Faculty ask for ‘Satisfaction’ outside awards ceremony

Inside the Oregon Convention Center last night, hundreds celebrated the annual Simon Benson Awards dinner. Outside the center, nearly 100 PSU faculty and others protested what they see as an unfair salary negotiation process with the PSU administration.

Members of the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), circled around the Convention Center last night in hopes of calling attention to the ongoing pay disputes that started last year.

“I don’t know if this will have any impact,” said Gary Brodowicz, PSU AAUP president. “We’ve rallied before and no one has listened, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make any movement.”

At the rally, The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” blasted out into the streets, while rally members carried white picket signs next to a 20-foot inflatable rat.

The goal of the rally was to “tell the administration to stop fooling PSU faculty around,” Brodowicz said.

Jonathan Pease, who has been a professor of Chinese at the university for the past 20 years, echoed those feelings.

“There’s problems every year, but now teachers have reached a point of necessity,” Pease said. “We have a simple concept and that’s for respect among faculty and students. Hopefully they will listen this time.”

Teachers and fellow supporters rallied for about two hours, from 5:30 p.m. until after the award ceremony began. Many passing cars honked their horns in support.

AAUP will continue the salary negotiation process with PSU administration today with a mediation session in the afternoon.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep the morale of our staff from dipping,” Brodowicz said. “The ineffective bargaining needs to stop.”