pccff

AFT-Oregon endorses Michael Dembrow for House District 45

PCCFF President Michael Dembrow has announced his candidacy for the Oregon House of Representatives with a party at Cascade Campus. Click here to go to his campaign website for more information.

AFT-Oregon Endorsements for the May 2007 Oregon Primary

Click here for a list of Oregon AFL-CIO endorsements, too.

Senate District 21 (NE/SE Portland): Diane Rosenbaum
Senate District 23 (NE/SE Portland): Jackie Dingfelder

House District 45 (NE Portland): Michael Dembrow

Michael Dembrow

Campus Equity Week Events
November 2007

Legislative Roundtable

Rep. Greenlick, Sen. Walker, Sen. Devlin, and Barry Edwards

COCAL Oregon and PCCFF welcomed Representative Mitch Greenlick, Senator Richard Devlin, and Senator Vicki Walker to a roundtable discussion concerning the contingent teachers in higher education. Barry Edwards, PCC instructor, moderated the discussion. Rep. Greenlick shared his experience as an adjunct at Portland State University and how that motivated him to help organize adjuncts there. Sen. Walker found similarities to her position as a contingent employee in the court system. All the legislators agreed that Oregon's system of higher education needed better funding to keep instructors who are qualified and highly-dedicated to their students.

Academic Freedom Forum

Douglas Giles, John Farnum, Michael Dembrow, and Craig Smith

AFT and PCCFF sponsored a forum looking at the current state of academic freedom on our campuses. Speakers were Douglas Giles, an instructor from Chicago; Craig Smith, from Free Exchange on Campus; and John Farnum, Philosophy instructor at PCC. Giles related how he was fired from a college when the department chair became displeased with a discussion in his comparative religions class. With the help of his union, he was able to fight back. Smith gave an overview of the current debate on academic freedom and how state legislators were responding. Farnum presented some background on the concept of academic freedom and how it has been viewed through the years.

COPE: The Committee on Political Education

We have a union to fight for fair wages, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement, and fair and equitable treatment on the job. However, the ability of our local to bargain a fair contract and fight for our rights is affected by the decisions of politicians.

Elected officials decide the laws by which we bargain and enforce our contract. They also often decide if there is enough money in the budget for us to get a cost-of-living raise or have access to healthcare.

That's why the real work of the union goes beyond the local community and that's why we engage collectively in politics through AFT-Oregon COPE.

Our collective voice sends a powerful message and impacts the decisions that politicians make. Political strength helps ensure that we have fair contracts and a strong local union.

Sign up today for a voluntary contribution from your bi-weekly or monthly paycheck to COPE. COPE contributions are eligible for Oregon's political tax credit, which means that your state taxes can be reduced up to $50 for a single filer and $100 for joint filers.

Click here to complete a COPE contribution form.