Wy'East Education Association

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!

Hi folks,

I’m working for Metro Southeast Uniserve now as LAC liaison. Alan Moore, our Uniserve consultant asked me to tell you about a lucky opportunity to have your voice heard at a national level.

Please show concern and raw numbers by showing up to hear and question Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. As the Obama Administration’s point man for education, this guy simply does not get it and he needs to hear the truth from you.

Arne Duncan shared the stage recently with Matt Damon before the board known for the National Board Certification process for teachers. Disturbingly, Matt Damon came off as the far more enlightened exponent of what makes a good teacher. Arne Duncan is the author of the improvised, un-researched, non-peer-reviewed approach to government support of education known as Race to the Top. Duncan recommends we double teachers’ salaries and that we can pay for it by utilizing technology to “reorganize” schools (read: raise class sizes and shrink the teacher corps); instituting teacher merit pay based in part on student test score data; loosening teacher job security protections; and cutting teacher benefit and pension packages and redirecting some of the funds toward salaries. (The Nation, August 3, 2011)

OEA members are invited to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on October 12 to talk and take questions about the Obama Administration's public education policies and the future of our nation's schools.

October 12, 2011
4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
H.B. Lee Middle School
1121 NE 172nd
Portland, Oregon 97230-6304

Register and get a ticket here.

I hope to see you there.

Lanning Russell

LAC – Metro Southeast Uniserve

Josh Baker, Denise Emmerling-Baker, Carrie Scaife, Sena Norton, and our Uniserv rep, Alan Moore, join 180+ teachers, laborers and various union members standing strong for working families in Bend, Oregon. Members of the Oregon Education Association, AFSCME, SEIU, and AFL CIO gathered together to discuss the issues that are both similar and different among our associations. It was a powerful hour and Wy'East was well represented. The rally was covered by the local news media as well. The story is here.

Hello Members,
As you know, even though the school year is over, the negotiating process is not. The MOUs are signed; the ink is dry, but members can still talk to the district about the retirement incentive until July 8. The retirement incentive has the potential to really change things. If you are at all interested in the roughly $18,000 of extra retirement income, do not hesitate to apply. Things can change. People can shuffle. You never know if it will work until you try.

Obviously, our goal as a union is to keep our members. Your co-presidents and bargaining team will be working diligently over the summer to make that happen.

In the event that you do receive a RIF notice, do not lose hope. It's not over until it's over. We will contact you soon about next steps.