OHSU Researchers Provide OHSU With Ten Day Strike Notice

Portland, OR —  After more than seventeen months of bargaining, including four months of mediated talks with the State Conciliator, Research Workers United (RWU) have given OHSU notice that unless they see substantial movement in management’s current offer, they plan to go on strike beginning February 18th. 

The RWU bargaining team began the mediated bargaining session on February 4th hopeful, after signaling by OHSU that their bargaining team were seeking upper level management approval to come to the bargaining table with a real offer. That did not occur. Instead, OHSU’s bargaining team put forth a proposal that would continue wage stagnation for most of the researchers at OHSU. 

“This is simply not an offer we as a bargaining team can recommend to our members for ratification, nor is it one we believe our members would willingly ratify,” said Anna Levy, Senior Biostatistician and RWU bargaining team member. 

“We’re extremely disappointed that OHSU failed to come to the bargaining table with an offer coming closer to our current position. This failure has undermined our trust in their commitment to the bargaining process, and renewed our resolve to fight for the wages we deserve” continued Levy. 

With mediation scheduled for February 10th, 13th and 17th, OHSU has three more opportunities to come to the table with a real proposal that puts the lowest paid researchers on the path to a living wage, and fairly compensates all researchers for the important work they do.