The University of Oregon and United Academics (UA) began the collective bargaining process for a new contract on February 1, 2024. The parties have exchanged proposals for salary increases, which is a topic of keen interest to all. The university continues to approach these negotiations with deep respect for our faculty, commitment to transparency, and dedication to working closely with the faculty union to find solutions that benefit everyone.

The UA currently asserts that faculty salaries dropped from 30.59% in FY15 to 28.05% in FY23 as a percentage of the university (E&G fund) budget. 

The following provides some relevant facts and context.

• Faculty salaries—as a percentage of all salaries—has been stable during the time period in question and actually increased slightly from 42.6% to 43.6% when measured as a percentage of all salaries (from FY15 to FY23).
• Due to large increases in benefits costs (PERS, PEBB) during the period in question, benefits costs have grown as a proportion of the E&G fund budget, causing all salaries to drop as a percentage of the total budget.
• Tuition is by far the largest single funding source for the E&G budget. Over the last 10 years average net tuition revenue has increased less than 3% per year.
• The university is facing a projected $2.3M budget deficit for FY25. This is due in part to increased faculty hiring, low staff vacancy rates and a shortfall of non-resident students against expected targets despite a significant increase in targeted student scholarships.
• The UA proposal is significantly higher than the national average. The university’s total faculty compensation offer aligns with AAU peers. UA’s proposal is well above the AAU average. See figure below.

We are committed to the long-term financial health and viability of our university and to our ability to serve the needs of our students, our community and our state.