Classified employees at Southern Oregon University will keep many of their job benefits and get some new ones thanks to a deal struck last week between their union and the state’s seven public universities.
Johnny Earl, custodial coordinator at the University of Oregon, who also serves as chairman of the higher education bargaining team for 2021-25, dubbed the agreement “historic” in an interview with the Mail Tribune.
“Our union has been bargaining with the universities for 45 years. This is the first time we’ve ever received a five-year contract,” he said, referring to Service Employees International Union 503. “It’s the best agreement we’ve ever had.”
Earl described classified employees as people in nonmanagerial, hourly wage positions. Classified employees work in academic, operational and administrative departments and can earn annual wages of approximately $30,000 to more than $100,000, according to a news release announcing the agreement.
The new contract covers approximately 4,600 classified staff members who are part of SEIU, the release noted. SOU has about 180 of them, according to a university spokesperson.
The Ashland institution referred all questions about the contract to Steve Clark, vice president for university relations and marketing at Oregon State University.
“It isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about what these individuals contribute,” Clark said, referring to the contract. “Without classified employees, universities don’t operate. At SOU, 180...
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