University extends contract

Portland State and the PSU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (PSU-AAUP), which represents approximately 1,200 full-time university faculty members, failed to reach an agreement during negotiations held on Oct. 28.

Yesterday, with the contracts set to expire on Oct. 31, the university “agreed to extend the faculty contract for another month to Nov. 30 to negotiate an agreement,” said Scott Gallagher, PSU director of Ccommunications.

According to Phil Lesch, executive director of PSU-AAUP, the consequence of working without a contract is largely symbolic. The lion’s share of working conditions will remain the same. However, managers could potentially use the end of a contract to make significant changes and employees have no real recourse.

Mary King, an economics professor and the chief negotiator for PSU-AAUP, believes that the move was hostile. “They are intentionally making people nervous—it is an attempt to make people fearful,” King said.

The primary issues for the union are the proposed 5 percent employee contribution to health insurance premiums, raising base salaries for faculty and creating job security for fixed-term faculty.

The 5 percent premium contribution to health insurance means that depending on an individual’s plan and family size, members will pay anywhere from $49–208 per month, according to King.

In response to the 5 percent healthcare premium contribution, the union requested health insurance subsidies for low wage earners. These subsidies would cost the university approximately $300,000. Subsidies for lower income employees were added to the classified workers’ union contract, which was settled in September, but the university administration rejected the AAUP’s request.

The union is asking for a 6 percent salary increase to bring the base salaries of faculty closer to market comparators. According to King, PSU’s position in the market is costing the university money because searches for new faculty are failing and the university is losing people in the prime of their teaching and research careers.

According to Bob Liebman, a sociology professor and member of the PSU-AAUP bargaining team, the university is offering a 4.1 percent increase, but half of this amount will be broken into a complicated five-tier merit package that still keeps salaries below market.

The next round of negotiations will take place Nov. 14. According to Gallagher, “if an agreement isn’t reached by Nov. 30, a state mediator would be called to provide independent assistance to the negotiations.”