It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!

Every day, Oregon teachers help mentor and inspire our students to reach their full potential. This week it’s our turn to recognize their hard work. OSEA joins other organizations, unions and citizens in promoting May 8-12, 2017, as Teacher Appreciation Week. To celebrate, OSEA created a full-color mini-poster to download, print and post in a prominent location in the workplace.... Read More

Work Shouldn’t Hurt passes House unanimously

Great news! Our bill to include school employees in implementing and modifying student behavior management plans passed the Oregon House of Representatives unanimously! Please thank your legislator by clicking here. With House Bill (HB) 3318’s 59-0 approval in the House, the bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration. “Staff and student safety is a bipartisan issue,... Read More

Stoelb wins highest honor from AFT-PSRP

OSEA President Tim Stoelb’s lifetime of public service was recognized last week with the Albert Shanker Pioneer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Federation of Teachers’ Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel (AFT PSRP). He was honored at AFT’s PSRP Conference in Detroit last week. Ruby Newbold, a vice president of AFT, traced Stoelb’s history of service... Read More

A march for justice, equality

Facing uncertain times in an unpopular new presidential administration, about 1,500 people took to the streets of Salem for a May Day rally, with chants of “Si se puede!” filling the air at the Oregon State Capitol. Sponsored by OSEA and Causa Oregon, the rally is an annual reminder of the plight of immigrant families in a time where they face new threats, a celebration of the... Read More

We are (still) the change we seek

“We must be the We in ‘We the People!’” This was just one takeaway in a stemwinder of a speech by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten in Eugene this week as part of the Margaret Hallock Program for Women’s Rights at the University of Oregon’s Wayne Morse Center. Weingarten, a dynamic speaker with decades of education and labor experience,... Read More

Covert communication for school emergencies

By SUE GRAVES, OSEA Lincoln County Chapter 19 Have you ever wondered what pink Cadillacs have to do with school lockdowns? Well, you are about to find out…Whether from a police chase in the community, a suspicious person wandering into the school, or a horrific active shooter emergency, schools have to be prepared to quickly implement protective measures, such as a lockdown. Secret... Read More

E. Oregon has new board member

OSEA members in eastern Oregon have new representation on the OSEA Board of Directors. Anjee Young-Whitnah, a GED options coordinator in La Grande Chapter 24 was unanimously elected by the OSEA Board of Directors to fill a vacancy on the Board. She replaces Adrian Rodarte, who resigned to take a non-represented position with Hermiston School District. Young-Whitnah will hold the... Read More

Chapters get involved in May elections

One of the most powerful ways for OSEA chapters to effect change in their communities is through the ballot box — whether it’s by supporting labor- and education-friendly school board candidates or local option levies. Pictured, from left, are Lake Oswego Chapter 12 Vice President Sierra Avila, Political Action Chair Nicolle Landau, President Melissa Siegel, Keep Lake Oswego... Read More

Outsourcing harms workers, communities

Oregon state senators heard the case for accountability in outsourcing from one of its victims. Stephanie Hicks, a former school bus driver in Central Point Chapter 47 whose job was outsourced to a for-profit company, was the plaintiff in a successful case brought by OSEA against the school district. While the Oregon Court of Appeals ultimately ruled that Central Point School District... Read More

First Book heads to Eugene, Medford!

OSEA and First Book are teaming up with our Eugene and Medford chapters to bring a total of  40,000 new, high-quality books to Title I schools, students and classrooms in these areas. The sorting and distribution events take place over the same two days in both cities, so OSEA will be quite busy as our members deliver literacy to their hometowns. All who pre-registered for First... Read More