‘Work Shouldn’t Hurt’ embraced nationally
OSEA’s Work Shouldn’t Hurt-Safe Schools for All campaign is getting more national attention.
The enthusiasm of OSEA’s delegates to the AFT National Convention in Minneapolis was critical to passing a resolution urging AFT to support additional measures to protect the health and safety of school employees. It calls for:
- Requiring educational employers to report employee injuries to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Expanded national monitoring of assaults against special education personnel
- Seeking AFT’s assistance in developing campaigns to assess prevalence of assaults and related injuries
Passing an OSEA-submitted resolution at the national convention is a big deal! Before resolutions can be considered by the full delegate body, they must first go through committees that can only forward three resolutions each. Delegates have to convince committee members that their proposals merit a vote from the full body.
For the relatively few resolutions that move forward, supporters must make their case in front of more than 2,600 delegates from around the country.
Anyone who has spoken on an OSEA resolution knows what it’s like to walk to a microphone and see yourself on a big screen while trying to speak effectively. Delegates to the AFT convention wishing to speak on a resolution must do so in front of a much larger audience, but our members were more than ready to take on this task.
The Work Shouldn’t Hurt-Safe Schools for All resolution passed on the fourth and final day of the AFT convention. Speaking on the resolution were Zone III Director Lisa Gourley and board Secretary Mary Hofer.
Gourley, an educational assistant in Sweet Home School District, relayed what she sees on the job when speaking in favor of the Work Shouldn’t Hurt resolution.
“Every day we have members being assaulted,” Gourley said. “Sometimes, this results in life changing injuries. This resolution is about those members who work with the most vulnerable of children. … They are our most vulnerable members.”
Hofer asked how much longer school districts would avoid facing the problem of violence against their employees.
“We love our kids, we love what we do, but how long can this go on? How long can we continue to see special education funding and staffing decrease while the number of students we serve continues to increase?” Hofer said.
Delegates from OSEA were buoyed by the overwhelming support from educators at the convention.
“Every time we addressed this resolution, people would stand in support. They each had their own stories to tell, and thanked us for bringing it forward,” Gourley said.
OSEA President Tim Stoelb lauded the impact our members made on the national level.
“Words cannot express how proud I am of the entire delegation that went on this trip,” Stoelb said. “Everyone pitched in in their own way and made it a huge success for OSEA.”
Also attending on behalf of OSEA were Cherise Arthur and Dianna Hess of Beaverton Chapter 48, Debbie Christian and Sarah Stearns of Bend-La Pine Chapter 6, Junior Past President Bonnie Luisi of ROSE, Delores Piersol of Hermiston Chapter 10 and Stacy Yelton of Woodburn Chapter 25.
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