The University of Oregon Graduate Fellows have been in labor negotiations with Administration for nearly a year. Members of the union plan to show up at tomorrow's Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting on campus.
Jon LaRochelle is a member of the GTFF bargaining team. He's in the Philosophy Department at the U of O. He says the union has been without a collective bargaining agreement since last spring. LaRochelle says the University won't budge on the union's request for paid leave for new parents.
LaRochelle: “This is something that has continuously been a sticking point with the administration. They maintain on principle that we shouldn’t have paid parental leave. In spite of the fact that they’ve acknowledged at the table that it’s not a problem financially.”
LaRochelle says GTFs are hopeful the recently established Board of Trustees will be open to meeting their needs.
The U of O Board of Trustees meeting is Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at the Ford Alumni Center. Its biggest agenda item: the search for a new president.