News

PFSP 111 Contract Ratification Voted Down

In an historic vote, members of the Portland Federation of School Professionals (PFSP – AFT Local #111), the union representing 1,350 classified employees at Portland Public Schools, rejected ratification of their new tentative agreement and are heading back to the bargaining table.

“Our members are frustrated and exhausted,” said John MacDuffee, PFSP President. “They want a living wage, safe working conditions, and a higher quality of life. These are the same workers who were there on the front lines during the pandemic, showing up every day to support students – both in the classroom and behind the scenes - even when staffing shortages put them in harm’s way. The result of this vote indicates there is a lot of work still to do to improve the working conditions of our members."

Employees of Friends of the Children - Portland voted today to form a new union named FriendsPDX Union Network (FUN), which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon. The vote, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, was approved by 93% of the voting employees.

Delegates to the AFT-Oregon's 69th Convention in Sunriver elected a new Executive Council on April 30, 2023. The delegates elected Ariana Jacob, PSUFA Co-Chair, to be the new president. The Executive Vice President will be Ted Cooper, GEU, and the Secretary will be Fara Broughton, CGE President. The Treasurer will be Bill Harbaugh, UAUO Treasurer and the Vice President for Political Action will be Hollie Oakes-Miller of PCCFFAP.

2023 Convention Documents

Documents from the 2023 AFT-Oregon Convention can be found here.

2023 Amendments

Here are the proposed amendments to the AFT-Oregon Constitution and Bylaws that were submitted by the February 27 deadline. MORE

AFT-Oregon 2023 Convention

AFT-Oregon is proud to host its 2023 Convention at the Sunriver Resort on April 28-30, 2023. This year’s theme is “Solidarity Together!” and will feature our first-ever hybrid convention. Elected delegates and alternates can choose to attend in-person or remotely. Interested observers can live-stream the convention.

“Bargain Harder!” with AFT-Oregon at its annual Winter School in Corvallis on January 28, 2023. This year’s one-day event features classes, panel discussions and a chance to network with fellow union members. To encourage participation, we have lowered prices to just $40 per person. Each attendee will also receive a paperback copy of Class Struggle Unionism by Joe Burns. MORE

2023 Scholarships and Local Awards

AFT-Oregon Scholarships and Awards are now open and accepting applications for 2023. To encourage participation, this year's scholarship application has been simplified. The deadline for completed application materials is March 15, 2023. MORE

Referendum to be Voted Upon by Members

On February 13, 2023, the referendum ballots were counted in the presence of four observers, and the referendum has passed by a vote of 578 to 61. This means that all future AFT-Oregon conventions will be hybrid events, so that local delegates and alternates can attend either in-person or remotely. Interested members will be able to watch the convention online. MORE

Public Student Loan Forgiveness Deadline is Oct 31

Shaun Cain, a professor at Eastern Oregon University, tells how he saved over $21,000 by applying for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. He also offers tips on how you can succeed in getting your loans forgiven if you qualify. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31, 2022. MORE