OSEA members build skills that serve us far beyond our union. Organizing isn’t just confined to labor – it’s how we make change in our communities.
Several OSEA and ROSE (Retired Oregon School Employees) members across the state are using their organizing toolkits to make waves through local politics. In Hermiston and Oakridge, ROSE members sit on school boards and influence district policy. In Corvallis, Chapter 2 Secretary Alison Bowden just assumed a seat on the city council. In Dallas, OSEA member Richard Slack was recently elected Mayor.
Elected office may seem like a lofty goal. But elected officials are just community members who decided to run. The skills we build in our chapters – talking to coworkers about our union, gathering feedback for contract negotiations, building escalating campaigns – are all key skills for running an election campaign. The work we do to maintain membership, bring in new coworkers and keep our chapters running mirrors being in office and working with constituents.
In 2016, former OSEA State President and ROSE Board Chair Bonnie Luisi had retired but found herself feeling she had more to give. She wanted to use the knowledge she’d gained over the years as a classified school employee and a labor leader. She found her outlet through an appointment to the Hermiston School Board and has continued to serve ever since.
“The leadership qualities I have and the organizing skills I have, I think have really helped me on the board. And I’m able to fill in some gaps in the board history of why the classified have this or that in their contract,” Luisi said, although as a Lifetime Member of OSEA, she is not able to be on either bargaining team. When people without a school background join the board, they quickly learn how complicated schools are, but Luisi already understood the ins-and-outs. “It’s not as intimidating as you think it is. I think a lot of our classified would really do well. Anyone with a little bit of background in schools and how they run has already gotten a running start,” she said.
You can’t simultaneously serve on a school board and work in the district, but if you live outside your district, you’re eligible for your local school board. There are also many other elected or appointed offices that influence our lives but wouldn’t require a change in jobs – parks and recreation districts, advisory committees and even city council! Corvallis Chapter 2 Secretary Alison Bowden sees their work as a city councilor as a parallel track of advocacy to their union membership.
“I’m really passionate about our community,” Bowden said. “Moving into a more policy position with Council, it’s still community work, it’s still public service – honestly, it’s really similar to labor advocacy because you are working for a larger purpose than yourself.”
Bowden worked closely with candidates in several other Corvallis districts to run as part of a progressive slate of candidates campaigning on a shared platform. They said their experience on their bargaining team gave them a good background in finding agreement through tough conversations.
“Everything is about working with people, right?” they said. “Knowing how to talk to people, being able to collaboratively work, being able to hash out some complex ideas… It was really invaluable having that past organizing experience because, ultimately, all of this is grassroots organizing and it translates over.”
If you are looking for a way to get more involved in your community, take a look at positions that will be up for election next! OSEA and our partner organizations, including the Oregon Labor Candidates School (OLCS), can help you plan your path to public office.