The following document was transmitted to Senate President Peter Gilkey on 4 May 2000 as an enclosure in an email from GTFF President Paul Prew(veerleft@darkwing.uoregon.edu). It contains a brief statement that he wished transmitted to the UO Senate and is posted as per his request.

The recent discovery and interpretation of the Federal Educational Records and Privacy Act (FERPA) by the university has led to serious problems with the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation's (GTFF) access to information about its members. After ignoring the GTFF's concerns about the effects of the ability of the GTFF to represent its members and administer the GTFF insurance plan, the university unilaterally implemented a policy of providing release of information waivers to GTFs.

Although the university claims it is attempting to protect a student's right to privacy, much of the information being denied the GTFF is freely available on campus in many forms (including names and addresses that are sold to Discover Card). But the information on campus is incomplete and not official, up to date information that can be used to administer the GTFF insurance plan.

By withholding information, the university is preventing GTFF efforts to study the inclusion of training grant employees (graduate students who are employed as a part of a University of Oregon professor's grant) in the bargaining unit.

The university has argued that it intends to increase the number of graduate students but not GTFs in an effort to raise revenue on the campus. However, the GTFF has received concerns from GTFs that the number of GTF positions are declining and being replaced by work study and other hourly employees. The withholding of information will prevent the GTFF from being able to study these changes and will prevent the GTFF from being able to adequately represent its members and enforce the contract if problems arise.

In addition to problems enforcing the contract or representing GTFF members, the university's actions have prevented the orderly operation of the health insurance plan. As a result, termination of insurance notices have been sent to people who should still be on the plan. The university has violated their obligations (and federal law) to the continued insurance coverage (COBRA) by not providing information within 30 days of the "qualifying event," layoff, termination etc. Some GTFs may continue to be covered by the GTFF insurance provider, ODS, past the student's eligibility. Because of the university's negligence, some GTFs may be denied COBRA coverage. If because of the actions of the university students are denied insurance coverage, the university may be fiscally liable for any damages.

For a more detailed explanation of the GTFF's concerns, please check out the outline elaborating the issues.


Web page spun on 04 May 2000 by Peter B Gilkey 202 Deady Hall, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1222, U.S.A. Phone 1-541-346-4717 Email:peter.gilkey.cc.67@aya.yale.edu of Deady Spider Enterprises