Research Workers Prepare for Strike Authorization Vote as OHSU Continues to Stall on Fair Contract

Portland, OR — After more than a year of bargaining and weeks spent at impasse, over 1,700 research workers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) represented by Oregon AFSCME Research Workers United (RWU) have announced that they will hold a strike authorization vote beginning January 20th and continuing to January 29th.

A successful vote would authorize the RWU bargaining team to call a strike if negotiations continue to fail to produce a fair agreement that reflects the cost of living in Portland. This comes on the news that NIH funding has been preserved, covering indirect costs at the current rate.

RWU has been clear since the beginning: workers need living wages that allow them to remain in Portland. According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, a single adult in Portland needs to earn around $27 an hour to meet basic expenses. Many RWU members earn a fraction of that amount — despite years of advanced training, grant-funded work, and direct contributions to OHSU’s global research reputation.

“Researchers at OHSU drive discoveries, secure grant funding, and keep labs running — and too many of them are struggling to afford groceries and rent,” said Joe Baessler, Executive Director of Oregon AFSCME. “Workers do not take the step toward authorizing a strike lightly, but after more than a year at the table, OHSU’s refusal to invest in its research workforce has brought us to this point.”

RWU bargaining team members say that throughout bargaining, OHSU has refused to meet the economic needs of its workers, forcing them to consider escalating action.

“This is not where we wanted to be, but OHSU has been unwilling to make compromises,” said Henry Harrison, Senior Research Assistant and RWU bargaining team member. “We care deeply about the research we do, but too often this dedication is repaid with wages far below Portland’s basic cost of living. We need a contract that respects our labor - not empty promises.”

If the vote passes, the bargaining team may call a strike as soon as legally allowed under Oregon public sector labor law, after a cooling-off period and proper notice requirements are met.

“RWU members want to stay at OHSU and continue their research careers,” Baessler added. “But OHSU must choose between high turnover and stalled science, or a stable research workforce that can afford to stay and thrive. Research is the foundation that OHSU is built on and it needs to be treated that way.”

Research Workers United represents over 1,700 researchers at OHSU who are at the forefront of life-changing medical discoveries. Oregon AFSCME believes in economic and social justice for all Oregon workers and their families. Our mission is to empower and unite workers to create change in their workplaces and communities. Oregon AFSCME represents over 40,000 workers in the public sector. Our members work for the State of Oregon in addition to counties, municipalities, OHSU and behavioral health nonprofits across Oregon, as well as self-employed child care providers. For more information, visit: www.OregonAFSCME.org.