Members of the Oregon Health & Science University and Graduate Researchers United bargaining teams met virtually Tuesday, May 16, in their ninth collective bargaining session.

GRU counter-proposals

• Article 8, and Memorandum of Understanding on Internships: GRU countered with a package proposal that combined Article 8 with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Internships. Counters were addressed in the package on the following sections: 
  • Article 8, sections 8.3.1 Individual Grants and Awards, 8.3.3 Periods of Appointment and Termination, 8.3.6 Loss of Support, 8.5 Outside Work, 8.6 Internships, 8.8 Termination of Stipends and Benefits: GRU accepted OHSU’s language changes in these sections. 
  • Section 8.2 Stipend Levels: GRU countered OHSU’s offer for stipend increases while maintaining their original proposal of leveling the stipends across the schools. GRU re-proposed their stipend increase but offered a reduction to the increase in year three.
  • Section 8.3.2 Additional Awards and Stipends: GRU accepted OHSU’s language proposal and provided additional terms of their own.  
  • Former 8.6, Other Benefits: GRU agreed to move this section to Article 9. 
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Internships: GRU proposed a new MOU on internships for credit as part of their package that permitted union representation when discussing internships with a graduate researcher’s (GR) primary investigator, and identified that if an internship falls within the scope of research OHSU would approve it for credit.

OHSU counter-proposals  

• Memorandum of Understanding on Internships: OHSU countered with identifying when GRs will maintain their membership in the GRU while taking internships for academic credit.

Tentative agreements

• Memorandum of Understanding on Internships: OHSU and GRU came to agreement that whether internships are pursued for credit is purely an academic decision and that a GR who is granted academic credit for an internship shall maintain membership in the bargaining unit and continue to be covered by the collective bargaining agreement.

Going forward  

The teams will next meet in-person on Tuesday, May 23, with bi-monthly-to-weekly meetings as determined by the teams.