Northwest Labor Press is an independent union-supported newspaper founded in 1900. Our print version is mailed twice a month to about 45,000 members of over three dozen local unions in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our online version has been maintained here since 1997.
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Oregon School Employees Association
In Memoriam
Pat Gest, 1927-2024
Oregon School Employee Association's first female president left a legacy of solidarity.
Worker safety
School employees union says workers are leaving jobs in droves
Student behavior – including assaults – are a factor in record-high classroom aide and support staff turnover.
Union democracy
New OSEA president
Sarah Wofford is the new top officer at the Oregon School Employees Association, replacing former president Lisa Gourley.
People
Oregon honors first Education Support Professional of the Year, Paula Steinweg
The new award, for school support workers, is the result of an OSEA-backed bill passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2019.
Oregon
OSEA won’t endorse legislators who voted for PERS reduction bill
SB 1049 resulted in dramatic reductions to the pensions that public employees will receive.
Retirement
Public employees file lawsuit to protect PERS retirement benefits
Plaintiffs say SB 1049 is a breach of contract, an illegal taking, and violates the Constitution.
Building our communities
Northwest Oregon Labor Council banquet recognizes union supporters, raises cash for labor charity
The Labor Appreciation and Recognition Night banquet raised a record $21,000 for Labor’s Community Service Agency.
Politics
Labor weighs in on May school board and bond elections
Most of the endorsements are for school boards and school bond measures.
Retirement
PERS under threat … again
Some in the Oregon Legislature want to divert current employee contributions to make up for the system's investment losses.
Worker safety
Work shouldn’t hurt, says OSEA
Oregon Special Education personnel all too frequently are injured by their students.
Building our communities
Oregon School Employee Association helps deliver first books
Union members get 80,000 books into the hands of low-income kids in Beaverton, Sweet Home and Woodburn.
Oregon
$15 ballot measure passes 15,000 signatures
Organizers say they’re aiming to have 30,000 by the time Legislature meets in February.
Union Organizing
Gresham-Barlow bus drivers vote out union
OSEA says First Student management interference may have tainted the election.
Union Organizing
Two weeks in Alabama
OSEA members say volunteering in the Deep South brings home how precious union rights are
Oregon
A landmark session, but Oregon labor wanted more
A big Democratic majority led to high expectations, but Oregon lawmakers balked at minimum wage and other labor priorities
Union Organizing
OSEA to help build labor movement in the Deep South
OSEA members will spend two weeks in Alabama helping school employees there unionize
Union Organizing
Outsourced school bus drivers vote to rejoin Oregon School Employees Association
They were union before Winston-Dillard School District outsourced student transportation in 2013
Jobs
Appeals court: Central Point School District broke the law when it outsourced bus service
Consultant just “assumed” contractor would pay the same wages as the district.
Building our communities
Delivering literacy to east Multnomah County
Volunteers from OSEA coordinate with First Book to get 40,000 new books in the hands of children
Jobs
Parkrose School Board nixes plan to contract out school buses
An energetic five-month campaign by OSEA saves school bus driver jobs
