Western Oregon University Federation of Teachers

Western Oregon University Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers - Local 2278

The WOUFT Bargaining Committee and the WOU Administration began the initial round of bargaining talks on February 20, 2009. Ed Dover is Chair of the Bargaining Committee.

New WOUFT Executive Council officers were elected in May 2009, and begin their two-year terms July 1, 2009. Your new officers for 2009-11 are:

President: Emily Plec
VP of Political Education and Action: Dean Braa
VP of Membership and Organization: Mickey Pardew
Treasurer: Scott Beaver
Secretary: Eliot Dickinson

At the June 4, 2009, WOUFT meeting the membership voted in support of a dues increase. We are currently contributing 1% of our gross monthly pay over nine months. Effective October 2009 the dues will be increased to 1.25%.

This change has been necessitated by an increase in our “per capita” charges from both AFT Oregon and AFT national. Members speaking in support of the dues increase noted that most members recently received a substantial reduction in dues last year when we converted to a more highly progressive percentage formula.

Please know that your union is a highly efficient organization that is managed locally by faculty who volunteer their service for the common good. Professional staffs at both the state and national levels augment our local work. Examples of the support we receive from paid staff include lobbying for our political interests, professional legal assistance during negotiations, defending legal rights of members through the grievance process and expanding our influence by organizing new AFT locals.

In recent years we have experienced much success in all of these areas. The defense of members in the grievance process is rarely made public but is a critical part of our work. Our growing political influence receives more publicity. Beyond the recent success in national elections, we have also elected several of our members from AFT locals to the Oregon Legislature, and we now have Governor appointees on the State Board of Higher Education as well as the Public Employee Benefit Board. In addition, AFT continues to grow. Last year the Oregon School Employees Association joined AFT and we are currently funding a massive organizing campaign of faculty at both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.

The WOUFT Bargaining Team and the WOU Administration reached tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on September 21, 2007. Major strides were made in salary, compensation, and clarifying tenure and promotion rules. Ratification vote was September 26, 2007.

Governor signs law adding faculty to board
A bill to expand the number of seats for higher education faculty on the State Board of Higher Education was signed into law June 22, 2007, by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Present for the signing from WOU were WOUFT President Mark Perlman, WOUFT President-elect Peter Callero, and WOUFT Bargaining Team member Steve Gibbons. This second Board position will be designated to be a faculty member from one of Oregon's regional universities, leaving the other seat for faculty from one of the larger research universities. In addition, with this increase from one to two seats on the board, OUS faculty will have parity with students. WOUFT and AFT-Oregon led on House Bill 2579 throughout the session on behalf of higher education faculty members. WOUFT President Mark Perlman testified for legislative committees three different times (once down in Ashland at SOU) in favor of this bill.

This is a significant advance in getting the perspective of Oregon's regional universities represented on the OUS Board, and a lot of credit goes to our Director of Political and Legislative Affairs from AFT-Oregon, Rob Wagner, for getting this passed. AFT-Oregon will help efforts to get a member get appointed to the new seat.