Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) has been facing negotiations with a newly unionized unit of around 250 postdoctoral researchers, who are unhappy with the proposed wage offer of 0% raises over the course of a three-year contract. These researchers are currently funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and are paid based on a federal formula. However, universities in neighboring states like Washington and California have been providing supplements to these wages.
In response to the no-raise proposal, members of the union picketed outside the building where negotiations were taking place on April 16. The union, represented by AFSCME Local 328, expressed their dissatisfaction with OHSU’s offer and called for better compensation for the postdoc researchers who play a crucial role in the institution’s research projects.
Despite their high level of education, postdoc researchers at OHSU currently earn an average of around $54,000, which is significantly lower than what they had expected when they joined the union in April 2023. The union is pushing for fair wages that reflect the valuable contributions of these researchers to OHSU’s work in the field of healthcare and research.
As these negotiations continue, OHSU has also announced plans to acquire Legacy Health for $1 billion, adding a layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions between the university and the newly unionized postdoctoral researchers. The outcome of these negotiations will have far-reaching implications for the future of these researchers and their work at OHSU.