Press Release: Oregon Tech Petition Dismissed; Bargaining Continues

4-29-2021

Press contact: unite@oregontechaaup.org

For immediate release: Striking faculty were vindicated today when the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) dismissed a petition filed by Oregon Tech senior administration which attempted to declare the Oregon Tech AAUP faculty strike unlawful.

“We were confident in our ability to conduct a lawful strike and that this petition was a scare tactic,” said Kari Lundgren, OT-AAUP spokesperson. “The decision today gives new assurances to faculty who have been on the picket line for four days.”

In light of the ERB decision to dismiss the petition to declare the Oregon Tech AAUP strike unlawful, the parties will resume mediation Friday at 9 AM.  

Following a bargaining session on Wednesday, Oregon Tech AAUP submitted a public proposal package Thursday morning on union recognition, benefits, and professional development. Both teams are focusing on the issues over which the parties remain far apart.

“We feel that the amount of public resources spent on litigation and replacement workers could easily have gone toward uplifting Oregon Tech faculty and their service to students. Senior administration could end the strike today if they were willing and ready,” said Christopher Syrnyk, an associate professor in the Communication Department. OT-AAUP bargaining team members feel that their proposal is a win-win for all parties involved and hope it will move the parties closer to an agreement and an end to the historic strike that began on Monday in sub-freezing temperatures.

Negotiations will continue during the strike until an agreement is reached. OT-AAUP faculty are demanding a contract that provides fair wages, secure benefits, and reasonable, clearly-defined workload for Oregon Tech faculty.

OT-AAUP Mission:

We are the united faculty of Oregon Tech. Through teaching, outreach, and scholarship, we generate and share knowledge to advance the lives of students, the well-being of communities, and the understanding of the world in which we live. We believe that an empowered and organized faculty will help build a better Oregon Tech for current and future generations, which is why we are organizing our union. https://oregontechaaup.org/

OT-AAUP principles:

Defend and implement the principles of public education so that students of diverse backgrounds are provided opportunities to excel.

Champion academic freedom, rigorous discourse, and scientific inquiry so that all members of the university community are encouraged and supported in their endeavors to contribute to the mission of Oregon Tech.

Uphold shared governance of the university characterized by open and responsible communication, fair treatment of individuals, participatory processes, and collaborative decision-making.

Secure working conditions that promote and protect excellence and innovation in all aspects of faculty life at Oregon Tech.

About AAUP: The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, post‐doctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country’s colleges and universities. https://www.aaup.org

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