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Sign up for LegalShield and get a $25 gift card

Monday, May 20, 2013

OSEA members can reward themselves with a $25 Restaurant.com gift card by signing up for our LegalShield member benefit before midnight on Thursday, May 23. LegalShield is a relatively new OSEA member benefit. It is available at a discounted member rate of $15.95 per month with no enrollment fee. Identity theft protection is available for an extra $9.95 per month. This month, the company launched an enhanced ID theft program for an extra $19.95 in addition to the LegalShield Plan. Enhanced ID theft covers the monitoring of three credit bureaus, five... 

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OSEA joins coalition to get Oregon’s money back

Friday, May 17, 2013

OSEA has joined a coalition organized by SEIU Local 503 urging Gov. John Kitzhaber to hold Wall Street banks accountable for the millions of dollars Oregon taxpayers lost due to manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a benchmark interest rate. More than 20 public entities have already sued 16 of the world’s biggest banks for losses sustained in the largest financial fraud in history. Yet, to date, Oregon has not filed any lawsuits against the banks involved in this scandal. The coalition wants Kitzhaber to take action against... 

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Gov. John Kitzhaber declares support for more cuts to the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) during a press conference on Wednesday, May 15. Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office.

Kitzhaber supports deeper cuts to PERS

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Gov. John Kitzhaber continues to show he thinks the state’s budget should be balanced on the backs of retirees with his proposal today for further cuts in Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) benefits. In addition to the new changes in PERS — which could yield savings anywhere from $100 million to as high as $450 million, as reported by the Statesman Journal — the governor also called for $200 million in taxes on the wealthy and the formation of a legislative workgroup to evaluate tax cuts for small businesses. Gov. John Kitzhaber declares... 

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Sara Connors, OSEA budget and research specialist, shows how Oakridge School District would lose money by contracting out its student transportation.

Contracting out a lose-lose scenario

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

On May 14, “don’t contract out our student transportation” was the clear message from community members, classified staff and even a student leader. That refrain was reinforced by Sara Connors, OSEA’s budget and research specialist, who presented a cost/benefit analysis that compared the district’s current costs to First Student’s per-mile estimate. It showed conclusively that Oakridge School District would lose money if the school board chooses to contract out. In fact, her analysis showed the district would save money by keeping student... 

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Conference

Learn how to prepare for OSEA’s biggest event of the year

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OSEA’s annual Conference epitomizes what it means to belong to a member’s union. It is the one time each year where delegates from chapters throughout the state meet to conduct the union’s business. It’s also where members come to share a sense of unity and solidarity as they learn about their union, themselves and other OSEA members. Conference 2013 will be OSEA’s 75th, and it will be held June 27-29 at the Red Lion on the River in Portland. More information about Conference... Read More

Members Today

Mutschler named 2013 Employee of the Year

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Sue Mutschler thought it was odd to see so many cars parked in front of Margaret Scott Elementary School last night. This was just a run-of-the-mill work session of the Reynolds School Board, so why all the cars? Nevertheless, the veteran assistant secretary at Woodland Elementary... Read More

Chapters in Action

David Douglas: Classified are essential

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Outgoing David Douglas Chapter 40 President Julie Reed and incoming President Darlene Grover — with about a dozen members behind them — reaffirmed that classified employees are an essential element of education during a school board presentation on May 9. While they spoke, a... Read More

State News

Head Start group files to organize

Oregon AFL-CIO Organizer Chris Hewitt, AFT Project Staff Organizer Lesly Salinas and AFL-CIO Organizer Claudia Magaña at the State of Oregon Employment Relations Board after filing a petition to organize Mt. Hood Community College Head Start workers.

Organizers from OSEA and the state and national AFL-CIO capped off an intensive organizing campaign by filing a petition on Monday to unionize Head Start employees at Mt. Hood Community College. They filed with a strong majority of workers. In Oregon, no election is necessary if... Read More

National News

Celebrating union organizing benchmark

Carmen Medel speaks at a celebration of union organizing success at the Oregon AFL-CIO Office in Portland.

Early childhood educators stood alongside newly-unionized taxi drivers and other labor union members in Portland on Monday as Mt. Hood Community College Head Start workers were acknowledged for their organizing campaign. Earlier in the day, OSEA filed for recognition of Mt. Hood CC... Read More