Legislative Victory! Unemployment Access for All Begins Jan. 2024
Classified school employees have been blocked from unemployment benefits when we are laid off — until now. Thanks to OSEA members who have worked on this issue for decades, including many who testified and shared stories just this year, an OSEA-backed bill will give classified the same access to unemployment benefits as workers in any other sector. Senate Bill (SB) 489 will go... Read More
OSEA Government Relations Update
Thank you to all OSEA members who advocated for our OSEA priorities to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means during their biennial “road show”. Meetings were convened in Portland, Newport, Roseburg, Ontario and Salem over the month of April. OSEA members sent over 2,100 individual testimony, letters and emails to advocate for full K-12 funding for the 2023-25 school years, and... Read More
Congratulations to the 2023 MIP-Winning Chapters!
As union members, our strength is in numbers. Strong membership rates — when the majority of workers in the chapter are active OSEA members — gives us a stronger negotiating position at the bargaining table. Membership helps us win better contracts, improve our working conditions and protect our rights. That’s why the Board of Directors created OSEA’s Membership... Read More
OSEA Member Zandra Jansma Named 2023 Oregon ESP of the Year
Oregon ESP of the Year Zandra Jansma of Three Rivers Chapter 22 (right) with Three Rivers School District Superintendent David Valenzuela. The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has named OSEA member Zandra Jansma of Three Rivers Chapter 22 the 2023 Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year! Jansma is an office manager (and so much more) at the Southern Oregon Success Academy.... Read More
Oregon State Legislature Creates Annual Classified School Employees Week
On April 24, the Oregon Senate approved HB 2708 to create an annual Classified School Employees Week during the first full week in March. This seemingly simple nod from Oregon’s legislative assembly underscores the importance of classified education professionals in Oregon’s education system. HB 2708 is supported by education workers, including the state’s largest union of... Read More
A Seat at the Table: OSEA Members Speak Up for Classified Roles on State Education Boards and Commissions
OSEA members have front-line expertise on what Oregon schools and students need. It is common sense for classified school employees to be included on the boards and commissions that set education policy. Team OSEA was at the Capitol on Thursday, April 20, speaking to the Senate Committee on Education in support of House Bill (HB) 3383, which would create a new seat on the State... Read More
10 Ways to Celebrate Classified School Employees Week
Classified School Employees Week (CEW) is right around the corner, on March 6-10! This is an important opportunity for communities across Oregon to recognize and thank the hardworking classified professionals who keep our schools running and help students learn. Our theme for CEW this year is: Leadership, Effectiveness, Advocacy, Diplomacy/Liderazgo, Eficacia, Apoyo, Diplomacia. In... Read More
OSEA Members Testify at the Capitol
On Thursday, Feb. 2, team OSEA headed to the State Capitol in Salem to speak before the House Committee on Rules about House Bill (HB) 2708, which would permanently mark the first full week in March as Classified School Employees Week (CEW). This recognition has been observed in Oregon for decades, traditionally by proclamation from the governor each year. But noting that classified... Read More
New Tools for Leaders Revealed at Leadership Summit V
On Saturday, Feb. 4, 77 OSEA chapter leaders, activists and staff participated in OSEA’s Leadership Summit V. OSEA President Sarah Wofford and members of the Board of Directors facilitated. We talked about the value and importance of being union leaders and activists, challenges for new officers, upcoming trainings for chapter leaders and OSEA’s legislative priorities.... Read More
Julie Wilborn of Corvallis Chapter 2 Wins the CEW Theme Contest
After a week of deliberations, the Public Relations Committee has selected the winning theme from OSEA’s Classified School Employees Week (CEW) theme contest: Leadership, Effectiveness, Advocacy, Diplomacy/Liderazgo, Eficacia, Apoyo, Diplomacia. In both English and Spanish, the words make the acronym LEAD, recognizing that classified are leaders in education. The theme was... Read More
