Faculty at Portland State University Declare Impasse

Both parties now have 7 days to submit their final offers in writing to the state mediator, who will make them public.

This photo was taken at the PSU Millar Library on the occasion of a recent faculty rally, prior to attending a faculty meeting with the provost, Roy Koch, on the Contract conflict. Photo courtesy: Gerry Sussman

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - After more than one year of contract negotiations, the Portland State University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (PSU-AAUP) has declared impasse.

The PSU-AAUP Executive Council met with members of the PSU-AAUP bargaining team and unit representatives on Thursday to discuss the stalled negotiations. The two major outstanding issues leading up to the declaration include workload and compensation.

They say there has been no significant progress in addressing the issue of increasing faculty workloads, and the University has held firm with a compensation proposal that would 1) not be retroactive and 2) result in approximately half of the bargaining unit receiving a salary adjustment that does not keep up with the cost-of-living in the Portland Metropolitan area.

"There was overwhelming support for the declaration of impasse" said Jonathan Uto, chief negotiator for the faculty. "I’m not surprised, however."

Both parties now have 7 days to submit their final offers in writing to the state mediator, who will make them public. A 30-day "cooling off" period must then elapse, after which the University may implement all or part of its final offer and the faculty have the right to strike.

The Portland State Chapter (PSU-AAUP) operates as both a professional association and as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for all PSU faculty employed with at least .50 FTE