CGE Proposals

Our union has submitted the following twenty (20) bargaining proposals on October 24, November 5, November 15, and December 6, 2019.

• Strengthens the integrity of our Bargaining Unit (BU).

• Establishes expiration date of our CBA (proposed for March 30, 2024) and a re-opener for negotiations to start in 2021.

• Makes explicit that in the event of any campus workers outside of graduate employees striking that graduate employees will not be required to substitute for the work of said striking workers.

• Our proposal would limit OSU’s authority to fire Graduate Employees for non-disciplinary reasons.

• Provides more release time for union members to conduct union business.
• Increases our orientation time for new employees from 15 minutes to 90 minutes.
• Requires prominent and accessible use of bulletin board space for union materials and announcements.
• Provides CGE access to space on campus for activities and events.
• Guarantees more timely and accurate directory information of all our graduate employees.

• Guarantees priority funding go to returning graduate employees.
• Mandates timely notification of appointments with no less than 30 days notice.
• 12-month contracts become the new standard instead of 9-month contracts.
• Provides CGE with advance copies of OSU templates for offer letters to ensure information is accurate.

• Timely notice of work assignments no less than 30 days prior to start of work.
• Guarantees 15 days of vacation time per academic year.

• 6% pay increases for all and living wage for lowest earners.
• Child care costs reimbursements and scholarships.
• Classroom cap sizes.
• Contributions to our CGE Hardship Fund.
• Royalties for developing eCampus course curriculum.

• Tuition waivers covered by central OSU instead of individual colleges.
• 100% fee remittance.
• Full reimbursements for SEVIS/Visa fees.
• DACA renewal reimbursements.
• Reducing minimum enrollment from 12 credits to 6 credits.
• No enrollment requirement during summer session.

• Creates a Summer Savings Fund where graduate employees without appointments over the Summer Session can access up to $4,050 in grants to help cover costs of living.
• Obligates OSU and employing units to assisting in locating summer funding opportunities and support.

• Provides opportunities for graduate employees to receive concrete feedback on their work performance.
• Affords graduate employees ability to evaluate the performance of their supervisors/department.

• Protects positions of Graduate Employees who require leave time for reasons beyond their control.
• Establishes a zero-tolerance policy for any forms of retaliation against Graduate Employees.

• Expands our timeline for filing grievances.
• Removes the current restriction preventing CGE from taking issues of harassment or discrimination to arbitration (meaning currently OSU gets the final word on whether or not something is harassment/discrimination).

• Provides $50 reimbursement for graduate employees who park on campus.
• Expands number of ADA parking spaces to no less than 8% of all parking spaces.
• Expands operating hours of Beaver Bus shuttle from 7:00am to 10:00pm, and expands routes to include portions of campus not currently covered.
• Creates a one-time reimbursement of $400 for graduate employees who purchase a bicycle for transportation use.
• Creates a low-carbon impact incentive program for graduate employees that reimburses $60 a month for costs of low-carbon modes of transportation.

• Creates a timeline for all DAS and EOA accommodation requests to be fulfilled within two weeks.
• Additionally removes any requirement for Graduate Employees to provide documentation on their reason or need for accommodations. (Meaning, when a Graduate Employee makes a request for accommodations, the request will be honored with no questions asked).
• Improves OSU’s “name-in-use” policy so that all OSU documents and communications are updated with a person’s correct name.
• Establishes a process for independent review and investigation of all charges of discrimination and harassment at OSU with the results requiring binding action on the part of the university.

• Insurance start date on September 1 of academic year.
• 100% coverage.
• More decision-making input on health insurance administration.

• Requires OSU to have one gender-neutral restroom on every floor in every building.
• Also requires OSU to build gender-neutral locker room facilities.
• Mandates that all restrooms meet ADA guidelines and provide adequate privacy for occupants.
• Creates standards for providing menstrual hygiene products and condoms free of charge in restrooms on campus.

• Paid training for teaching and research development organized and run by CGE.
• Mandatory training for supervisors on our contract.
• Mandatory anti-oppression trainings informed by a Transformative Justice framework for all supervisors.

• $300 a month housing stipend.
• Reimbursements for moving costs.
• Deferral of first month’s payment on university housing after first full paycheck.
• Elimination of deposits for university housing.
• Creation of joint committee with OSU and CGE to implement affordable housing plans.

• Six months paid paternity leave.
• Expansion of hours and availability for child care drop-in centers on campus.

OSU Proposals

OSU management has so far submitted these proposals and counters, and has pushed to eliminate all Letters of Agreement in the current CBA.

• OSU is proposing that our collective bargaining agreement last for five years with no re-opener negotiations in between. Our current agreement is a four-year contract with a re-opener in two years. Meaning they don’t want to see us at the negotiation table for a full five-years.

• OSU’s counter eliminates the ability for CGE to file grievances on “academic” issues.
• They are pushing to lengthen the timeline for responding to grievances, and proposing that grievances be filed with “direct supervisors” first, then moved up to Deans after 30 days, then moved up to the Provost office after another 30 days, and if not resolved then the union can proceed with arbitration.
• This means OSU is proposing grievances take up to 60 days before being resolved.

• OSU is proposing a monthly meeting of up to five (5) representatives from the University and CGE to discuss matters of contract implementation. The changes proposed do not amount to a significant change from the existing contract on monthly consultations.

• OSU is seeking to expire a Letter of Agreement (LOA) on Family Medical Leave. It is unclear at the moment what the broader implications of eliminating this LOA would be, or what OSU’s overall goal is in putting forth this language.

• Proposed changes only update language, no real content changes proposed.