Offer Highlights
Salary
10/23/26
On Wednesday, October 21, the university increased its salary offer, proposing a 2.4% across-the-board increase and 2.4% increase to base salaries at the minimum, in the first year. See revised UO proposals.
The revised offer recognizes the significant increase in graduate employee health insurance costs this year resulting from the plan and benefit levels selected by the GTFF Trust, which has majority GTFF representation. The selected plan increased costs by 24%, resulting in an additional $1.6 million in annual expenses for the university. The UO’s most recent salary proposal provides additional salary increase to help offset individual GEs’ share of those expenses over the life of the agreement.
10/12/26
The current UO and GTFF salary offers are in alignment: no across-the-board increase or increase to salary minimums in the first year (2026); 3% across-the-board increase in years 2 and 3; and 3% increase to base salary minimums in years 2 and 3.
The 0% salary increase in 2026 reflects this year’s significant increase in GTFF health insurance costs. associated with the plan and benefits levels selected by the GTFF Trust, a group with majority GTFF member representation. Due to cost increases associated with the new insurance plan, the university is covering approximately $1.6 million in increased costs for GE health insurance this year.
Health Insurance
The GTFF proposal would shift disproportionate responsibility for past, current, and future health insurance cost increases to the university, adding financial pressure in an already challenging fiscal environment. It would have the GTF-controlled trust continue to make all decisions about GE healthcare, with the university bearing 95% of the cost impact of those decisions, regardless of how much those costs increase.
The primary difference between the two final offers is the GTFF’s proposal to eliminate the current health insurance cost-sharing provision that encourages the GTFF Trust to make affordable plan decisions by sharing responsibility for premium increases above 10%. The university’s offer maintains that cost-sharing provision.
The UO has not proposed any changes to the composition or operation of the GTFF Trust nor any other aspect of GE health insurance.
Click the buttons to view the parties' last best final offers going into the thirty-day cooling-off period in early October.