Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is currently in negotiations with a newly unionized unit of around 250 postdoctoral researchers. These researchers, who are employed on projects funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, are looking for better wages. Currently, they are paid according to a federal formula, but research universities in Washington and California have been known to supplement these wages.
Frustrated by OHSU’s offer of a three-year contract with 0% raises each year, members of the union held a picket outside the bargaining meeting on April 16. The AFSCME spokesperson, David Kreisman, along with Local 328 President Jenny Olson, voiced their concerns about the unfair proposal from OHSU.
Postdoc researchers at OHSU currently earn an average of $54,000 after earning their doctoral degree. The 0% raise proposal was not what they had in mind when they decided to unionize in April 2023. The unionization was a response to the need for better wages and working conditions for these highly educated professionals.
Interestingly, OHSU is also in the process of proposing a $1 billion acquisition of Legacy Health. The union members feel that this acquisition should not come at the cost of fair wages for postdoc researchers. Through their picketing, they are making it clear to OHSU that they are not willing to accept the current proposal, which they see as inadequate and unfair.