Wy'East Education Association

Your bargaining team began meeting during the summer. They conducted a listening campaign, used member questions and suggestions to guide objectives, and have created a draft proposal. This draft will need to be approved by ECBC which will occur on February 5. Shortly after that the bargaining process will begin. Be sure to attend any building meetings to get information. A number of surveys will also be sent throughout the bargaining process to your home email. Please respond to them quickly as the bargaining team will use them to inform bargaining practices.

For information about OEA recommendations on all ballot measures click here.

OEA-PIE Recommendation Oregon Supreme Court: Judge Richard Baldwin
Judge Baldwin began his career as a public interest lawyer. He spent his career as a lawyer standing up for working people like us, including representing employees in employment discrimination claims. He is deeply committed to public education and public service. His wife, Teresa was a special education teacher for Portland Public Schools. Judge Baldwin is only candidate who has the critical experience of being a full-time judge.

OEA-PIE Recommendation Secretary of State: Kate Brown
Kate Brown has spent more than 20 years serving the people of Oregon. Throughout her service in both the Oregon House and Senate, Kate has put education funding and the rights of educators first. As Secretary of State, Kate Brown has cracked down on initiative fraud by banning felons from gathering initiative signatures and exposed big out-of-state corporate interests who were trying to influence our initiative process.

Labor Commissioner Recommendation: Brad Avakian
Brad has been a long-time champion of public education and working people. He is committed to restoring career education in public schools and strengthening workforce training. Avakian has fought to restore shop and vocational education to Oregon schools, and has held those employers who try to cheat their workers accountable.

On Tuesday, May 8, the Eagle Point Education Association (located about 12 miles from Medford) went on strike. Like other locals around the state, they are battling a district that is using the dire financial situation statewide to strip contract language that protects teachers and para-educators all day every day.

EPEA represents both licensed and classified staff. They are on the picket lines and will be Monday when the district opens the buildings with SCABS. WEA will keep you informed about any ways in which you can help.

If you want information directly from EPEA visit their website.

At separate meetings, members of the Parkrose Faculty Association (PFA) and the Gresham-Barlow Education Association (GBEA) voted in overwhelming majorities to authorize their respective bargaining teams to call for a strike in their bargaining crises with their districts.

Both local union bargaining teams will follow the statutory process and give the district a minimum of 10 days notice before striking. GBEA members announced an April 25 strike date. PFA members have not established a strike date yet. Check back periodically for more information. I will post any potential actions in which we can show our support. In solidarity!

On March 20, 2012, over 1000 educators, families, students, and community members gathered at Gresham High School and marched to the District Office to deliver a petition. Negotiations between the Gresham Barlow Education Association, the Reynolds Education Association, the Parkrose Faculty Association, and their boards are not going well. GBEA has had the board's last offer implemented on them. The Parkrose School District has declared impasse, and Reynolds is most likely not far behind. This is not about money. This is about respect. If money were the only issue on the table, it would be different. These districts are attempting to strip away literally 40 years worth of bargaining gains. We know what it's like to be implemented upon. We know what it's like to have uncertain futures. Wy'East needs to show these locals in crisis our support. Information will be posted here in the coming weeks as we receive it. Be ready to support them in any way we can. In solidarity.

The Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB) has scheduled another community meeting to hear from educators, parents, students and other public education stakeholders. If you live in the Portland area, mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 6, 2012. The OEIB, created by the 2012 Legislature, is chaired by Governor Kitzhaber and is tasked with overseeing the effort to create a “seamless, unified system for investing in and delivering public education from early childhood through high school and college so that all Oregonians are well prepared for careers in our global economy,” according to the Governor's OEIB website.

The meeting, to be held at the Center for Self Enhancement in Portland, is intended to "reach out intentionally to communities who have historically been under-served by our public education system." The Governor and the OEIB "want to hear more from students, parents and educators facing and overcoming our education system’s challenges of race, language and poverty – and to hear their advice," as the work continues.

Mark Your Calendar:
Tuesday, March 6
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Center for Self Enhancement
3920 N. Kerby Avenue, Portland 97227

Join educators from all over the state as we show legislators that we are thousands strong. WEA will provide transportation as will other locals in our area. Our WEA goal is to get 100 people in Salem. Have kids? Bring them with you. Have plans with friends? Bring them with you. If you want more info you can visit the official OEA page here. Our bus to Salem is boarding at SHS at 10:00am. If you want a ride be sure to RSVP with your building rep and also through OEA. It's important that we have accurate numbers to have enough bus seats and also food for after the rally. If you want more info check with your building rep or contact Carrie Scaife.

Welches teachers, Dan and Ashleigh Winans, join local educators in celebrating public education. They hold signs that read, "Honk for Great Schools" and "Strong Schools Strong Oregon." Teachers from WEA gathered in Welches, Sandy, and Boring in solidarity with all of the locals in East County.

Evan Chandler, Carrie Scaife, Dennis Lane, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, and Denise Emmerling-Baker represented the Wy'East Education Association at the OEA 2011 Advocacy Conference in Eugene. They attended classes on Education Reform, Bargaining, Grievances, and Public Relations. They also joined 200 educators, parents, community members, and students in a rally and march around Eugene that began with inspiring words from congressman Peter DeFazio. Wy'East was well represented!