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Oregon Universities, Union Workers Reach Agreement, Averting Strike

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Southern Oregon University

Oregon's public university union workers reached an agreement with Oregon’s public universities over the weekend, averting a strike that was planned for Monday, the first day of the fall term for many college students.

The Service Employees International Union — which represents thousands of workers in an array of services, from janitorial to administrative processing — has reached a tentative agreement with Oregon’s seven public universities. In a press release, the union called it a win for their 4,500 local workers, who now won’t see any changes to their health care costs. They’ll also get a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment, among other changes to their benefits.

Southern Oregon University president Linda Schott wrote in a press release that she’s “delighted” that the strike has been averted before classes started.

Now the universities are waiting for the union to ratify the agreement.

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April Ehrlich is JPR content partner at Oregon Public Broadcasting. Prior to joining OPB, she was a regional reporter at Jefferson Public Radio where she won a National Edward R. Murrow Award.