With the guidance of a mediator assigned by the Employment Relations Board, the University of Oregon and the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF) have begun contract negotiations for the term running from 2014 until 2016.  The two sides have been engaged in bargaining sessions since June and have made some progress, but conflicts over salaries, paid leave and health care contributions have been difficult to overcome, leading to the decision to enter mediation.

Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs) are students who are also employees of the University.  They receive tuition waivers valued at $5,000 per term, as well as one of the most generous health care packages available at the university and, in some cases, salary.  The total compensation for GTFs each year starts at a value of $39,211 for what amounts to a part-time job.

One of the key sticking points of the negotiations is paid leave for parents.  The GTFs demands paid leave, but this is a benefit that no other part-time employee group receives at the university.  The University has argued that agreeing to this would imbalance all other relationships with employee groups.  The university has also pointed out that it is the only major university in the area that supplements the healthcare costs of GTFs.

The university has also offered salary increases while holding fees at their current rates, stating it is sensitive to the growing concerns over student debt in the United States.  Both sides have declared optimism that mediation will result in an agreement that is satisfactory for both sides.