Session 11: OHSU-GRU bargaining update

Members of the Oregon Health & Science University and Graduate Researchers United bargaining teams met virtually on Tuesday, May 30, in their 11th collective bargaining session.

OHSU proposals

• Current contract language package: OHSU proposed to agree to current contract language on the following articles since, to date, they have not been opened at the bargaining table.  
  • Article 1 – Preamble 
  • Article 3 – Scope of Agreement 
  • Article 7 – OHSU Authority and Responsibilities  
  • Article 11 – Performance Expectations 
  • Article 13 – Modified Operations 
  • Article 14 – Travel 
  • Article 15 – Health and Safety 
  • Article 16 – Drug and Alcohol Use and Testing 
  • Article 17 – Personnel Files 
  • Article 18 – Discipline and Discharge 
  • Article 21 – Strikes and Lockouts 
  • Article 22 – Savings Clause 
  • Article 23 – Complete Agreement 

OHSU counter-proposals

• Remote research training: OHSU countered with a proposal about remote research training that aligns with current OHSU practice and federal education policies and accreditation requirements for distance education.   
• Memorandum of Understanding – Labor management and contract education: OHSU agreed with terminology proposed by GRU, and countered offering quarterly Labor/Management meetings. Regarding the contract education memorandum of understanding, OHSU offered (1) to work on a GRU contract training module that would be made available to Graduate Researchers (GRs), faculty, administrators, and others, and (2) a simplified model for resolving disputes over contract interpretation and application and communicating resolutions to OHSU members. 
• Article 8 – Stipends, Tuition, and Fees, and Other Benefits: OHSU countered GRU’s last proposal with leveling out stipends in the School of Nursing and School of Public Health to align with stipend payments made to GRs in the School of Medicine. OHSU also countered to no longer offer partial stipends to GRs in the School of Public Health. Lastly, OHSU countered that decisions to approve internal individual awards should rest at the school and not the department level. 

GRU counter-proposals

• Article 12 – Holidays, Time-off, and Leaves of Absence: GRU countered OHSU’s proposal on PTO, requesting first-year GRs receive seven days front-loaded and thereafter receive five days front-loaded each fiscal year. They also proposed an annual PTO cash-out provision for GRs unable to take any PTO by way of making a written proposal to Labor Relations.

Tentative agreements

• Article 10 – Hours: OHSU and GRU came to a tentative agreement replacing the memorandum of understanding on the Research and Training Conditions Task Force, and formalizing the Research Training Conditions Committee as the body that can hear disputes, concerns, or challenges to the amount of time a GR is devoting to the GR’s research training, other activities, or appointment.
• Article 20 – Grievance and Arbitration: OHSU and GRU came to a tentative agreement on revising grievance timelines, on parties allowed to participate on behalf of a grievant, and the incorporation of Appendix A – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, into the article.

Going forward

The teams will next meet virtually on Tuesday, June 6, with bi-monthly-to-weekly meetings as determined by the teams.

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