To OHSU leadership,

GRU recently filed a grievance with your labor relations team on behalf of all graduate researchers (GRs) over the first biweekly stipend payments at the new contractual stipend levels. This is because the amount paid to GRs who have been working at OHSU since the end of our last contract is insufficient to reach the $37,593 promised in the contract for the academic year of 2023-2024.

Our bargaining with OHSU lasted well over 6 months and it was not a painless process. Our bargaining team spent months demanding the work we do be appropriately compensated, and our members came out in support of that effort for pickets and a sit-in. In the end we all came to a compromise, the Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2023-2027, which was signed off on by both OHSU and GRU. While we understand that the lower-than-expected biweekly pay is likely the result of a misunderstanding between the teams during mediation, at the end of the day the collective bargaining agreement holds OHSU responsible to pay GRs $37,593 for the 23-24 academic year.

Furthermore, this action specifically hurts the GRs who voted to ratify this contract and agreed not to strike in a good faith effort to meet OHSU halfway. After months of bargaining with OHSU and working with our members, attempting to deny GRs what is written in the collective bargaining agreement is not only a violation of the contract but represents a complete lack of care for GRs.

We therefore demand OHSU right this wrong and pay GRs to properly compensate them for their labor in for the 23-24 academic year.