PLEASE help our K-12 brothers and sisters

The Portland Association of Teachers have been in contract negotiations with the Portland School District since last spring and have been working without a contract since July 2013. From the beginning of the negotiations, Portland educators have been fighting for the Schools Portland Students Deserve.

After the Board unilaterally declared impasse in November, the two-sides have spent hundreds of hours at the table. The Board is claiming they have moved on the teachers’ priorities, but all they had really done was back away from a few of their take-backs on insurance and workload. At the same time, the Board is refusing to improve current teaching and learning conditions and is insisting that Portland educators continue to do more with less and less.

Recently, the Board announced they have nearly $30 million of unanticipated money available in their current budget. After spending millions on their own priorities outside of the classroom, the Board voted to put $11 million in reserves – bringing their contingency fund to over $34 million! The district has the money to settle a contract that’s fair for teachers and good for students, but so far is refusing to do so.

Portland educators’ top priorities are:

Real workload/class size relief: The status quo is unacceptable to teachers, students and parents. It's not enough for the Board to just maintain current workload and class size levels.

• Hold educators economically harmless: At a time when the district is on solid financial ground, there is no need to ask for additional financial sacrifices.
• Stop targeting individual groups of educators: The district is targeting veteran teachers who have dedicated their lives to their students by insisting on eliminating the early retirement benefit. Additionally, the district wants to gut protections - including eliminating all transfer rights - for school psychologists, who work with our most vulnerable students and families.
• Strike a balance: In an effort to reach a settlement, Portland teachers have expressed willingness to move on some of the Board's priorities. In return, the Board should provide some true improvements.

The two-sides are scheduled to return to mediation on Friday, January 31. Portland teachers are hopeful that the district is committed to making progress toward a settlement.
PAT members need your help and support. Here’s how:

·         Contact your substitute pool and tell them not to cross a picket line. Thank you to those locals - including East County, Canby and North Clackamas - for your recent calls to your subs!

·         Show your support directly to Portland educators:

o   Send encouraging words by mail, email or facebook (https://www.facebook.com/patpdx)

o   Send contributions that will help support their organizing efforts to:

§  345 NE 8^th, Portland, Oregon 97232

o   Show solidarity by showing up to an event – like PAT on facebook and visit their websites (www.pdxteachers.org) to keep updated.