Category Archives: Uncategorized

• Administrative Assistant, Graduate Employees Union
• Position Title:  Administrative Assistant
• Reports to: Executive Board, Graduate Employees Union, AFT/AAUP Local 6666 
• Location: Portland, OR (hybrid)
• Salary Range: $25-27/hour, up to 12.5 hours/week. This is a grant-funded position.
• Posting Date: April 15, 2024
• Application Deadline:  April 30, 2024
• Anticipated Start Date:  June 3, 2024 (flexible). This is a temporary, part-time position through June 2025, with possibility of extension.

Graduate Employees Union (GEU, AFT/AAUP Local 6666) is a labor union of graduate employees at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. We won our first contract in 2018, and we represent nearly 500 graduate employees, including graduate teaching assistants, graduate research assistants, and graduate administrative assistants. GEU is led by an elected executive board of graduate employees.

Job Summary:  

The Administrative Assistant uses their knowledge and expertise to enhance operations by providing general administrative support to the Executive Board. The Administrative Assistant must demonstrate strong communication, organizational, and time management skills. This position will work remotely 80% of the time, and on site 20% of the time.

This position will be supervised by the VP of Operations.

Primary Responsibilities: 

Duties are dependent on filled officer positions (elected annually). General tasks include:

• Assist VP of Operations, VP of Membership, and VP of Organizing with management of the member and potential member database, and producing member lists
• Assist VP of Operations with processing monthly shared information reports from PSU administration
• Assist VP of Communications with generating email lists and union literature production tasks
• Assist VP of Organizing and VP of Membership with logistics and coordination of New Employee Orientation, and other organizing events
• Assist VP of Social Engagement with logistics and coordination of General Member Meetings
• Manage GEU’s shared office space, e.g., check mailboxes, file membership cards, maintain office supply inventory and order supplies
• Monitor the general email and phone accounts, and direct emails and calls to the appropriate VP for reply
• Other duties as assigned

Key Qualifications and Transferable Skills: 

• HS/GED diploma OR any combination of life/professional experiences that provide requisite skills
• Data entry experience
• Commitment to labor/progressive movements
• Clear written and spoken communication style
• Knowledge of basic software suites (e.g. Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace)

Other Useful Qualifications: 

• Experience using and managing databases
• Experience working in a non-profit setting
• Experience working within/navigating academic institutions, particularly Portland State University
• Familiarity with higher education and graduate employee labor issues
• Familiarity with ActionNetwork, Hustle, Canva, and AirTable

To apply:

Please submit a resume and cover letter to info@pdxgeu.org by April 30, 2024, 5pm PT. GEU plans to begin scheduling interviews after May 7, 2024. 

Bargaining Weekly on Mondays 11 am – 3 pm: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/89575632910

A Successful Rally – Many Thanks to Our Labor Allies!

Last Tuesday we rallied for healthcare. Two shifts of roughly fifteen GEU members and labor allies marched from the park blocks to the administration building on 4th, and made our voices heard.

It was a great showcase of community solidarity. We had support from:

Portland Jobs with Justice

Portland DSA

All three other PSU unions: PSUFA, SEIU, and AAUP

Our parent union, AFT Oregon, and our sibling at OSU, CGE

This support means so much for so many reasons, but one that stood out is: the reminder that what we are fighting for is normal. However hard the administration works to pretend that affordable healthcare is unreasonable, “inequitable,” impossible – it isn’t. To the world outside of their bubble, it is something that we deserve so obviously that its lack is an injustice, and further denial is cruelty. Remember that perspective as we continue bargaining. You deserve this.

Next Session

Show your support when we reconvene for bargaining Monday,

10/3 at 11 am – 3 pm: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/89575632910

New Term, New Members?

The start of the new term is a crucial time for GEU’s organizing. The influx of new GAs is an important opportunity to grow our strength – and the graduation of many members in the preceding spring will leave us shorthanded if we don’t make up for it! Keeping those numbers up is crucial for strength at the table. If you’d never joined before, now is the time – and check on your friends! We’re all in this together. The online membership form is here!

Another One?

That’s right, folks. Following our special Friday session, yesterday was our normally scheduled bargaining session. PSU responded to our proposal on appointment rights by mostly reverting back to their previous offer, dashing hopes of a quick resolution. The GEU team is still working on the next iteration of our healthcare proposal. Stay tuned! There will be another special session, date TBD, and no regular session next Monday.

Rally for Healthcare! 

But on Tuesday, September 20th, it’s our Rally for Healthcare (meeting outside Smith Memorial Student Union, park side, at 2:00 and 3:30)! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/graduate-employees-union-rally-for-healthcare-at-portland-state-university-tickets-413010143457 

We’ve already seen a wonderful response to the event! But we are looking for volunteers to get loud as picket captains. Picket captains work in shifts leading the group in chants as well as physically, and answer the questions of curious passers-by. Feeling mad about healthcare? Want to yell about it? Email the Contract Action Team lead at sean.noble.anderson@gmail.com, or ping the #cat channel on GEU slack.

And leading up to the Rally, we are having a Sign Making Social Event on Wednesday the 14th from 10am – 2pm in the GEU office, B134. Come have a snack and make a sign!

Bargaining Weekly on Mondays 11 am – 3 pm: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/89575632910

Appointment Rights Close to Agreement

Progress has been made on Article 17. We are working on rules to protect GAs from having to repay their full tuition in the unfortunate event that they have to withdraw from their appointments partway through the term. This is an important protection that could prevent a GA from losing both their appointmnet income and having to repay previously remitted tuition. PSU and GEU are finding common ground in this area, and we hope to have this article settled soon.

Which just leaves Healthcare

The topic of supported GA healthcare costs is our final focus. In the long term, both sides agree that a better plan is needed for GAs, however, what form that plan will take, when it will be implemented, and how much premium support will be provided are still very much up in the air. 

On the other hand, for immediate support to GA health insurance costs, PSU has moved away from the myriad of objections they previously had to reducing GA premium costs. Now, their resistance to supporting GA health insurance comes down to the bottom line of money. PSU claims there is simply no wiggle room left in the budget to support the rising premiums of the Student Health Plan. 

Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

Budgeting is a complex process, many different factors have to be weighed, and there are few if any easy choices. That being said, budgets are also a choice between different values, and we think GA welfare needs to be a high priority in the budget! Raising in budgetary priority status will only happen by showing PSU that GAs must be a higher priority. This demonstration comes not only at the bargaining table, but through our direct action together!

Rally for Healthcare! 

To that end, we are hosting our Rally for Healthcare on September 20th! (meeting outside Smith Memorial Student Union at 2 and 3:30) Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/graduate-employees-union-rally-for-healthcare-at-portland-state-university-tickets-413010143457 

We’ve already seen a wonderful response to the event! The folks who have RSVP already are now officially the Cool Kids™. We also regret to say that everyone else is now obligated to do as the Cool Kids™ have and RSVP as well. We don’t make the rules. 

Leading up to the Rally, we are having a Sign Making Social Event next week, Wednesday the 14th from 10am – 2pm in the GEU office, B134. Come have a snack and make a fun sign. We sincerely hope our memes will be a source of inspiration and creativity to everyone! 

Bargaining Weekly on Mondays 11 am – 3 pm: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/89575632910

*Note: No session Monday, 9/5, due to Labor Day*

What has been done

We’ve nearly reached a tentative agreement on Article 3 covering union information rights. PSU’s unwillingness to fully comply with state labor laws notwithstanding, the new article lays out clearly and concisely what information they are willing to provide on a regular basis. Now only two articles remain: “Heath and Wellness” and “Appointments.”

Healthcare Déjà Vu

The Bargaining team felt an eerie sense of familiarity when PSU presented no concrete counter offer to GEU’s proposal of 75% supported premiums for the student health plan and the establishment of a healthcare task force to select an improved plan for future years.

PSU Admin seems to be making every effort to avoid giving a straightforward counter offer on health insurance premium relief. We can only speculate as to their reasons for this, but we suspect they know we won’t like their answer. GAs deserve to know how much their university is willing to support them. 

Next Session

We are close to finalizing Article 17, “Appointments,” having agreed to enshrine a multi-year appointment mechanism into the contract, creating a more stable academic career for GAs. GEU’s most recent proposal offered a generous compromise that we hope PSU will find agreeable: focusing reappointment protections on key scenarios, namely those that can be handled similarly to lay-offs.

That will leave “Health and Wellness.” This one may require a little elbow grease: until we win appointment protections and support for struggling GAs, bargaining will continue into the Fall term.

Direct Action, Rally GAs!

We won’t win health insurance support at the bargaining table alone. No, GAs will need to show PSU that we care about healthcare, we are mad about healthcare, and we aren’t going to stay quiet. GEU, PSU GAs, and labor allies around the state will rally on September 20th on campus to demonstrate PSU GAs’ commitment to a fair contract that respects student works and provides needed health insurance support. More details to come soon, so stay posted!