All In Drives working; 1,270 new members

On Feb. 12, Three Rivers Chapter 22 became the latest OSEA chapter to go “All In” with a membership drive. Over the course of a week, the chapter planned to visit 12 schools in a sustained effort to build membership strength as OSEA braces for a devastating Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME. “I believe in our union,” Three Rivers President Gale Barlow said. ”I... Read More

Voters protect Medicaid coverage

Measure 101 passed easily Tuesday night as more than 60 percent of voters chose to protect Medicaid coverage for 1 in 4 Oregonians. With the measure’s passage, the Oregon Legislature was able to avoid devoting its upcoming six-week session to making up a huge health care budget shortfall in the event of the referendums failure. “Oregon voters realized that without Measure 101,... Read More

Central successfully completes membership drive

OSEA’s No. 1 priority this year — and for the foreseeable future — is to build membership strength in every chapter as we brace ourselves for a devastating Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME. OSEA Field Representative Gabe Ortega, left, and Central Chapter 124 President Denise Chase show how many All In cards they were able to collect in one day at Talmadge Middle... Read More

Data show working people on the rise

According to its annual report on union membership, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found the number of workers belonging to a union rose by 260,000 nationwide last year. The increase reflects a wave of organizing victories across a range of industries that have brought higher wages, better benefits and a more secure future for working people. In Oregon, overall union membership... Read More

No one can take away your union

Anyone who thinks elections don’t matter should talk with Danny Homan. As president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 61, Homan oversees a union representing 40,000 public employees in Iowa and Missouri. Recent developments in Iowa show that anti-union forces, if given power, will use it to strip away decades of hard-won rights,... Read More

First female president shares stories

No collective bargaining. Little to no paid sick leave. Employees working at the complete mercy of their bosses. That’s no dystopian vision of the future: That was life for Oregon’s classified school employees when Pat Gest was hired at the Hood River School District in the 1960s. That had all changed by 1996, when Gest retired as OSEA’s director of operations at the end of... Read More

Eugene shares its experience with blitz

The fact it had just completed its own membership blitz a few days earlier earned Eugene Chapter 1 a special spot on Saturday’s agenda of the Leadership Summit. Eugene Chapter 1 President Ray Martin shares his chapter’s recent experience conducting a membership drive to attendees as Secretary Sheila Waggoner, far left, and Vice President-Treasurer Diana McElhinney look on. One... Read More

EVERY chapter needed to beat Janus

By Tim Stoelb, OSEA President OSEA has a lot of things to be thankful for as we head into the new year — almost 15,000 by last count. The 14,912 dues-paying members of OSEA understand there’s power in numbers. They know that by joining together in unity they can negotiate contracts with higher pay, better benefits and a stronger voice on working conditions than they can on their... Read More

Reynolds members, district reach settlement

Pushing back against harsh management tactics, members in Reynolds Chapter 37 stood together in solidarity and forced the school district to back down. Through a series of informational pickets and other chapter actions that built strength and unity among members, Reynolds classified employees reached an agreement rolling back many of the takeaways the district had proposed. The... Read More

Season’s Greetings from President Stoelb

(by OSEA President Tim Stoelb) Happy holidays one and all. The holidays are the single, most cherished periods every year to spend precious time with family and friends, reminisce, create and share memories, and relax. It is also a great opportunity to socialize with your coworkers and fellow union members on a more personal level. Whether it’s an official chapter potluck or... Read More