- CGE Newsletter - lists.cge6069.org

Hardship fund open, a farewell, Oregon budget, and bargainig
by Serena Frazee 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *CGE hosted ICE response training* If you are interested being more informed and empowered to respond to ICE, you can attend a training by experts, hosted by CGE. Reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Late winter appointment letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your received your appointment letter for Winter after November 16th please reach out to vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *CGE Hardship Fund is open from now-January 30th!* The Hardship Fund is open to all CGE members and associate members. There are no strings attached to the hardship fund and you will never be asked to pay back any funds you receive. Information about the Hardship Fund and the link to apply can be found here <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cge60…>. Keep in mind that the hardship fund is powered entirely by associate member and legacy member dues. OSU’s Hardship fund has more resources but is much less transparent. If you want assistance applying to OSU’s fund, email solidarity(a)cge6069.org. - *Thank you and farewell* From our staff organizer, Lauren Nelson: After almost 3 years working with the incredible grad workers at CGE, I will be moving on to work with another local. I have loved organizing with you all during this time and will miss this local so much! I am sure I will see from a distance how much organizing capacity you all continue to build over the years, including the next contract campaign. If you know of an organizer looking for work in the next couple of months, please tell them to be on the lookout for this job posting! Solidarity forever! If you have been to any CGE event you have almost certainly come across Lauren, as she has been working hard for us through everything. In bargaining, filing grievances, raising money for grads, she has been there with us. She has been an advisor, support, and cheerleader for grads. We are so grateful and wish her nothing but the best moving forward. Upcoming Events - *Emergency Teach-In on Oregon's Budget Crisis: January 29th, 5pm, Westminster House* From the Fight for Our Future campaign: *Oregon is projected to lose billions* due to the passage of Trump's tax-slashing giveaway to the wealthiest mega-corporations. In order to pay for these cuts, lawmakers are considering cuts to higher education & services. *There are smart, fair options that will not balance the budget solely on the backs of working families and public workers. *Join the emergency teach-in to learn more and get tools to organize! See you there! - *Bargaining: January 30th 2-5pm, Cascade Hall, room 139/140* Come to bargaining to support for grads who have experienced loss of providers, increasing medication prices, and more as the result of the health care change. Showing up is a great way to show we are united in caring for our community. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus*: Tuesday 2-3pm on zoom. Reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org for the zoom link. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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ICE rally tomorrow morning! And Cigna office hours and ICE response training
by Serena Frazee 15 Jan '26

15 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *CGE hosted ICE response training* If you are interested being more informed and empowered to respond to ICE, you can attend a training by experts, hosted by CGE. Reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Late winter appointment letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your received your appointment letter for Winter after November 16th please reach out to vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Cigna and Student Health Services* Several grad employees have reported having visits to Student Health Services treated as out-of-network by Cigna. OSU Human Resources have confirmed that Student Health Services is in-network and said that Cigna is reprocessing claims where Student Health Services was incorrectly treated as out-of-network. If you have this issue you can reach out to Cigna and they should be able to help. You can also reach out to us and OSU Human Resources. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *ICE walkout and rally tomorrow! Meet at MU steps 9:15, march to courthouse 10:15* We cannot proceed with business as normal as militarized immigration enforcement endangers our community. Join us tomorrow to demand an end of ICE presence and accountability for the violence in Minnesota, in Portland, and across the country. We will meet tomorrow at 9:45am on the steps of the Memorial Union then march to the courthouse starting at 10:15. - *Upcoming Cigna office hours and presentations* Cigna will be hosting office hours and presentations next week, both virtually and in-person in order to answer questions about our new health insurance. See 1/12 email from Grad Health for more information. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Protest tomorrow, response to news, and Cigna-Student Health Services
by Serena Frazee 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Late Winter Appointment Letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your appointment letter for Winter term is late, look out for an email from vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *Response to Recent News* We would like to pass on a statement from Ariana Jacob, the president of American Federation of Teachers Oregon (our state level parent union): Today we are reeling from the news that two people in Portland were shot by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents. We believe they are in the hospital and will recover, but we don’t have all the details yet. We are however certain that the presence of militarized homeland security agents makes all of us more vulnerable to violence, unlawful arrests, and being shot. Enough is enough. We call for an end to ICE operations in our communities and external oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, which has shown itself to be unable and uninterested in holding itself accountable. We also condemn and grieve the horrifying murder of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Our hearts go out to her family and community. An independent investigation that involves state and local officials must be allowed to take place. On behalf of the AFT-Oregon Executive Council, we strongly condemn the latest actions by the Trump administration, ICE and Homeland Security. The invasion of Venezuela, kidnapping of their president, and hijacking of their oil tankers are all violations of both U.S. and international law. We demand that Congress immediately rein in this lawless administration, and if Congress cannot do that we know we need to act together as a labor community to protect our democracy. You can write a letter <https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0…> to your congressional representatives about this. We echo the above statement; state violence and authoritarianism must end. We stand with those who have suffered at the hands of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. We are committed to protecting and supporting our community, and opposing ICE actions here and everywhere. In addition to the above call to write to your representatives, there are many other actions we can take. There are protests across the region, including tomorrow 1/10 12-2 at the Benton County Courthouse. You can also donate to Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (https://pircoregon.org/donate) and get trained in responding to ICE presence. If you are interested in attending ICE response training hosted by CGE reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Cigna and Student Health Services* Several grad employees have reported having visits to Student Health Services treated as out-of-network by Cigna, which contradicts what OSU reported earlier. Fortunately, when we reached out OSU Human Resources they confirmed that Student Health Services is in-network. They said that Cigna is reprocessing claims where Student Health Services was incorrectly treated as out-of-network. If you have this issue you can reach out to Cigna and they should be able to help. You can also reach out to us and OSU Human Resources. Upcoming Events - *ICE Out for Good, Tomorrow 1/10, 12-2pm, Benton County Courthouse* Come together to honor lives taken by ICE, demand accountability for ICE's violent actions, connect with others, and demand ICE leave our community. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Bargaining update, supporting laid off OSU faculty, and immigration rights training
by Serena Frazee 05 Dec '25

05 Dec '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All: *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! Announcements - *Impact Bargaining Update* CGE and OSU met for over 2 hours on Monday to discuss the impacts of the health insurance carrier change. While we had hoped OSU would come prepared with counter proposals to the two memoranda of understanding (MOU) we had passed in early November, OSU once again did not. However, they did come with some information that is important for you all to understand, particularly with regard to *access to mental health care professionals*: When OSU negotiated their contract with Cigna, they were able to get a higher reimbursement rate for mental/behavioral health providers than Cigna ordinarily provides. Whereas Cigna usually reimburses these providers at 110% of the Medicare rate, they will reimburse providers for our health plan at 200%. This means two things: your out-of-network therapy charges are likely still higher than they would have been under the old plan, but likely less than your provider initially imagined before the rollout. It also means that if your provider was resistant to working with Cigna in any capacity (either as an in-network provider or as an out-of-network provider), it is possible that they were not aware of this specific arrangement. *If your health care providers that you see regularly are still out-of-network, we encourage you to reach out and ask them to verify the details of the cost of your visit so that you can make your decisions with all of the information. *If you continue to have difficulties with access to healthcare, email healthcare(a)cge6069.org. Regarding our contract language, OSU reiterated at the table that they were not willing to expand their contractual obligations regarding the Health Insurance Advisory Council. As a reminder, our proposals included language around mandatory meetings and transparency of information. They were willing to continue to meet to discuss data about plan usage from Cigna with our bargaining team into Winter term, which will allow us to continue to manage the plan (and any difficulties you encounter) as well as try to apply pressure at the bargaining table. This willingness is promising, but not guaranteed without contract language behind it.* As with regular bargaining, our power at the table is limited by our organizing on the ground: we need to demonstrate a united collective in order to motivate OSU toward enforceable contract language.* This is especially true as our legal rights are weaker under impact bargaining: our power comes from *you.* OSU indicated some willingness to work together to understand the extent to which GEs can apply to the OSU Hardship Fund for medical expenses resulting from the switch. We hope to hear more about this at the next meeting. Finally, OSU is planning a joint presentation with graduate employees, OSU administrators, and Cigna reps to review how the plan administration is being handled at present. We do not yet have the details of this presentation, and will send them along as soon as we are able. *In the meantime, we want to communicate that if you continue to have concerns about your health insurance that has not been addressed by the administration, we need your voice at this meeting. *Even if we are not able to secure enforceable contract language via impact bargaining, we are committed to working together to solve any access issues GEs are facing. To do that, we need to hear from you. Please check in with your coworkers, union stewards, and contact healthcare(a)cge6069.org with any issues, questions, or concerns. - *Petition to support laid off tenured OSU faculty* In August 2025, three tenured Professors in OSU’s College of Health received “not for cause” termination notices following a sudden “reorganization” of the Family and Community Health Program. The Administration cited OSU’s loss of a federally-funded Oregon SNAP-Ed program as justification, despite the fact that these tenured faculty positions were not supported by the SNAP-Ed grant. The funding loss appears to have been used as a pretext to downsize an entire College of Health program. Please sign this petition <https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/protect-tenure-at-osu> to reverse the termination of these tenured faculty and reaffirm the university’s commitment to shared governance, academic freedom, and tenure protections. - *Fellows Office Hours: Fridays 12-1pm at the CGE office in Westminster House* We want to hear from grads on fellowship about their experiences and rights at work! Come say hi! Upcoming Events - * Immigration Rights training: this Sunday, December 7th, at 11:30am, Friends Meeting House, 3311 NW Polk Ave.* Learn about immigration rights and interacting with immigration officers. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Impact bargaining update, keep ICE out of Newport, and more
by Serena Frazee 21 Nov '25

21 Nov '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Only a Few More Weeks to Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues: *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get a better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All: *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! Announcements - *Impact Bargaining Update* Our bargaining team began Tuesday's session by presenting health insurance change impacts as aggregated data. We explained our current assessment of how many grads were affected by the change in carriers, informed by member emails to the healthcare(a)cge6069.org email. Some of the data we presented includes: - 47 GEs have reported increased health care costs as a result of this change. - Per session impacts for mental health care for previously in-network and now out-of-network care ranged from $40 to $162. Most grads expressed anxiety in finding a new health care provider and/or therapist, and many will likely remain with their out-of-network therapists. Assuming a twice-monthly session rate, these 35 grads will experience yearly impacts from $33,600 to $136,100 per year. - Aside from these known financial impacts, 12 graduates communicated loss of care, 5 communicated delay of care, and 3 communicated loss of prescription coverage, with financial consequences that are currently unknown to us. *(Note: If we are underreporting data to OSU, we need you to write in to improve our assessment. Please report any and all impacts to your union, and check in on your coworkers and ask them to do the same.)* This reasoning accounts for both our proposed changes to the structure of the Health Insurance Advisory Council and the OSU-run Hardship Fund, which we presented at the previous session. OSU responded to our report with a lengthy statement that implicitly justified why they did not bring counter-proposals to Tuesday's session. *While they reiterated that they are willing to work with CGE to find solutions to the problems we posed, they are resistant to doing so via contract language, and were unwilling to refer to the impacts we presented as such.* Instead, Emily Farrell, OSU's lead negotiator, used phrases like "felt effects" and "felt experiences." Our bargaining team made many attempts to refocus the conversation to find real solutions to the problems our members are experiencing. Although we passed our proposals 2 weeks ago and we had a 4 hour sessions scheduled to discuss these issues, OSU's team stated that they need additional time to consider our proposals. We hope to see a substantive response at the next session on December 2nd at 3 PM. However, it is still possible that OSU's response will not take the form of enforceable contract language. Help us show OSU's bargaining team that we care about these impacts by attending the next session, by talking to your coworkers to increase our knowledge of impacts, and having conversations with your fellow workers about the importance of membership. *Everything we do as a collective to show that we are united increases OSU's motivation to treat us with the respect and dignity we deserve.* The next bargaining session is December 2nd at 3 PM in Cascade Hall, room 141. - *Keep ICE out of Newport!* A new ICE facility in Newport could be built, despite local push-back. Please use the attached letter template to contact your representatives so that we can help keep ICE out of Newport. The letter says it best: *"It is unthinkable that a detention camp filled with our community members, friends, and family would be located here. News about such camps include reports of overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and lack of food, water, or medical care. People have been unable to communicate with family or have access to legal counsel. There seems to be virtually no accountability for what goes on in these camps or for the way people are treated. There is no indication such a camp on the Oregon coast would operate any differently."* - *Solidarity with Striking Starbucks Workers* Over 1,000 Starbucks baristas in 40+ cities have been on strike for one week in response to dozens of Unfair Labor Practice complaints filed against the coffee chain. None of the Corvallis Starbucks locations are yet unionized, so there is not an active picket in our area. However, the union has called for a national boycott to increase the strike's leverage. Do not buy Starbucks while the boycott is ongoing! And go support a picket line if you can: https://www.oraflcio.org/strikemap. More information here: https://sbworkersunited.org/our-strike/. Upcoming Events - *Impact Bargaining Session, December 2nd at 3 PM in Cascade Hall, room 141.* Please come and show your support for the process and for grads who have been impacted by the health insurance change! *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Come to impact bargaining next week, grad workers survey, and strikaversary!
by Serena Frazee 14 Nov '25

14 Nov '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Only a Few More Weeks to Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues: *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get a better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All: *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! Announcements - *Come to Impact Bargaining Session Next Week!* Last session, OSU’s team proposed ground rules that would keep grads in the dark about the negotiations. This included closing bargaining to just those on the bargaining teams, banning taking notes of and sharing of direct quotes from the session, and restricting how we use social media to communicate with membership. *All grads have a right to know what is happening in negotiations that affect them.* Our bargaining team declined these ground rules, which means we will be bargaining without ground rules from now on. Fortunately, we do not need to agree to ground rules to continue negotiating about what is really important: the health and well-being of grads. *Next session, we want people to fill the room with support for bargaining and each other. *Grad workers are facing impacts from the health insurance change, including a significant loss of providers—especially mental health providers—and increasing medication costs. Bargaining is one of the most powerful tools we have to help, and coming to bargaining shows that we're paying attention and care. At the next bargaining session we expect OSU will have counter-proposals to the Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) we proposed last session. As a reminder, one of these sought to improve transparency around how the health insurance plan is administered, and to increase our role in administering the change. The second sought to add $150,000 to the OSU Hardship Fund to be used specifically by grads whose healthcare costs have increased as a result of the switch. Both our MOUs and OSU's proposed ground rules are attached. - *Strike Anniversary Reflection* Wednesday 11/12 was the one-year anniversary of CGE's strike. During the strike, hundreds of grads came together in support of each other and our right to a strong contract. It was inspiring, and personally made me proud of this community of caring and hardworking people. It was also tough: hours walking in all weather, throats raw from chanting, worries of the risks of lost paychecks or retaliation. We all had different experiences of this period, but we can all be proud of our sacrifices and the good that came of it. One of the major motivations for and wins of the strike was raising the minimum salary of OSU grads. Some grads paid at that minimum have shared what this raise means to them: *"This raise, while not a ton of extra money every month, is still enough that my bills get paid on time and I can focus on a) being the GTA my students deserve and b) producing the best scholarship possible. Were I living in today's economy on yesterday's salary, I'd have been utterly dependent on loans and struggling to make ends meet, which in turn would have negatively affected my wellbeing and my work. I'm grateful for the wins our collective efforts achieved last year on the picket line and at the bargaining table, and I hope we can sustain the momentum we've created for the sake of future grads."** -**Katie McKinney* *"Without the salary increase accomplished by last year's strike, I would most likely not be a part of this program. The salary increase assured me that I could move across the country and have adequate funds for rent. I was only able to apply to fully-funded grad programs, so this was central in my decision to join the MFA program." -**Madelyn Whelan* Thank you to everyone who withheld their labor or supported us during that time. [image: image.png] Upcoming Events - *Impact Bargaining Session, Tuesday 11/18, 10am-2pm, Cascade Hall, Room 139* Please come and show your support for the process and for grads who have been impacted by the health insurance change! *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Impact bargaining updates, solidarity breakfast, local resources, and more
by Serena Frazee 07 Nov '25

07 Nov '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Finance Committee Meeting, Wednesday 11/12, 11am at WestM: *If you're interested in where your dues go and having a say in the finances of CGE then this meeting is for you! The Finance Committee is made up of members who come together to work on the CGE budget*. Come eat donuts and review some spreadsheets! *If you are interested but can't make the meeting, or have any questions please reach out to treasurer(a)cge6069.org. - *Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues: *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get a better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All: *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! Announcements - *Impact Bargaining Update* Bargaining over the transition to Cigna has started. While our insurance plans with Cigna are very similar to what they were with PacificSource, as protected by our contract, this change has still impacted workers. Notably, 7% of previously covered providers utilized by grad employees will be out of network, with this loss disproportionately affecting access to mental health services. The number of in-network therapists and mental health providers went from 235 under PacificSource to 73 under Cigna. We found that many providers have chosen specifically not to work with Cigna due to poor reimbursement rates. The drastic decrease in our mental health coverage means that the remaining providers in our area that *do* take Cigna will be even more overloaded. We are also seeing impacts to our medication coverage. One GE said,“Several of my medications will be covered, but they require prior authorization now… I am really worried I will lose access to medication”. Multiple GEs have also reported that the costs for many of their medications are over 3 times more expensive under Cigna than they are under Pacific Source. We are working to mitigate these impacts through proposals at the bargaining table. Today's session began with OSU's team proposing ground rules including: limiting the size of CGE's bargaining team, limiting our ability to take full and comprehensive notes during the session, limiting our ability to communicate about what happened during the session, and preventing anyone other than the bargaining teams to observe the session. These rules would restrict how we conduct negotiations, and we felt they were limiting. We countered by striking all of these rules, and ended the session without coming to an agreement about ground rules. These are not required in order to negotiate the impacts of the health care switch. *CGE proposed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) during negotiations.* The first sought to improve transparency around how the health insurance plan is administered, and to increase our role in administering the change to avoid many of the problems we've seen over the last few months. The second sought to add $150,000 to the OSU Hardship Fund to be used specifically by graduate employees whose healthcare costs have increased as a result of the switch. All of these proposals are attached to this email. Please reach out to solidarity(a)cge6069.org with any questions or concerns about the proposals. OSU did not counter CGE's proposals during the session. We expect to see their counter-proposals at the next session, which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 18th. We will confirm time and place when it is confirmed with OSU. In the meantime, we need your help. In response to OSU's attempt to shut general membership out of the bargaining process, we need a strong showing of support at the next bargaining session. *Mark your calendars, talk to your coworkers, and be ready to attend the next bargaining session on the 18th! * - *Local resources for food and basic needs* Many community members have been impacted by the current state of government funding cuts and shutdown. Please reach out to these organizations if you need help, and please consider supporting these organizations if you can. - South Corvallis Food <https://www.southcorvallisfoodbank.org/> Bank <https://www.southcorvallisfoodbank.org/> - Donations of diapers, food, and other household good accepted at Cordley Hall through 11/24 - Oregon Food Bank Finder <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Foregon.us…> for more resources - On campus resources: - Corvallis Campus Food Pantry and more at the Basic Needs Center: <https://basicneeds.oregonstate.edu/> Most Wednesdays, 8am–2pm (check @bncatosu on Instagram or call 541-737-9127 for updates) - OSU-Cascades Campus Food Pantry <https://osucascades.edu/ASCC/student-support-programs>: Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm to 10pm; Tuesdays from 11am to 1pm; and Wednesdays from 4pm to 10pm. - Hatfield Marine Science Center Food Pantry: <https://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/news/brand-new-guin-hatfields-food-pantry> Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m, in the Guin Library's kitchen Upcoming Events - Strike Anniversary: Solidarity Breakfast, Wednesday 11/12, 8:30-10:30am at WestM Last year, we took the historic step of going on strike in response to stagnation in bargaining. This was a time when hundreds of workers came together, and made a sacrifice in order to support each other. One year on, we want to come together again—this time for a celebration of everyone's hard work and willingness to stand together for a fair contract. Feel free to come and go as you please and enjoy breakfast and activities! - *Leadership Training, Thursday 11/13, 10-11am in WestM Student Lounge* Looking to build community and organizing power in your department? Then this training is for you! Come talk about how to identify potential leaders in your department and activate them to increase our capacity as a union. - *Impact Bargaining Session, Tuesday 11/18, time and place TBD!* *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Cigna impacts, missed salaries grievance, and solidarity breakfast!
by Serena Frazee 31 Oct '25

31 Oct '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues: *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get a better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All: *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *Today (10/31) is the last day of the Cigna enrollment period**: *This is the time for enrolling dependents, applying for the Transition of Care program (more info here <https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/transition-of-care-individu…>), and for out-of-network providers transitioning to in-network. - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! Announcements - Cigna impact bargaining: impacts identified, are we missing yours? Impact bargaining over the change in our health insurance has started. As a reminder, this is a process that allows us to negotiate with OSU admin over addressing the impacts of this transition on grads. So far, about 90 impacts have been reported and the bargaining team is drafting proposals based on these. In order to reflect grads' needs, it's crucial that the bargaining team has accurate and thorough information. If you've run into health care issues, please share them with healthcare(a)cge6069.org, even if you know similar impacts have already been reported. - Missed salaries grievance This term there were several grads who missed paychecks due to late appointment letters. According to our contract grads are supposed to receive their Appointment Letters at least 30 days before they start work. The loss of salary in these cases is especially concerning and we have filed a grievance regarding this issue. If you have missed a paycheck due to a late Appointment Letter please contact vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org. Upcoming Events - Strike Anniversary: Solidarity Breakfast, Wednesday 11/12, 8:30-10:30am at WestM Last year, we took the historic step of going on strike in response to stagnation in bargaining. This was a time when hundreds of workers came together, and made a sacrifice in order to support each other. One year on, we want to come together again—this time for a celebration of everyone's hard work and willingness to stand together for a fair contract. Feel free to come and go as you please and enjoy breakfast and activities! *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Contract Action Team (CAT): *We need more CATs! Our CATs do all of our on-the-ground work, including turnout to events, talking to members, planning actions, and so much more. You can commit as much or as little time as you have. If you want to be more involved in organizing efforts, but don’t know where to start, CAT meetings are the place to start! Meeting October 27th at 4pm in Cordley 4329. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Finance Committee: *This committee works on the CGE budget*. *If you're interested in where your dues go and having a say in the finances of CGE please come! Meeting 11/12 (will have donuts!), and reach out to treasurer(a)cge6069.org. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Hardship fund closing today, GMM Monday, and opportunities to take action!
by Serena Frazee 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get a better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *We are in the Cigna enrollment period **(10/1-10/31) *This is the time for enrolling dependents, applying for the Transition of Care program (more info here <https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/transition-of-care-individu…>), and for out-of-network providers transitioning to in-network. - *Cigna registration**: *Reminder that this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into issues with registration please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Please share affects of the health care change as well as your ideas on specific outcomes and contract language* you would like to see come out of impact bargaining with <healthcare(a)cge6069.org> healthcare(a)cge6069.org. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Mondays 2-4pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! *Announcements* - *CGE Hardship Fund closes today!* The Hardship Fund is open to all CGE members and associate members. There are no strings attached to the hardship fund and you will never be asked to pay back any funds you receive. Information about the Hardship Fund and the link to apply can be found here <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cge60…>. Keep in mind that the hardship fund is powered entirely by associate member and legacy member dues. OSU’s Hardship fund has more resources but is much less transparent. If you want assistance applying to OSU’s fund, email solidarity(a)cge6069.org. *Upcoming Events* - *General Membership Meeting (GMM), Monday 10/27, 5-7pm at WestM* At the GMM we will have updates about AFT-CIO (our parent union), the healthcare transition, and other plans for the year. *Come connect with your coworkers about what's going on in your workplace and your union over free dinner! *GMMs are an opportunity for all members stay informed, take action on things that matter to us, and organize with leaders and members from across the university. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Contract Action Team (CAT): *We need more CATs! Our CATs do all of our on-the-ground work, including turnout to events, talking to members, planning actions, and so much more. You can commit as much or as little time as you have. If you want to be more involved in organizing efforts, but don’t know where to start, CAT meetings are the place to start! Meeting October 27th at 4pm in Cordley 4329. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus: *This new super caucus is working on writing its charter. Open to all graduate students, regardless of current CGE membership status. Fridays, 11am on Zoom, reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus: *The CGE Environmental Justice Caucus works with the university and Corvallis communities to address the causes and consequences of the climate crisis and environmental destruction through equitable and just solutions. Meeting October 30th at 12pm. *Committee on Political Engagement (COPE)*: Plans and implements actions around wider political issues. COPE members channel collective power into concrete efforts to make a difference in local and state politics. Meets Fridays 10am. Email vp_politics(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Finance Committee: *This committee works on the CGE budget*. *If you're interested in where your dues go and having a say in the finances of CGE please come! Meeting 11/12 (will have donuts!), and reach out to treasurer(a)cge6069.org. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Thursdays 2pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *Pride Caucus:* Place for community, support, and action to safeguard the rights and affirm the identities of people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community at Oregon State University. Meeting Fridays, 3pm. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Hardship fund application open, bargaining survey, fellows town hall and other upcoming events!
by Serena Frazee 17 Oct '25

17 Oct '25

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Complete the **Survey of Graduate Workers' Issues *Please respond to this *fully anonymous* survey <https://forms.gle/yAVbrLA42Gi9QBBJ7> to communicate what is important to you! Responses will not be distributed outside of the CGE bargaining team members and other CGE leadership. Help us get better understanding of grad workers' priorities and needs over time, to direct bargaining efforts and provide evidence of particular issues, which can help us build power at the bargaining table. - *Submit testimony for Health Care for All *The state of Oregon is currently developing and assessing a state-wide universal health care program and looking for public comment. Universal health care would protect people from the experience we've had of our healthcare changing unexpectedly based on our employers financial choices. *You can submit testimony to the Universal Health Care Governance Board here <https://www.oregon.gov/uhpgb/Pages/public-comment.aspx>*. There are also public meetings and lots of other ways to get involved at Health Care for All Oregon <https://www.hcao.org/take-action>! - *We are in the Cigna enrollment period **(10/1-10/31) *This is the time for enrolling dependents, applying for the Transition of Care program (more info here <https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/transition-of-care-individu…>), and for out-of-network providers transitioning to in-network. - *Cigna registration issues persist: *Many people are continuing to run into issues with registering for Cigna. Crucially, this registration is only to receive your digital insurance card— *regardless of registration grads are covered by Cigna as of October 1st*. However, if you run into this issue please bring this to the attention of Grad Health at 541-737-7568 or gradhealth(a)oregonstate.edu, they should be able to help. - *Please share affects of the health care change as well as your ideas on specific outcomes and contract language* you would like to see come out of impact bargaining with <healthcare(a)cge6069.org> healthcare(a)cge6069.org. - *Bargaining Committee:* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making sure that we have representation from masters students, international students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required! *Announcements* - *CGE Hardship Fund is open!* The Hardship Fund application opens on Tuesday and closes at the end of Week 5! The Hardship Fund is open to all CGE members and associate members. There are no strings attached to the hardship fund and you will never be asked to pay back any funds you receive. Information about the Hardship Fund and the link to apply can be found here <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cge60…>. Keep in mind that the hardship fund is powered entirely by associate member and legacy member dues. OSU’s Hardship fund has more resources but is much less transparent. If you want assistance applying to OSU’s fund, email solidarity(a)cge6069.org. *Upcoming Events* - *No Kings 10/18, 12pm, **Benton County Courthouse* Come together to send the message that America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. More info here <https://www.nokings.org/>. They are also looking for volunteers to help with safety and chant leading, contact vp_politics(a)cge6069.org if you're interested. - *Fellow Town Hall, 10/21, 4-6pm, Westminster House* Fellows, we need to hear from you about your issues and vision for a better workplace! Please come share your voice, and discuss your experiences with peers over a free dinner. [image: image.png] - *General Membership Meeting (GMM), Monday 10/27, 5-7pm at WestM* At the GMM we will have updates about AFT-CIO (our parent union), the healthcare transition, and other plans for the year. *Come connect with your coworkers about what's going on in your workplace and your union over free dinner! *GMMs are an opportunity for all members stay informed, take action on things that matter to us, and organize with leaders and members from across the university. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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