Milton Freewater

Are you bargaining this year? Maybe working without a contract? You aren't alone. One of Columbia River UniServ locals, Milton Freewater Education Association, has been working without a contract since July. Over the past few years MFEA has taken raises of 0%, 1.5%, 2% and 2% while the school district ended last year with a
$6.2 million ending balance (43% of their general fund). Hmmmm, that doesn't add up. In this wall-to-wall unit the ESP group has especially felt the pinch with rising health insurance costs, a rising CPI and a paycheck that can't keep up with inflation.

MFEA has been negotiating since November of 2006 with little movement from the school district. In October both teams agreed to go to mediation which was delayed because the Employer Relations Board is short-handed and the Multnomah ESD strike took precedence. The first official mediation session took place on January 24. The above photo shows MFEA employees and community members picketing to show support for the bargaining team. President Laurie Hackney indicated that there was some progress but another mediation session has been scheduled for February 27.

Please send these members your support and let them know that you agree with them. For the latest information click on the "Milton Freewater Education Association" advocacy link (below, right).

Steve Novick Ad

I've got to hand it to Steve Novick; he knows how to set himself apart from the other candidates. His latest ad points out that he is differently abled but still gets the job done. To see it, click on the link below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v =N2UesvrH-cs


Last week the US Senate candidates met in Pendleton for a debate hosted by the East Oregonian. Portland's Oregonian pointed out that there were few differences between the candidates. Both Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick are well known and the other four candidates, Candy Neville, of Eugene, Pavel Goberman, of Beaverton, David Loera, of Salem, and Roger Obrist, of Damascus are less so.

Steve has an edge, however. His knack for advertising and utilizing the internet is really setting him apart. One can't help but be impressed with his ingenuity and ability to remain a solid, down-to-earth candidate.

I still haven't decided who to support for the US Senate race but Steve Novick is definitely worth a second look.

Dr. King

April 4, 2008 will mark the 40th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. Today it is appropriate to look back and think of how things have changed in the years since he began his important work.


In 1968 some of us weren't born yet, others were very young and still others remember the events that came before and after the civil rights movement. As a young child in Wyoming I grew up knowing little of Dr. King's legacy. At that time most social studies classes didn't cover recent events and at age four I certainly couldn't understand the gravity of what happened to Dr. King or to Robert F. Kennedy. But I understand now.

As unionists all of us should appreciate Dr. King's work for equality. He not only fought for the rights of African Americans across the nation but for labor rights for everyone. He understood that a weekly paycheck should last for a week and buy a week's worth of groceries and rent. At a time when lynchings were common place Dr. King bravely took up the battle cry of civil rights, voting rights and basic human rights knowing all too well that he put himself in harm's way. He believed in peaceful protest, a standard that we as an Association have used in pickets lines across the nation and across the state.

On Martin Luther King Day 2003 OEA used Dr. King's peaceful protest model for a rally in Salem. We had approximately 6,000 people from across the state on the steps of the Oregon Capitol building speaking out, singing songs and carrying signs encouraging our legislature to step up and fully fund education in Oregon. The event was covered by news crews from across the state and even nationally. I am proud to say that I was there, shouting as loudly as anyone after traveling 350 miles one way to reach Salem. The 2003 Rally was a success because our members banded together and brought colleagues, students, spouses and friends to join the cause. It was a great tribute to Dr. King in the spirit of peaceful protest.

Thank you, Dr. King, for showing us that one person can make a difference and that many working together can change the face of a nation.

LAC, Here I Come!

Saturday will be my very first LAC (Legislative Advisory Council) meeting! Now that my 8 years as a PIE Board director are under my belt I'm excited to approach the legislature from a new angle. The issues facing OEA members are important ones and the upcoming legislative session promises to have its share of surprises.

If you don't know, LAC is the arm of OEA that writes OEA's legislative objectives. We discuss the issues, survey members within our UniServ areas and then bring the feedback to the group for further discussion. We write the legislative objectives based on this discussion. These then go to the OEA Representative Assembly for approval.

Serving on LAC will be a good opportunity for me to hear what members across the state are saying about these issues and whether or not it is time for OEA to rethink its positions. I look forward to Saturday and learning "the scoop" on open primary, fusion voting, virtual vendors, guns in schools and merit pay. The discussion will probably be lively!

Tough Choice!

Tonight at our UniServ Council meeting we had call-ins from two of our Senate hopefuls, Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick. We will have a tough choice to make at our PIE Convention March 7-8 in Salem!


Jeff called first tonight. He is every bit the skilled politician. By that, I mean that he is smooth and knows what to say. He has real substance and some great ideas. He would be an excellent advocate for education in Washington, D.C. and he has done good things for us here in Oregon as our House Speaker. I'll be watching him during the upcoming legislative session to see how he is able to handle the partisanship that has been so difficult for us in Oregon.

Steve also had great things to say. He is a renegade, an upstart, but he has enough political experience under his belt to prove that he can get things done. He has an amazing ability to pull coalitions together and has helped to defeat our foe, Bill Sizemore, on BM 91. His ideas about health care are interesting and the concept that by having everyone insured there will be more money for education (to say nothing for having healthier kids!) are worth considering. The question is, will he be able to build a coalition and get things done in Washington as a freshman senator?

I'm still on the fence about who to support in March. These are both great candidates and would give Gordon Smith a run for his money. Like many of you I'll be watching and listening between now and March 7 to get more details!