Portland State University Reaches Tentative Agreement With Faculty Union

The agreement, still subject to ratification by union members, would mean the university would dodge a strike.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: PSU's American Association of University Professors members hold a practice picket. (Courtesy of AAU PSU)
By Joanna Hou

On Wednesday, Portland State University reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with its chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

The bargaining team for PSU-AAUP has been in negotiations with the university for a new contract since June 2024. On Nov. 15, the university started mediation. In February, PSU-AAUP declared an impasse, which would have moved the campus closer to its first strike in history.

The agreement is still subject to ratification by union members. The strike vote was scheduled for March 31.

In a joint statement, Shelly Chabon, the provost and vice president of academic affairs at PSU, and David Kinsella, the PSU-AAUP vice president for collective bargaining, wrote that they believe negotiations “have resulted in a tentative agreement that meets the needs of faculty, staff, students and the broader university community.”

“This agreement, reached after many hours of hard work and negotiation, provides for competitive wages, enhanced job security, professional development support, and measures to enhance faculty well-being,” they wrote. “The contract settlement recognizes the important contributions of our AAUP-represented faculty members while contributing to the university’s future sustainability and success.”

Emily Ford, the PSU-AAUP president, was not immediately available for additional comment.

In February, the union and PSU had a number of differences, including staffing, compensation and layoffs. The university faces an $18 million budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, caused in part by declining enrollment.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article said the strike would start on March 31. That would be the day of the strike vote.

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