We and OSU will submit briefs (summaries of our respective cases) to the arbitrator on Dec. 10.  After that, we will have up to 10 days to decide whether to submit a rebuttal to OSU’s brief and to do so if we so choose.  Then, the arbitrator will have up to 60 days to reach a decision.  That means that we should receive a decision on this case some time in February.

We are looking forward to receiving the arbitrator’s decision and will keep everyone up to date.

In the meantime, we will proceed to take the 2008 grievance to arbitration.  A hearing on this case is currently scheduled for November 23.  We will also continue to push the 2009 grievance through the grievance procedure outlined in our contract.

Under the terms of the negotiated settlement, OSU will reimburse all members of the CGE bargaining unit who were wrongfully charged the $34 Summer Session Tuition Base for the 2008 Summer Session.  Those employees who are still students at OSU will be reimbursed through a credit to your student accounts.  Employees who were wrongfully charged the $34 but who are no longer at OSU will also be reimbursed.  CGE currently has scheduled a meeting with OSU for July 29th to determine the mechanism by which former employees will be reimbursed.

We see this settlement as a victory for CGE.  As far as we know, this is the first time in CGE’s history in which a grievance has resulted in members being reimbursed for a fee they were wrongly charged.

Unfortunately, as many of you may have noticed, the $34 charge has not disappeared from your bills in the 2009 Summer Session.  CGE is aware of this and working on formulating an appopriate response in light of the settlement.

See our Facebook page or check your email for more information.  And, of course, you can RSVP or ask questions by emailing unite@cge6069.org or calling 541-757-7141.

A map to the shelter is available here.

If you intend to get 50% summer health insurance coverage for the coming summer, THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP FOR SUMMER COVERAGE (WITH A 50% OSU CONTRIBUTION) FOR GRADS EMPLOYED SPRING TERM 2009 IS THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2009. This deadline is non-negotiable.  You can download the enrollment form below.

• Grad Assistant Summer Insurance Form

To enroll, you must print and complete the above form and then either turn it in to the Student Insurance Office (Room 110) in Student Health Services or else fax or mail it there.  If you are faxing or mailing your form, you may do so by Sunday, March 15.

A few notes on enrollment for the 50% summer health insurance contribution are below:

• This year, only grads with an assistantship in the spring term are eligible for the 50% summer contribution.  Next year, this will change so that any grad with an appointment during any single term will be eligible for the contribution.
• Payment for your own portion of the cost of summer health insurance will be made through an additional deduction from your May paycheck.  This deduction will cover the cost of your portion of premiums for July, August, and September.  Please refer to the form for the exact cost.
• The deadline to withdraw from the program is May 15.  If you are unsure now whether or not you will want the 50% employer contribution over the summer, we suggest that you sign up for it now and then cancel before May 15 if necessary.
• In the original form, the fine print claimed that you had to expect to be employed in Fall 2009 to qualify.  We have confirmed that this is incorrect – the requirements are a Spring 2009 assistantship of 0.2 FTE or more and enrollment in the Graduate School in Fall 2009.

Below the fold is a rough FAQ with answers to a few questions we’ve received about the new summer health insurance option.  Read on if you have more questions.  We’ll be adding to the FAQ as necessary.

If you have additional questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  You may also want to direct questions to Erin Palmer (erin.palmer@oregonstate.edu), who administers the grad assistant health plan.

Summer HI FAQ

Where do I turn the form in?

To Erin Palmer in SHS 110.  Not to CGE – we can’t accept or process this.

How do I know if I am eligible for this?

You are eligible if you are employed in Spring 2009 at a minimum of 0.2 FTE but not Summer 2009 and enrolled in the graduate school for Fall 2009.  Next summer, anyone who was employed at all during the 2009-2010 academic year will be eligible.  The form will also tell you.  (A CGE Rep has noted that you could also ask your department for a Spring 2009 assistantship at 0.2 FTE if you don’t have one – a long shot, but certainly an option.)

What if I am employed on an assistantship during the summer?

Then this does not apply to you.  You will be covered at the normal 85% rate.

Does this apply to grads who become research assistants on an hourly wage?

Yes, we believe it does.

What if I am unsure about whether or not I will be coming back next fall?

We recommend you fill out the form and submit it anyway.

How much will this cost me?

Please look at the form.  It does a very good job detailing the costs.

That’s a lot of money.  Is there anything I can do to alleviate the cost?

If your department typically covers summer HI costs for graduate employees, you might consider asking them to advance that money to cover the May triple deduction.  However, at this time OSU has rejected our request to consider spreading the deduction out over multiple months.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

For questions directly about summer health insurance, cost, the form, and deadlines, you should contact Erin Palmer in SHS 110.  She can be reached at erin.palmer@oregonstate.edu or 737-7568.

For questions about why the timeline is short or why CGE is notifying you about this, or other questions more related to the collective bargaining and contract implementation side of things, please contact CGE at unite@cge6069.org or 757-7141.