Why OSU Grad Students Are on Strike: What You Need to Know

Hey there, everyone. As a graduate employee at OSU, I wanted to share what's happening with the ongoing strike and clear up some common questions and concerns. We're not here to get in the way of anyone's education, but rather to address the way we're being treated as essential workers in the university's day-to-day operations. Here's the full picture, and why we're doing this.

To the students impacted by this strike: We know this is rough for you, and we want you to know that we’re not trying to hold you back or make your academic journey harder. As grad employees, we care deeply about supporting you, and disrupting your education is the last thing we want. But after over a year of attempts to secure a fair contract, we’re left with no other choice. This action is about ensuring that we can continue providing you with quality education and support in a way that’s sustainable for everyone involved.

We’re the ones who grade your assignments, teach your classes, run your labs, and support you through challenging concepts. We’re essential to how OSU operates, but we’re not being treated that way.

Trust us, we don’t want this to go on any longer than necessary, and it could end quickly if OSU were willing to negotiate fairly. Recently, Stanford grad students were able to postpone their planned strike after 14 hours of intense bargaining in one day led to significant progress. OSU, on the other hand, has chosen not to engage in similar good-faith negotiations, which is why we’ve been forced to take this step. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work toward a fair solution for all.

What's Happening and Why Are We Striking?

For over a year, the Coalition of Graduate Employees (CGE)—the union representing grad employees at OSU—has been in contract negotiations with the university. Grad employees do essential work, from grading assignments and teaching classes to running lab sessions, mentoring undergrad projects, and conducting research that brings in funding and drives OSU's reputation. Despite all this, our pay and working conditions don't match the cost of living in Corvallis, leaving many of us struggling to cover basic needs like rent, groceries, and healthcare.

In July, things escalated when we entered mediation with a state-appointed mediator to help move things along. By September, however, we hit an impasse, meaning that even with outside help, no agreement could be reached. After a recent strike authorization vote with 94% support from CGE members, we're on strike as of November 12th. Our goal isn't to disrupt education but to advocate for fair treatment and a livable wage so we can keep doing the work we love—teaching, mentoring, and supporting students.

Why Are Grad Students Considered Employees?

It's easy to think of us as "just students," but being a grad student at OSU often means we're also employees. Our roles are essential to how the university operates and directly impact your education by ensuring that classes are taught, labs are prepared, and research is conducted. These aren't just "extra" responsibilities; they're roles that directly support undergrad education and the university as a whole.

Here's the issue: Our current minimum salary is $1,762 per month before taxes, while the minimum wage in Oregon translates to $2,548 per month (Oregon state minimum wage of $14.70/hour), with the City of Corvallis minimum wage even higher at $16.23/hour. That means an employee or contractor for the City of Corvallis makes a minimum of $2,812 per month. Additionally, the MIT-calculated living wage of $23.87/hour for a single adult in Corvallis is $4,138.13/month. OSU's proposed 10% increase barely moves the needle and doesn't come close to covering the basics. We're asking for a 45% increase, which would bring the minimum salary to around $2,554.90/month—still below the cost of living but closer to a fair wage for the essential work we do.

DID YOU KNOW?

Most grad employees only have 9-month contracts, even though OSU's proposal slides reflect a "best case" scenario of 12 months. This means OSU's proposed salary actually totals $17,424 for the academic year, versus CGE's modest proposal of $22,201. For the majority of grad students, who aren't employed over the summer, OSU's proposal is even further from a livable wage.

OSU's Response and Why We Had to Take This Step

Let’s be clear: OSU could end this strike at any time by agreeing to fair terms and addressing our basic needs. Recently, Stanford grad students postponed their planned strike because their administration showed a willingness to negotiate. After 14 hours of bargaining in a single day, Stanford made enough progress toward a resolution that the union paused strike actions. OSU, on the other hand, has held out, even with the knowledge that this could lead to a strike. Instead, OSU’s approach includes tactics that encourage students to see us as “the bad guys” by promoting confusion, spreading misinformation, and attempting to weaponize undergraduates against us.

For example, OSU is encouraging undergrads to use a Canvas form to report their TAs for being absent due to striking. This is OSU's responsibility to manage, not yours. Reporting TAs through this system actually undermines the strike and benefits the administration by doing their work for them. We're asking that students not report striking TAs and that they hold the administration accountable for their role in this disruption.

Why This Matters for the Future of OSU

Beyond the immediate wage issues, OSU has also proposed removing the contract's two-year reopener clause, which currently allows us to renegotiate in times of major change (such as the pandemic). Extending contract negotiation to only every four years would mean that most master's students would never have a say in bargaining, and many PhD students would only see one bargaining cycle during their time at OSU. This tactic restricts new union members from learning how to bargain and ensures a less experienced union presence, which the administration could exploit.

By forcing us into these long, unlivable contracts, OSU is taking advantage of its graduate workforce. This is about making sure that the people who teach and support you have a fair chance to be heard, receive a living wage, and participate in the bargaining process.

How You Can Help

If you're interested in supporting our efforts, there are several ways you can stand with us:

• Sign the Undergraduate Support Letter to show OSU that students want fair treatment for grad employees.
• Refuse to report your TAs on Canvas. It's OSU's job to figure out who's on strike, not yours, and reporting TAs undermines the strike.
• Get your updates directly from CGE via their website and Instagram. OSU's communications can be misleading.
• Donate to the CGE Strike Fund if you can. Striking grad students aren't getting paid, and many are relying on this support to get by.
• Join us on the picket line! We meet at 10am daily at the MU to picket until 4pm.

Final Thoughts

This isn't about skipping work or putting you at a disadvantage. We've tried hard to reach an agreement with OSU so we can keep supporting students, but we're left with no choice. We can't do our jobs if we're struggling to make ends meet ourselves. OSU's proposal would lock graduate workers into an unfair contract that limits our ability to cover basic expenses, stay healthy, and keep doing the work that makes OSU a top-tier university.

Please know that we're in this for the long haul not because we want to, but because we have to. This fight is about making sure that OSU values its grad employees, who are also your TAs, instructors, and mentors. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to create a fairer OSU for everyone.

In solidarity