update