OEA Representative Assembly (RA) Report

By PTFA President Jennifer Rueda

(Much of the information in this report was taken from the OEA website: www.oregoned.org)

The 2012 OEA-RA took place April 20 & 21 at the Red Lion Inn at Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon. The two biggest items discussed at the RA were the OEA budget and the Strategic Action Initiative. In addition, our own CCC classified staff Lynda Graf was awarded the Kevin Forney Education Support Professional Award.

The Oregon Education Association (OEA) is in big trouble financially, just has been the college and many other institutions since the big recession of 2008. Due to so many teachers leaving the profession during the years since the recession, the OEA has lost about $675,000 in dues revenue (a decrease of 1,976 members). In addition, some 1.4 million in reserves have been used. Along with other increases, the total deficit of the OEA is now at $2.6 million dollars for the year 2012-2013.

To balance the budget, the OEA proposes the following:

1. Taking teacher dues using another formula, which would net $350,000. The cost to teachers would be about $57.00 per year.
2. Reduce the OEA board meeting by one meeting
3. Less funding for the OEA and NEA representative assemblies
4. An increase in medical costs to retired employees
5. The closing of six offices and the merger of two offices
6. The reduction of 15-20 associate staff, 6-10 professional staff, 1 confidential staff and the creation of a director position for administrative services.

At the same time, a new Strategic Action Initiative was approved at the 2010 RA. The Strategic Action plan involves the following changes:

1. The OEA Center for Great Public Schools – to lead the way in establishing OEA and our members as the driving force for education and professional excellence at every level of public education and in every policymaking arena;



2. The OEA Union School – to develop a full continuum of education, training and support tools to educate, train and support leaders at every level of the organization in building our collective power through the informed, unified and active involvement and engagement of all members;



3. Local Union Renewal/Action and Powerful Locals Pilot Program – to provide more education, training and support to local union leadership teams and improve their capacity to successfully engage members in core union areas, such as bargaining, advocacy, organizing, professional practice and instruction, political action, and community outreach;



4. Political Action Pilot Program – to build effective Political Action/Organizing Teams in OEA locals and UniServ Councils, and along with community and labor allies to reshape the political landscape, debate and public policy in Oregon;



5. Build the technology to support grassroots, statewide communications and organizational infrastructure and member participation – to determine what technology is needed and build it to unite rural and urban OEA and allow all OEA members to have full access to OEA resources and be able to meaningfully participate in training, strategizing, professional development, and contract assistance even if they are unable to travel and participate in person.

What all this means is a new-fangled OEA which will build strong locals from the ground up in order to face the coming challenges in a society that doesn’t always embrace unionism. With that said, your PTFA team will be contacting you soon. We want to meet each and every one of you, get to know you, and tell you about the OEA. It is my hope that this campaign will start near the end of the Spring term and continue into Winter and Fall terms.