NOTE: The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) are informational only and represent questions typically received by the university during a period of labor dispute, as well as the university’s anticipated position regarding those questions. The university reserves the right to change its approach or position with respect to any of the following. 

What is being done to prevent a strike?
University leaders are continuing mediated negotiations with union leaders, seeking a mutually beneficial resolution. Current information on negotiations, including the status of proposals, is available on the HR website.

Can a represented faculty member continue to work? Must all individuals within the bargaining unit strike if it is declared? 
Participation in a strike is a personal choice made by each faculty member individually. Each UA represented faculty member decides on their own whether to participate in a strike by withholding their labor or to continue to fulfill their work obligations. Oregon labor laws protect an employee’s right to continue working or to strike.

Who may strike? 
All faculty members who are represented by the UA bargaining unit have the right to participate in a legal UA strike. This could include Pro Tempore, Career, Tenure Track, Visiting, or Retired Faculty, Postdocs, Faculty Principal Investigator’s, etc.

Faculty members who are not part of the United Academics bargaining unit -- including Law School faculty, EC Cares faculty, faculty with supervisory responsibilities or some administrative appointments -- and other types of employees (graduate employees, classified staff, student employees and officers of administration) do not have the right to participate in a UA strike and therefore must report to work.  Failure to report to work and/or perform assigned work may result in disciplinary action. If an employee who is not part of the UA bargaining unit withholds their labor, units should consult with HR Employee and Labor Relations by contacting uoelr@uoregon.edu. 

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Faculty (UA Represented)   |   Researchers   |   Non-UA Employees

Can a faculty member alternate between going on and off strike?   
Not repeatedly. If a faculty member who went on strike wishes to return to work during the strike, they may do so. However, if a faculty member resumes striking after they return to work in order to withhold their labor, they may not return to work again during the period of a strike.

Will faculty members be paid if they go on strike?
No. Faculty members who lawfully exercise their legal right to strike shall be considered on strike leave without pay. 

How can I find out if I’m in the UA bargaining unit?
Please reach out to your unit-level HR support staff, who are able to look up your bargaining unit status. 

If a faculty member fulfills their work obligations during a strike, but stands on the picket line when they are not teaching/conducting research, will they still get paid? 
Yes. If a faculty member is fulfilling their work obligations, they are not withholding their labor and therefore are not on strike. Pay will only be impacted for those who withhold their labor during a strike.

Can faculty use accrued sick leave pay while they are on strike?   
No. Faculty cannot use accrued sick leave in order to be compensated while they are on strike.

Can a faculty member strike for part of their job, e.g., by not teaching their teaching duties but continue to conduct their research?  
No. Employees participate in a strike by withholding their labor. A faculty member that withholds any part of their labor (e.g., to perform teaching related duties) is considered on strike and should not be accessing university resources or property to perform other duties (e.g., research related work) while on strike.  

How would a faculty member who does not teach (e.g., research faculty) go on strike?
Employees participate in a strike by withholding their labor. Faculty members who are assigned teaching responsibilities withhold their labor if they stop fulfilling any aspect of their responsibilities. Similarly, a faculty member that has other assigned responsibilities which the University expects them to conduct as part of their appointment (e.g., research), participates in a strike by not performing any or all of those obligations. A faculty member that withholds any part of their labor is considered to be on strike. 

How can researchers prepare for a potential strike?
Units and individual research groups are strongly encouraged to develop coverage plans for work that is performed by UA-represented faculty members, in case there is a strike. Union members cannot be asked ahead of time if they plan to strike. To be cautious, your plan should assume that UA-represented faculty members will withhold their labor during the strike. First, identify functions performed by UA-represented faculty members that cannot be suspended and must continue. For each function that cannot be suspended, identify a coverage plan. Please note that per the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF) collective bargaining agreement, while GEs can be asked to perform work previously performed by a striking employee, they cannot be required to do so during a UA strike.     

How would research faculty members who are represented by the UA bargaining unit go on strike?
Employees participate in a strike by withholding their labor. UA-represented faculty members who are assigned teaching responsibilities withhold their labor if they stop fulfilling any aspect of their responsibilities. Similarly, a UA-represented faculty member with a research appointment or other assigned responsibilities that the university expects to routinely take place as part of that faculty member's appointment (e.g., working on the grant/contract(s) to ensure project deliverables are met), would participate in a strike by stopping fulfillment of those obligations. Please note that externally sponsored guidelines only allow you to receive pay from a contract/grant if you are working on that project. If you cease those activities, you may not receive pay from the contract/grant.  

How do I account for a strike’s potential impact on activity reporting for sponsored awards?
University administration recognizes that sponsored awards require routine effort verification for work performed under the award as a matter of compliance. The responsibility for effort certification continues to be that of the principal investigator. The operational work stoppage planning team is developing an attendance tracking system, and OVPRI and the Office of the Provost are developing plans to reconcile payroll and effort reporting. 

I am a research faculty member in the UA bargaining unit who wants to support the strike. However, it's important for me to continue my research (e.g., federal deliverables, ethical responsibilities). Can I still fulfill my research responsibilities and picket in my spare time?  
Yes. Participation in a strike is a personal choice made individually by each UA-represented faculty member. Each UA-represented faculty member decides on their own whether to participate in a strike by withholding their labor or continuing to fulfill their work obligations. If a faculty member is fulfilling their work obligations, they are not withholding their labor and, therefore, are not on strike, even if they stand on the picket line in their spare time. Pay/effort will only be impacted for those who withhold their labor during a strike. 

I am a faculty member in the UA bargaining unit. Will my grant pay for the time I'm on strike?  
No. While it is the decision of each bargaining unit member whether to strike, per sponsor guidelines, you are only allowed to receive pay from a contract/grant if you are working on that project. If you cease those activities, you cannot receive pay from the contract/grant (or the university). 

What happens to GEs who might not be able to do their work if faculty are on strike? Will they still receive their stipends, tuition and fee waivers, and health insurance?  
We expect GEs who are sole instructors (instructors of record) to continue teaching their courses. GEs who are graders, lab/discussion section leaders, and research assistants will be expected to continue work as they are able based on available materials and guidance. GEs supporting courses should consult with their department head for specific guidance on the course they are supporting.  

What happens if other employees participate in a faculty strike by withholding their labor during the strike as a show of support for United Academics?  
Employees who are not part of the United Academics bargaining unit – this includes some faculty (law school faculty, EC Cares faculty, faculty with administrative appointments or supervisory responsibilities), all officers of administration and all employees represented by other labor unions-- do not have the right to participate in a UA strike and therefore must report to work. Unapproved absences or failure to perform assigned work are subject to discipline. If an employee who is not part of the UA bargaining unit withholds their labor, units should consult with HR Employee and Labor Relations by contacting uoelr@uoregon.edu.    

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Can I drop my course if my instructor is on strike even if it is past the normal date to drop a course? 
Yes. If you drop any course(s) not being taught during the strike, you will receive a full refund for the course(s) and will not have a “W” on your transcript. 

What if I need a class to graduate and that class does not happen?
We will work individually with any student affected to mitigate effects of the strike on students who will graduate this term. You may email courseconcern@uoregon.edu or consult with an advisor.

At what point in a strike would the term be cancelled? 
We will not cancel the term. 

Will a spring faculty strike affect spring graduation ceremonies?  
We do not anticipate graduation ceremonies being affected by the strike. 

What academic support services will be affected?
Academic support services, such as advising, tutoring, academic accommodations, and student support services and counseling will generally not be impacted. We have set up additional advising support for students during the strike that can be accessed. Please consult with an advisor.

Will tuition or fees be adjusted if instruction is disrupted? 
If you drop any of your courses at any point during the strike or any of your courses are cancelled, you will receive a full refund for the course(s) and will not have a “W” on your transcript. 

What should I do if my instructor is not teaching my class? 
First, please let us know. If you are in the classroom during your class time and the instructor is not present, please let us know by emailing courseconcern@uoregon.edu and provide the course subject and number (e.g., BA101), instructor name, and time and days that the course meets.   

Second, we recommend that you stay enrolled in your courses during the first week of a strike, even if they are not being taught. Students will be able to drop classes for a full refund and without a W during the strike.    

If it becomes necessary, we will introduce more flexibility for students to add classes after the normal add date. In the meantime, the university will use this time to determine which courses are not being taught and block those courses from further registration so that students don’t join courses that are not being taught.     

You should review the class schedule for other courses that fit your schedule and can help you meet requirements. You might also consult with an advisor. 

Can I add a new course during the term if an existing course is not running because my instructor is on strike? 
You can continue to add courses during the normal add period that ends on Monday of Week 2. If a strike begins in week 1 and continues for more than one week, we will take additional steps to give students flexibility to add courses. We will provide more information about these options if it becomes necessary. 

Will the university extend the “add" deadline in case of a strike, and how will that affect my financial aid? 
If it becomes necessary, we will introduce more flexibility for students to add classes after the normal “add” deadline. Students may add courses that still have space available. Because financial aid calculations will be fixed as of April 7, Monday night of Week 2, please be aware of the following if you receive financial aid and are adding a course(s) after that date:  

• Dropping and adding the same number of credits is ok to do and should not affect financial aid.
• For most students on financial aid, as long as you do not drop below 12 credits your financial aid should not be affected.
• Any additional credits over the number in which you were enrolled on Monday of Week 2, April 7, will not be covered by additional financial aid.

Will my financial aid be impacted by a faculty strike?  
We do not expect your financial aid to be impacted by the strike, if you maintain at least 12 credits. Because financial aid amounts will be fixed on April 7, Monday night of Week 2, please be aware of the following if you receive financial aid and are adding a course(s) after that date:    

• Dropping and adding the same number of credits is ok to do and should not affect financial aid.
• For most students on financial aid, as long as you do not drop below 12 credits your financial aid should not be affected.
• Any additional credits over the number in which you were enrolled on Monday of Week 2, April 7, will not be covered by additional financial aid. 

When will individual classes get cancelled if the instructor is on strike? 
We are not planning to cancel any individual classes.  We recommend that students stay enrolled in their courses and do not alter their class schedule during Week 1.  Students will be able to drop classes without a W and for a full refund at any point during the strike. 

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