| 2021 Oregon Tech strike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | April 26 – May 4, 2021 (1 week and 1 day) | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Disagreements over labor contract between university and union | ||
| Goals |
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| Methods | |||
| Resulted in | Union ratifies labor contract including wage increases and codified work environment protections | ||
| Parties | |||
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The 2021 Oregon Tech strike was a labor strike involving faculty members from the Oregon Institute of Technology. The strike was organized by the Oregon Tech - American Association of University Professors (OT-AAUP), a local union representing the faculty members that had been formed in 2018 and was recognized by the university in 2019. Following its recognition, the union and university entered into contract negotiations for the faculty members' first labor contract. However, negotiations proceeded slowly, and by early 2021, an agreement had not been reached. On March 17, both sides presented their final offers and the following month, union members voted to authorize strike action. On April 26, following a round of last-minute negotiations, the union officially commenced strike action.
At the start of the strike, faculty members began picketing outside of the university's campuses in Klamath Falls and Wilsonville. Some classes were affected by the strike, while the university brought in temporary replacement workers to cover for some of the striking workers. Negotiations began several days after the strike started, and on May 4, a tentative agreement was reached that saw the faculty members return to work, with ratification voting occurring over the next few days. The five-year contract included provisions for pay increases and codified certain provisions for work environment and workload for the faculty.