Have you ever wondered what it means to be a constituent? Astoria Chapter 72’s Julien Thomas says come to Legislative Education Day (LED) to find out.
“I personally had never had a chance to talk to my legislators or any people in my government, but I’ve always wondered how I would go about it if that’s something I wanted to do,’” Thomas said. “LED was the perfect event to go to learn all of that.”
LED happens every other year during long Legislative Sessions. This year, it begins with a full day of training on Sunday, March 2nd, followed by a day of advocacy at the state Capitol on March 3rd. The OSEA Government Relations Office (GRO) will do their best to ensure you meet with legislators who represent you.
Thomas met with Senator Suzanne Weber and Representative Cyrus Javadi, who represent the North Coast. He began forming a relationship with them that continues as he sees them at local events. Last time he saw each of them, they remembered him.
“It is really nice to leave LED knowing that this isn’t the last time that they’re going to see us, that we’ll be in communication with them throughout their time in office and that, really, they’re here to help us,” he said.
LED 2023 was Thomas’s first union event and it sparked his interest in using his voice to have an impact. He’s since gone to Washington, D.C., with OSEA to share his experiences at the national level. “Two years later, I feel fully that I am a constituent and I need to let my voice be heard. The LED event really solidified that for me,” Thomas said.
Before Jeremias Martinez was the Zone VII Director for OSEA, he was a Nyssa Chapter 82 member hoping to get more involved with our union by attending LED. He was inspired by the other classified who came out to share their stories despite maybe feeling uncomfortable.
During the training day for LED, attendees will listen to a few speakers and attend workshops designed to help overcome any discomfort and learn to tell their story in a way that moves legislators.
Martinez used what he learned when he met with staff for his legislators and felt he really made an impact by sharing his daily experiences in the classroom, particularly how he deals with escalated students and the potential for injury on the job.
“The staffer looked kind of shocked at what went on in our school,” Martinez said. “He didn’t expect how frequently we have incidents with escalated kids.”
By advocating in the Capitol, OSEA members also help legislators understand how critical classified school employees are to a functioning learning environment. “He was surprised by how much we are involved with the kids’ daily life at the school,” Martinez said.
It’s personal stories that really bring issues to life for legislators. Statistics and paid lobbyists can only get so far. Legislators need to hear from authentic constituents to truly understand how the issues they’re discussing in Salem play out on the ground in their districts.
“Your story is worth telling. It is uncomfortable at first, but as you start thinking about how important it is to share your experience, you realize that the more legislators know, the better it would be for our students and staff and even families outside of the school,” Martinez said.