United Academics ratifies first faculty contract

In an evening vote on Tuesday, members of United Academics, the union representing more than 1,800 UO faculty members, ratified the first faculty collective bargaining contract agreement with the university. The contract, effective immediately, reflects a shared commitment to excellence and recognizes and rewards faculty.

In a joint news release from the UO and United Academics, UO President Michael Gottfredson said, “This first contract not only represents a historic agreement, it reflects our collective commitment to our mission of providing the highest quality education for our students. It advances academic excellence, strengthens our position as one of the nation’s premier public research universities and recognizes the central role of faculty as we move forward together to fulfill the promise of our public mission.”

The 10-month negotiation resulted in a 45-article contract that is more than 90 pages in length. The ratified contract invests in faculty salaries; includes additional merit increases for faculty upon promotion and to recognize outstanding achievement; reinforces all faculty members’ role in shared governance, including at the department and unit level; and provides job security for non-tenure track faculty.

“This contract represents a major step for all UO faculty,” said Scott Pratt, professor of philosophy and member of the United Academics bargaining team. “It recognizes the value of faculty by providing salary increases, and extends professional job protections and benefits to non-tenure-track educators. This is good for the university, for students and for Oregon.”