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March on Chancellor Pernsteiner’s Office

6/22/2011: Thursday June 30th, noon. Announcement courtesy of the SEIU union folks. Here are a few bullet points on Dr. Mr. Pernsteiner:

  • He was hired in 2004 by Neil Goldschmidt as an interim appointment, then made permanent after the molestation story broke and everyone was too busy to go through a public search process. 
  • He does not have a PhD – unique for a Chancellor. 
  • He is paid $280,900 in straight salary
  • He gets another $23,320 for “professional development expenses.” He does not document how he spends this – just takes as a cash salary add-on. 
  • He gets a free car with all costs paid.
  • He gets a $12,720 retirement add-on, to top off his regular PERS account.
  • He gets an all expenses paid mansion in Eugene, Treetops, which he uses about 4 nights a month, at a cost to the state of over $50,000 a year.
  • We pay about $7,000 for his maid service.
  • He gets another $26,000 in housing allowance to pay the mortgage on his own house, in Portland.
  • He charges the state $52 a day for his personal food while he’s in Portland. The scam is to claim he lives in Eugene, so when he’s in his own backyard grilling bratwurst , he’s traveling on official OUS business. (OK, the bratwurst claim is innuendo, for all I know he’s vegan.)

If I was skimming this kind of loot off state taxpayers and student tuition, I’d be embarrassed to take a hard line with UO office staff who start at $25,000 a year plus benefits. But Pernsteiner obviously has no shame. Still, my guess is he’ll find a reason to be in Portland next Thursday, charging his morning croissant and latte to the state.

WORKERS’ MARCH FOR FAIRNESS ON JUNE 30

Someone is not listening at the bargaining table, it’s up to us to demonstrate we will not accept DAS/OUS’ proposed wage and benefit cuts! Nearly 150 attended last week’s “Speak Out” but we need to dig deep and really turnout for the March for Fairness on Thursday, June 30. Beginning at Noon we’ll stage in two locations on campus, Oregon Hall and Knight Library; these two groups will join forces  near Johnson Hall and continue marching to the OUS Chancellor’s office. A brief program will highlight bargaining developments and feature Melissa Unger, SEIU Political Organizer. A grab-and-go brownbag lunch will be provided at the end of the action. This is a protest march; we need a big noise (bring your drums, rattles, horns); and we need purple power (wear any and all purple – go crazy!). Bring your family and friends; and student, unclassified and faculty supporters are asked to stand in  solidarity – we’re all in this fight to protect what we have earned. 

BREAKING NEWS: “OUS rejects contract extension!”

It’s confirmed: OUS denied our request for a contract extension stating they want to be “consistent with DAS”; state negotiators had set the low standard weeks earlier. OUS determined it doesn’t matter that we started bargaining six weeks later than DAS or that they had delayed in presenting their proposals  until April 15 (the last day to do so) or that we had joint bargaining dates scheduled into late next month. Our contract will expire on June 30 while negotiations continue. This outrage-OUS behavior is yet another reason to turnout for the March for Fairness on June 30! While this move by OUS is a departure from the past and appears to be aimed at pressuring us to accept wage and benefit cuts, the contract expiration has very limited impact. Most provisions of the contract remain status quo. Answers to FAQ  are posted at  www.seiu503.org . 

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