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Under a deal that went into full effect early this year, Oregon Health & Science University’s new research workers union secured base wages of at least $23.18 an hour, with some union members earning far more.
Another benefit: a $50,000 hardship fund to help members in financial distress. Between June and September, 140 members of Research Workers United collectively sought more than $77,000 from the fund, union leaders told the academic medical center’s board last week, and they appreciated OHSU releasing the next tranche of money early.
“Our review of applications revealed how meaningful even modest assistance can be,” the labor leaders wrote. “Against that backdrop, it was difficult to learn that OHSU paid a $1.8 million settlement to Alice Cuprill Comas upon her departure. That amount is equivalent to providing a $600 payment to 3,000 employees.”
As WW reported Oct. 2, Cuprill Comas, the former chief lawyer at the institution, received the funds—equal to two years’ pay—as part of a severance package tied to what OHSU described as a retirement.
And this was not the only recent payout. The university says longtime chief information officer Bridget Barnes elected to retire Sept. 11. On Sept. 25, Cuprill Comas’ former deputy in the legal department, Emily Shults, left too. Separation agreements obtained through public records requests show both received the equivalent of nine months’ salary.
An OHSU spokesperson did not respond to questions about how much those salaries were, but prior records indicate Barnes made about $631,000 in 2023. Neither she nor Shults responded to requests for comment.
OHSU says it is continually looking at ways to invest in its employees, and one way it does this is to ensure they are paid competitively.
