OSEA Supported a Successful Bond Campaign for Hermiston School District

Months of hard work by OSEA members, the Hermiston School District and dedicated community members paid off on election night as they watched results for school bond measure 30-130 come in. After a close race, the measure passed, resulting in an additional $82.7 million for Hermiston schools. Our union was proud to support the bond with a $5,000 donation – the largest donation... Read More

Nominate a Colleague for Employee of the Year

Hardworking staff are the foundation of Oregon schools and educational programs. We make it possible for students to learn and thrive in safe, supportive environments. We all know a few superstar employees, who go above and beyond to support their students, programs and OSEA chapters, who never get the recognition they deserve. This is your chance to change all that. OSEA’s Employee... Read More

OSEA Board Votes to Hold Politicians Accountable for Cuts to PERS

Lawmakers broke promises to public employees by attacking retirement benefits. On Friday, Oct. 4, the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to hold lawmakers accountable for broken promises to OSEA members over retirement benefits. The Board passed a motion to withhold endorsement during the 2020 election cycle from any legislator who voted... Read More

AFL-CIO Convention: Gourley Wins Historic Election, PERS Accountability Resolution Passes

The Oregon AFL-CIO held its convention Sept. 19-22 in Seaside, Ore. The Oregon AFL-CIO is a federation of labor unions, including OSEA. It exists to further the Oregon labor movement, improve the lives of union members through collective bargaining and advance the interests of working people. The OSEA Board of Directors, as well as some members and staff, attended the convention... Read More

Oregon Lawmakers Give Union Members More Rights

House Bill (HB) 2016 makes important changes to Oregon’s Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA). The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020, at which time all Oregon public employees must comply, even if the law differs from contract provisions. Many practices which OSEA chapters have previously negotiated into contracts will be mandated by law. “The difference under... Read More

OSEA Awards $28,250 in Scholarships in 2019

As education employees, OSEA members believe in supporting learning. We are proud to offer scholarships and grants to OSEA members and their families to help them reach their education goals! Please join us in congratulating our 2019 scholarship recipients. For more information about OSEA scholarships, or to apply, click here. Lou Gerber Scholarship Recipients Mindi Childress Beaverton... Read More

OSEA Central Point Chapter 47 Uses MIP Funds to Feed Students In Need

Too many Oregon students do not have enough to eat at home. So Central Point Chapter 47 knew exactly what to do with the funds they received from OSEA’s Membership Incentive Program (MIP): create a food pantry at Jewett Elementary. “Most schools in our district already had food pantries, but not Jewett,” said Chapter Vice President Jodi Medina, who led the project with Treasurer... Read More

OSEA Member Jennifer James is Lead Plaintiff in Lawsuit Over Cuts to PERS

Senate Bill 1049 is breach of contract, unconstitutional, lawsuit says. Nine public employees are asking the Oregon Supreme Court to review a new law that unfairly cuts retirement benefits in an attempt to reduce the cost of Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System, known as PERS. The class action lawsuit, filed Aug. 9, contests portions of Senate Bill (SB) 1049, which lawmakers... Read More

Know Your Rights! Don’t Fall for Anti-Union Schemes

OSEA members have been receiving emails, calls, text messages, mailers and home visits from the Opt-Out/Freedom Foundation group. Now they want to lure classified (and other public employees represented by OSEA) into an out-of-state group dominated by teachers and management-types.  With slick descriptions, they have one goal in mind: to bust up the strength you have because of... Read More

OSEA Members Organize for AFT in New Mexico

A group of OSEA members headed south this summer as part of the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) Back-to-School Organizing Program. AFT asks member volunteers to go to areas with the lowest union engagement to support organizing efforts. For the OSEA contingent, that meant Albuquerque and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Zone IV Director Sheila Waggoner, Susan Hardy of ROSE, Alison... Read More