After members pressured OSU management to submit a timely bargaining proposal to our union, we received an offer from the university. Our bargaining team sent out a call to action to our membership, and within 3 hours of this call we received a proposal from management! This is a clear display of our power in numbers.

Negotiations are not over yet, and if we want the best contract we can get than we need members to show up (even for 15 minutes) to our final scheduled bargaining session on June 4, 4:00-6:00pm at Westminster House.

The following is a summary of OSU’s offer, this is not final and we can still accomplish more with member engagement:

Things they agreed to

•A 5% salary floor increase in September 2018, and another 3% salary floor increase in September 2019. This figure includes the existing 2% cost-of-living-adjustment for returning graduate employees, and only applies to those at the bottom of the salary ladder. If you are already making more than the salary minimum in our CBA, than you will receive a 2% cost of living raise as a returning graduate employee.

•An increase from $360 to $500 for VISA/SEVIS reimbursements and the ability to use this reimbursement for partners and/or dependents.

Things they did not agree to

•Any child care benefit

•Establishment of a hardship fund

•Inclusion of WPATH standards for health care

•Translation of offer letters in a language other than English

•Reduction of minimum course enrollment from 12 to 9 credits

•”Summer Sandwich”. The ability to receive an appointment over the summer without having to enroll in any course credits so long as you are a returning graduate employee in the Fall after Summer.

Potential Middle Ground

•A Letter of Agreement stating their support for DACA recipients

•A Letter of Agreement stating the university will provide reasonable access to gender-neutral restrooms

•Improving Health Insurance Advisory Committee’s effectiveness

•Hourly work that does not undermine our bargaining unit