If the case of Janus v. AFSCME is supposed to spell the end of unions– as corporate-funded shadow groups would have you believe - you wouldn’t have known it based on the actions of AFT-Oregon members, fellow union members, allied community groups, and elected officials.
Across Oregon, hundreds of members of AFT-Oregon, AAUP, ONA, OFNHP, OSEA, and many others showed up at rallies in Portland, Eugene, La Grande, and elsewhere. Hundreds more took to social media to post on Twitter and Facebook and declare their continued support for gathering in union and improving their workplace and communities. Below is just a taste of the outpouring of union support.
Members of at least six different AFT-Oregon local unions gathered at the Union Strong Rally at Portland City Hall on June 27, 2018
Members of the Lane Community College Employee Federation (LCCEF), AFT Local 2417, gathered on campus at LCC to rally.
Members of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF), AFT Local 3544, and the United Academics of The University of Oregon (UAUO), AFT Local 3209, joined with their cousins in SEIU and other allies to rally on the campus of The University of Oregon.
The Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, Representative Tina Kotek, stood alongside members of AFT-Oreogn at the June 27 Union Strong Rally. Kotek was also the keynote speaker at the 2018 AFT-Oregon Convention and is a consistent champion for our members.
The Majority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives, Representative Jennifer Williamson, stood alongside members at the June 26 Union Strong Rally. Rep. Williamson is a consistent champion of labor in the Oregon House.
Representative Rob Nosse, a member of the Oregon Nurses Association and the American Federation of Teachers, stood with his fellow members at the Union Strong Rally in Portland on June 26, 2018. Rep Nosse is a consistent champion for AFT issues in the Oregon House.