COCC is not alone: Two other Oregon community colleges, four school districts face possible strikes this spring

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Contract negotiations at four Oregon K-12 school districts and three community colleges remain unresolved after a year "and are rapidly approaching strike threats in all seven locations," the Oregon Education Association said Wednesday.

KTVZ News reported Monday that classified workers at Central Oregon Community College had declared an impasse in talks and mediation efforts, which could to a strike in April.

The OEA said all seven crisis negotiations are either currently in mediation or will be imminently.

Klamath Falls City Schools classified staff began mediation Wednesday, marked by a parent and community unity rally.

"This was sparked in part by community outrage Friday, after District officials sparked a resounding rebuke with bizarre and illegal attempts to crowd source free strike breaking labor before the strike was even called, an apparent first for Oregon," the union said. 

In Bend on Monday, COCC classified staff officially declared an impasse, a legal step that has started a 30 day cooling off period, after which a strike can be authorized. 

Here's more from OEA's Wednesday news release outlining the potential walkouts:

More than 90% of all faculty and staff in four of the seven - Centennial School District, Klamath Falls City Schools, Central Oregon Community College, and Lane Community College - have pledged willingness to strike if necessary to achieve consensus demands.

All seven potential strikes, if employers continue to refuse to avert them, would occur in either March or April, in what would be one of the largest education union "strikewaves" in U.S. history if it occurs. The education crisis touches numerous corners of the state, from small town Oregon and rural communities to large districts and Oregon’s most racially diverse town. 

In each community, educator demands are the same: raising wages enough so educators no longer qualify for public assistance; combating unprecedented turnover; and securing the safe classroom sizes necessary for children with IEP’s to receive the individualized supports they deserve.

A list of all seven education strike threats and their individual details is as follows:

• Classified Staff at Central Oregon Community College
  • Approx 120 staff members
  • Bend, OR
  • Declared impasse on Monday, February 23
  • Strike could begin first week of April 
  • Staff here earn as little as $18.91/hr. A living wage in Bend for a person with no children is $26.81/hr, and $64.55/hr for a person with two children
  • College is prioritizing reserve growth instead of addressing poverty wages

• Faculty at Lane Community College
  • Approx 450 faculty members
  • Eugene, OR
  • Previous sessions of mediation failed to secure key agreements on job security, pay parity for part-time faculty, or improving work loads; mediation continues today
  • Educators are fighting to keep the community safe with alerts if ICE is on campus
  • 96% of of LCCEA faculty signed strike pledges

• Classified Staff at Klamath Falls City Schools
  • Approx 220 staff members
  • Klamath Falls, OR
  • School support staff earn less than $16/hour. A living wage for an adult with no children here is $22.61. A living wage to support one child there is $39.77.
  • Staff seek a $4/hour raise to improve retention and triage turnover of classified educators going to higher paid immediately local employers, including Klamath County Schools and Phoenix/Talent School District. 

• Teachers in Centennial Public Schools
  • Approx 350 educators
  • Gresham, OR
  • Third-highest funding carryover of the regional districts 
  • Regularly has classrooms with 40+ students and only one educator
  • Huge classroom sizes and workload have created significant turnover, while wages in the District fell drastically the past six years

• Teachers in Oregon City Public Schools
  • Approx 420 educators
  • Oregon City, OR
  • After nearly one year of bargaining, the District informed educators that they were calling for mediation by telling the public first 
  • Improving school safety and lowering class sizes are key educator demands 
  • Educators spoke out about the issues in their classroom in a February Board Education meeting 

• Teachers in Woodburn Public Schools
  • Approx 352 educators
  • Woodburn, OR
  • Woodburn teachers made headlines this October for their marquee collective bargaining proposals for ICE protections in schools 
  • The Woodburn school community has been deeply impacted and targeted by ICE violence including in recent weeks
  • Teachers have passionately defended their school community from ICE 

• Both classified staff and faculty at Portland Community College*
  • ***Represented and bargained by AFT Oregon, not OEA***
  • PCC faculty and classified staff both declared an impasse January 30, and authorized a strike on February 23
  • A potential strike could begin March 11th

“This is the largest statewide crisis for Oregon education in at least 40 years,” said Enrique Farrera, President of the 42,000 member Oregon Education Association. “Underlying it is the core truth that the funding system for Oregon schools has made no sense for decades, which has created a hunger-games scenario where seven school districts and colleges across Oregon are all simultaneously within 15-55 days of striking.

:he demands are righteous and unanimous across all six locations: educators refuse to continue to accept poverty wages so low they qualify for public assistance, or dangerously overcrowded classrooms that routinely have 40+ students.” 

“Having multiple school districts shut down at the same time this Spring would be challenging, but having seven closed down at the same time would be an unprecedented disaster,” said Monica Weathersby, the elected Equity Director of OEA.

"For seven districts and colleges to be on the brink of strike should be a blaring alarm for Oregon lawmakers that their approach to education is simply not working. Seven strike crises at once point to systemic problems:

"Oregon’s politicians have skirted by balancing the budget on the backs of working people, while not capturing the sustainable funding sources they should be tapping: the numerous multinational-corporations who get sweetheart deals to operate here. That leads to massive inequities across the state, including in rural areas.

"We’re only halfway through the legislative session; there’s still time for lawmakers to act now to decouple from the Tax Trump cuts, apply rainy day funds to cover school funding gaps, and commit to comprehensive revenue reform in 2027. Systemic injustices require systemic solutions.”

There has never been a community college strike in Oregon; Administrators at COCC, LCC, or PCC will make history if strikes occur on their watch - including COCC Dr. Greg Pereira, who is less than a year into the job.   

Educators in all seven crisis negotiations have been bargaining their new agreements for approximately one year. After negotiations fail, formal mediation between the employers and educators began with state mediators.

After two mediation sessions, if educators continue to have demands unmet, they may declare impasse, which starts the clock for a 30 day cool-down period, after which the union could vote to authorize a strike at any time, with 10-day notice.

Decreasing dangerous class sizes of 35-45 students in every district, ending poverty wages to triage unprecedented educator turnover, and ensuring every student has their IEP needs honored and met by every district are all universal core demands spanning all crises. 

Educators in all seven locations are prepared to settle at any time if their employers will meet their modest demands: pay them enough to not qualify for public assistance, and end dangerous, unlearnable classroom conditions for their students.

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The Oregon Education Association (OEA) proudly represents 42,000+ public educators at all grade levels and school settings from pre-kindgarten to K-12 and community college across the state. It is one of the largest National Education Association (NEA) affilia