Labor gives back at children’s holiday event

Hundreds of people got gifts, met Santa Claus and enjoyed a movie and a show in Salem, all thanks to the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter. OSEA is proud to pitch in as part of this fantastic local tradition of giving back. Sunday marked the 77th Annual Children’s Holiday Party, and, as always, Salem-area families showed up in droves! Everyone attending had a chance... Read More

Hermiston keeps families warm during holidays

Throughout Oregon, warming stations – places where anyone can go to warm up – are critical when cold weather rolls in. OSEA members in Hermiston Chapter 10 gathered donations to make sure their local station has everything they need to keep families safe during freezing weather. Chapter President Cathy Keeney said the chapter joined up with other local agencies and churches... Read More

School bonds win with OSEA backing

Chapter-endorsed school bond measures won big around the state last week, with three winning and one more ahead in a squeaker of an election. The Coos Bay School District’s $59.9 million bond is currently ahead by a razor-thin margin of 28 votes; however, that’s a significant improvement from May, when a slightly larger bond proposal failed by similar margins. School officials... Read More

Reynolds members: Treat us fairly!

More than 80 Reynolds Chapter 37 members protested the lack of progress in bargaining on top of layoffs, cuts to hours and unfair treatment at an informational picket on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The cold and driving wind didn’t stop classified employees and their supporters, who held signs and waved to drivers at the intersection of 223rd Avenue and Glisan Street in Gresham. Their employer... Read More

OSEA communications team wins awards

The OSEA Journal received two major honors from the International Labor Communicators Association (ILCA). Produced by OSEA Communications Specialists Michael Plett and Jason Cox, the Journal received a second-place award from ILCA for general excellence in print publications among local, state and regional federations, labor councils and allied organizations. Plett received... Read More

Leadership Summit attendees are ‘ALL IN’

Published: Nov. 6, 2017 At this weekend’s Leadership Summit in Eugene, executive officers from more than 90 OSEA chapters committed themselves to a series of chapter membership drives in response to the threat posed by Janus v. AFSCME. The pending U.S. Supreme Court case could take away our ability to bargain “fair share” agreements with our employers. These agreements give... Read More

Don’t miss out on college scholarships

Application deadlines are not far away for three scholarships available to OSEA members and their relatives. Deadlines for the Lou Gerber and John Brown Undergraduate scholarships are March 1, 2018.  The deadline for the Guy Davis/Past Presidents’ scholarships is even closer at Jan. 15. For members, the Lou Gerber Scholarship provides financial support to those who wish to... Read More

OSEA Board endorses Yes on Measure 101

A major accomplishment of the 2017 Legislature was ensuring stable health care funding for Oregonians via passage of a modest provider assessment. This bipartisan solution was already in place in 48 other states and is a smart method to guarantee access to health care for every child in the state and 95 percent of all Oregonians. That’s why the OSEA Board of Directors urges a... Read More

Backing school upgrades in Phoenix-Talent

Phoenix-Talent Chapter 96 is supporting their district’s school improvement bond. OSEA’s Education and Labor Advocacy Fund (ELAF) contributed $3,500 to the campaign. Pictured are, from left, Phoenix-Talent School Board Director Sara Crawford, bond committee member Roland Kretschmann, Phoenix-Talent Chapter 96 President Mary Nitcher and school board directors Dawn Watson... Read More

Bringing clean water to Puerto Rico

A month after Hurricane Maria devastated their island, most Puerto Ricans still have no reliable source of safe drinking water. American citizens of Puerto Rico are facing a massive humanitarian crisis. More than a million people still lack running water — they are forced to find water in contaminated streams, collect it from runoff, even drink from toxic Superfund sites. And... Read More