The Oregon University System is at an impasse with the union representing much of its non-teaching staff. Money is part of the problem despite a recent funding increase.
Legislators approved a 20 percent boost to university funding this year. But it's not enough to ease a labor conflict between higher ed administrators and the Service Employees International Union, representing classified workers at the universities.
SEIU helped lobby for the funding boost. In a statement, the union objects to the contract offer, calling it a "meager one-and-a-quarter percent cost of living increase."
University leaders said they're grateful for the bump in state funding, but spokesperson Di Saunders, says higher ed hasn't recovered from the Great Recession.
"The issue is that we are still not back to the funding level that we received in 2007, and we have 20,000 more students than we had back at that point," Saunders said.
The two sides are in a cooling-off period.
That means neither side can take decisive actions, such as a strike, until that period is over, in a few weeks.
A university official said the two sides continue to negotiate with the help of a state mediator.