PORTLAND, Ore. – Workers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) who are fighting for a fair contract and a seat at the table got high-profile help last week.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders took part in a rally organized by OHSU’s postdoctoral workers who are negotiating their first contract but facing resistance from university administrators.
The rally came during contract negotiations between OHSU administrators and postdocs who are seeking fair pay to improve hiring and retention. Despite their pivotal role in advancing OHSU’s research mission, these scholars face stagnant wages and sub-par benefits.
Rally participants say OHSU has failed to make any substantive progress on key issues, offering zero improvements in wages, benefits or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Instead, the university came to the negotiating table with just status quo economic proposals.
Saunders said the 11,000 AFSCME members who work for OHSU and AFSCME’s 1.4 million members nationwide stand with the postdocs as they prepare to strike if management continues to resist.
“You’re standing up for what you believe in, you’re standing up because you have a seat at the table. They have a responsibility to negotiate a fair contract with you. And if they don’t, we will raise all kinds of hell,” Saunders said.
At another event, Saunders joined OHSU biomedical researchers to celebrate their success in forming a union through Oregon AFSCME (Council 75). Nearly 2,000 of them had their union certified by the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) late last month.
