Oregon Tech Issues Statement on Faculty Forming a Union

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Statement from Oregon Tech on Faculty Filing Petition for Union

June 6, 2018, Klamath Falls, OR: The Oregon Institute of Technology, (Oregon Tech), issued the following statement today:

Yesterday a union organizer with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), headquartered in Washington, DC, worked with some Oregon Tech faculty to file with the State of Oregon for recognition as the union representing Oregon Tech faculty members. The proposed union will be seeking legal status as a bargaining unit sometime this summer. The filing of a petition initiates a process through the State Employment Relations Board. The university administration will study the petition and respond appropriately.

Faculty at five of Oregon’s seven public universities are already unionized. This development at Oregon Tech is not unexpected since there has also been an active faculty unionization effort by AAUP at other campuses in Oregon and nationally. Union organizers at Oregon State University also filed a similar petition yesterday. 

Faculty organizers have communicated to the university’s administration that a number of factors contributed to the action happening now; including that Oregon Tech faculty today are more academic and less industry-connected than in the past; more of the faculty are new and from out of the area; and some have expressed unease in anticipation of possible changes.

The faculty have seen a lot of change over the last few years: Oregon Tech’s first governing board; a new president, provost, and other senior leadership. These types of transition changes take some employees out of their comfort zone. Faculty organizers also conveyed that they are excited about the vision President Naganathan has proposed for Oregon Tech’s future.

Press release provided from Oregon Institute of Technology.