Oregon

Oregon State University graduate workers and administration reach tentative deal, strike pauses

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2024

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Oregon State University graduate workers and administration reach tentative deal, strike pauses

OSU graduate student employees marched on campus on Nov. 12, 2024.

Natalie Pate / OPB

Hundreds of graduate student workers at Oregon State University are set to go back to work on Dec. 9, just in time for the blitz of exams, closing projects and grading associated with finals week.

At a mediation session Friday, university administration and OSU’s Coalition of Graduate Employees agreed on a tentative contract deal and terms for union members to return to work next week.

CGE represents more than 1,700 graduate student workers at Oregon State. Hundreds of its members have been on strike since Nov. 12.

“The feeling in the room right now is that we’ve won something big here,” said CGE President Austin Bosgraaf. “The university came at us with a really aggressive plan to weaken our power and to pay us very little over a longer contract.”

Wages were among the main sticking points between the two parties throughout bargaining.

CGE’s lowest-paid workers have the most to gain from the tentative agreement. The proposed contract will raise the salary minimum floor for graduate workers a cumulative 16.4% over a three-year contract.

CGE also sought a 45% raise to salary minimums when the strike began, arguing their paychecks have not kept up with the increased cost of housing, food and transportation in Corvallis, as well as rising inflation. Union leadership said some of its members have been forced to take on extra jobs and max-out credit cards to make ends meet.

Both sides need to ratify the contract before the strike can officially end.

Oregon State administration did not return requests for comment.

The proposed deal comes after mounting pressure on OSU administration to bargain fairly from teaching faculty and undergraduate students. Some students in departments that lean heavily on graduate teaching assistants have said there’s been learning loss during the strike. And faculty described having quadrupled workloads that they can barely keep up with.

CGE ramped up its actions this week in an attempt to move university administration closer to its demands. On Thursday, the union rallied at a winter celebration event attended by Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy at the Corvallis campus. The union also staged a sit-in at an administration building that houses the president’s office on Friday.

The graduate workers union has been negotiating a new contract with university administration for over a year. The union’s previous contract ended over the summer, on June 30. CGE members have accused OSU of slowing down the bargaining process and not negotiating in good faith.

CGE Vice President of Bargaining Brandi Whiteman said negotiations with the university have been a long process.

“I’m definitely glad that it’s coming to a close,” said Whiteman. “Our union has grown a lot, showed up for the bargaining team and backed us at every step. I’m really thankful for all of that.”

CGE members, Oregon State undergraduate students and faculty have expressed frustration with the administration’s reluctance to increase worker wages as the university’s growing enrollment continues to bring in more tuition dollars. In October, OSU’s Board of Trustees voted to increase Murthy’s salary by 4%, bringing her total annual salary to nearly $780,000.

OSU’s faculty union, United Academics of Oregon State University, recently conducted a financial analysis of the university. According to UAOSU President Joseph Orozco, the study shows the university is in good financial standing and can afford to invest more in faculty and graduate workers.

UAOSU is currently in contract negotiations with OSU.

CGE members have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to vote on the tentative agreement. If the vote does not pass, CGE could call on its members to strike again later in the week.

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Oregon

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Published

4 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Written by Alma McCarty & KGW:

SALEM, Oregon — In the final week of Oregon’s legislative short session, lawmakers in Salem discussed regulating data centers — specifically, placing a one-year moratorium on certain tax breaks.

Governor Tina Kotek has been looking to expand the state’s enterprise zone program, which is intended to grow Oregon companies and attract new ones. Businesses that locate or expand within designated zones can qualify for property tax exemptions on new investments if they meet eligibility requirements.

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

“Data centers have been around for a while,” said Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “Data centers are getting bigger and bigger. Some of these new AI hyperscale data centers are exponentially bigger than those tiny ones. They’re really just using a lot of energy, a lot of water.”

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper released a report examining data centers operating or planned along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

“I think the question becomes, do we want to stick to our climate goals of getting to 100% renewable? Or do we want to have these big, mega data centers owned by big tech companies — some of the wealthiest corporations in the world — getting to use whatever energy they want? We would say, no, that’s not OK,” Campbell said.

On Monday, lawmakers amended an economic incentives bill to block new data centers from qualifying for certain tax breaks for one year.

“I think this moratorium is a pretty short pause to give the advisory council time and space to do their work,” said Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, during a subcommittee meeting Monday morning.

The Data Center Advisory Committee, convened by Kotek, held its first meeting Friday. The group’s goal is to develop policy recommendations addressing the rapid growth of data centers.

“There are some businesses that will need them, but freestanding data centers, the way we’ve been growing in the state, is not sustainable,” the Governor told reporters during a press conference last week.

On Monday, her office sent KGW a statement regarding the moratorium:

“The moratorium will address immediate concerns and also allow for the Governor’s Data Center Advisory Committee to develop recommendations to strategically pursue economic development opportunities while ensuring utility costs, infrastructure investments, and environmental impacts remain sustainable and equitable for all residents.”

Supporters of data center growth, particularly in rural communities, also spoke during work sessions.

“This moratorium will have a disparate impact on communities east of the Cascades — communities like Prineville, Hermiston and Redmond that have leveraged enterprise zones and data centers to bring hundreds of living-wage jobs to their communities,” said Alexandra Ring, a lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities.

“While data centers may be seen as a nuisance or inconvenient in Washington County, they are not in Crook County. They are not in Morrow County, in Umatilla County,” said Sen. Mark McLane, who represents several Eastern Oregon counties, including Baker, Crook, Grant and Harney.

Even if the House and Senate ultimately approve the moratorium, it would apply only to new data centers — not those that already receive tax breaks or projects currently underway.

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Oregon

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A member of Oregon’s Iranian community on Monday reacted to American and Israeli strikes in his home country and the death of Iran’s supreme leader over the weekend.

That reaction came as the conflict in the Middle East expanded into a third day. President Donald Trump indicated it could go on for several weeks.

Amin Yousefimalakabad says right now he is concerned about his family, who he says lives near military bases in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

He described businesses with shattered windows and explosions near his family’s home.

At the same time, Yousefimalakabad says he felt relief learning about the killing of the ayatollah.

He says he fled Iran four years ago after facing political persecution.

“I used to be a political prisoner in Iran. I got arrested in one of the protests that happened in Iran, and I was under torture for two weeks,” he said in an interview with KATU News. “They put me in prison for six months. I had, even when I was thinking about those days, it made my body shake from inside because I didn’t deserve that. I just wanted the first things that I can have in a foreign country like America in my country. I wanted freedom. I wanted to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to choose who I want to be.”

Meanwhile, Yousefimalakabad says he still can’t return to Iran, fearing he would be punished for his Christian beliefs and says although the regime could change, the ideology in Iran might not.

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Oregon

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Wisconsin has taken time zone changes into account when planning West Coast trips like the recent one to Oregon and Washington.
Oregon and Washington were ‘super hospitable’ to the Badgers when they were traveling from Feb. 23-28.
Wisconsin’s Lindsay Lovelace and Eli Wilke have done a “really good job” in their operations roles.

SEATTLE – Wisconsin men’s basketball’s day that ended with a resounding 90-73 win over Washington did not exactly have a resounding start.

After loading the bus at the team’s downtown Seattle hotel before the Feb. 28 game roughly four miles away at Alaska Airlines Arena, there was a slight issue.

The bus broke down.

But the Badgers had another bus and were only delayed “maybe 10, 15 minutes at the most.”

“All the managers and everybody moved all the bags onto the other bus,” said Lindsay Lovelace, Wisconsin’s assistant director of basketball operations. “So thankfully we had that second bus, and then the bus company did a really good job of getting us another one really fast.”

Wisconsin’s quick pivot was part of the extensive efforts that have gone into an extended road trip like what the Badgers recently concluded against Oregon and Washington.

“Knowing where we’re going, we reserve flights in July and August,” Lovelace said. “Once we finalize game times and stuff, then we can finalize our flight times and everything. And then I started booking hotels for every trip in September-ish, I would say – September, early in October.

“It kind of starts with those big pieces, and then about a month, month-and-a-half out, we start doing meals and scheduling with itineraries.”

The pair of West Coast games made for a six-day, five-night trip as the Badgers played at Oregon on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 28. It was just UW’s second time this season staying on the road between road games, albeit not nearly as long as the 11-night stay in Salt Lake City and San Diego in the nonconference schedule.

“It seems like it’s a big trip, but it’s essentially just two trips, two days each basically,” said Eli Wilke, who is in his first season as Wisconsin’s operations coordinator after previously working as a graduate manager.

As UW did for the Salt Lake City/San Diego trip earlier in the season and the Los Angeles trip last season, the Badgers arrived two days before the first game instead of the typical one day for shorter road trips on the Big Ten schedule.

“We all decided that it’s just the best to get out there one night earlier, try and get their sleep adjusted as best as possible and then give them a day to sleep in and get up and then practice,” Lovelace said.

Lovelace, who has been in her role since 2021, had the benefit of leaning on last season’s Los Angeles trip and past postseason trips. But the Oregon-Washington trip marked the Badgers’ first road game at Washington since 1955, and it was the Badgers’ first regular-season road game at Oregon since 1990.

The Badgers did have a blueprint for traveling to Eugene following their 2023 NIT game against the Ducks. This trip naturally allowed for much more planning time, too, than a postseason game.

“I said to [UW general manager] Marc [VandeWettering], ‘I remember liking the hotel that we stayed at for the NIT,’” Lovelace said. “And he agreed. The food was good, and the setup they had was really good. It was pretty close to the arena.”

Lovelace also turned to her counterparts who work with Wisconsin football and volleyball, which have similarly been adjusting to the new Big Ten cities. UW volleyball made its first trip to Seattle during the 2025 season, and both UW football and volleyball played in Eugene.

“I talked to John [Richter, UW’s director of football operations] a little bit, but a lot with Jess Williams from volleyball,” Lovelace said. “And she kind of gave me some pointers on traffic and making sure you plan ahead for Seattle because traffic can be really busy at times.”

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations staff got a helping hand, too, from Oregon and Washington’s operations personnel.

“Especially with these West Coast trips, these teams are used to it now with these teams doubling up,” Wilke said. “Because they’re all super hospitable and trying to help us out.”

That hospitality includes everything from laundry service to logistical information such as parking and practice options.

Wisconsin secured two practice times in the two days leading up to the Wisconsin-Washington game at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Badgers practiced at Matthew Knight Arena in Oregon the day before and had a shootaround the day of the very late game.

The Badgers were at the mercy of whenever Alaska Airlines Arena was available, though, which turned out to be on a Thursday evening and Friday evening before a Saturday early-afternoon game.

“We know that we really have to be flexible on what they give us,” Lovelace said. “I think everybody wanted to practice at Alaska Airlines Arena. … If we wanted to have an earlier practice, we could have looked elsewhere for gym time, too.”

Washington provided laundry service for Wisconsin on the Badgers’ first night in Seattle. The courtesy is not something to be taken for granted either after what nearly happened when the Badgers traveled to San Diego.

“I was looking at all the laundromats,” Wilke said, following the suggestion of the tournament organizers.

That’s when Nick Boyd – UW’s team leader in points and assists – delivered a big off-the-court assist after playing with his connections at San Diego State, where he played in 2024-25 before transferring to the Badgers.

“Nick connected with one of his old managers, who connected with the current manager at San Diego State and helped connect us with their equipment person who was willing to help us out,” Wilke said. “We got lucky with Nick there.”

The extended trips often come with a larger travel party and the added responsibility of managing logistics for non-basketball excursions. The activities help “keep guys fresh and keep loose,” Wilke said.

The San Diego trip earlier in the season involved a visit at the zoo. The year before, Wisconsin went to an NBA game while in Los Angeles for the USC and UCLA games. This time, UW toured a joint military base in the Seattle-Tacoma region on Feb. 27.

This is Lovelace and Wilke’s first season spearheading Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations together. VandeWettering was the team’s director of basketball operations for eight seasons before being promoted to a new general manager role in the summer.

UW then promoted Wilke to operations coordinator, all while he continues to finish his master’s degree in sports leadership. He has yet to miss an assignment although he does “cut it very close.” When Wisconsin played Iowa on Feb. 22, he had an assignment due that day.

“I was writing my paper as our guys were doing pregame warmup shots,” Wilke said. “One of the event staff was just laughing behind me because they saw me. I’m just typing away.”

Coordinating operations specifically at a place like Wisconsin “makes my life easier,” Wilke said.

“I don’t really have to worry about guys forgetting things because they’re pretty on top of it,” Wilke said. “I think that’s kind of how the culture of the program’s been over the last few years.”

Even when life is not so easy – an already-loaded bus uncharacteristically breaking down might be one of the top examples – UW’s operations duo has earned rave reviews.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, and there’s going to be hiccups,” VandeWettering said. “And I think you just got to understand that there are going to be things beyond your control, and you just got to be able to roll with it. I think they’ve both done a really good job of continuing to do that to the best of their ability.”

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