OSEA’s Membership Incentive Program (MIP) continues to energize our chapters to achieve their best possible membership rates.
The program allows OSEA to invest in local chapters by paying a monetary incentive based on the percentage of eligible employees who are dues-paying members. To receive the MIP incentive, chapters must achieve a membership of at least 70 percent by May 1 of each year.
Eighty-nine chapters received incentive funds through MIP last year, including nine chapters that successfully reached 100 percent membership. “We know that these impressive results happen because chapter leaders, worksite organizers and enthusiastic members put in the work, along with staff support,” said OSEA Director of Organizing Richard Ramirez. “Every new membership is the result of a successful drive or meaningful conversation, and these chapters should be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.”
The MIP was launched in March 2018 to support chapters in building and maintaining a high level of membership. High membership helps deliver the representation, advocacy and services that members deserve.
As OSEA President Lisa Gourley puts it, “It is absolutely essential to the wellbeing of OSEA to keep membership levels high. A robust membership shows we have the backing of the majority of employees, which allows us to take a strong position defending the things we all need – good jobs with fair wages and benefits, because each of these enables us to provide more for our families.”
Incentives are tacked to a chapter’s membership rates – the closer a chapter is to 100 percent membership, the larger their incentive. OSEA returns 10 percent of membership dues to chapters above 95 percent membership, five percent for those above 80 percent membership and three percent for those above 70 percent membership.
Response to this program has been overwhelmingly positive. Since the launch of MIP two years ago, the majority of chapters have reached or maintained at least 70 percent membership each year. Many chapters grew significantly during that time, motivated in part by the incentive.
Funds can be used in any way authorized by a chapter’s governing documents. Chapters have used their incentive for additional membership drives, emergency assistance for members, scholarship programs and sending delegates to Conference.
“As we head into the next school year, I hope our chapters will organize and recruit to take full advantage of this program,” said Gourley.
Chapters Qualifying for MIP
Tier 1: 95% to 100%
- Butte Falls Chapter 142
- Central Point Chapter 47
- Clatskanie Chapter 53
- COCC-ABS Chapter 700
- Fern Ridge Library Chapter 39
- Forest Grove Sodexo Custodians Chapter 301
- Jewel Chapter 145
- Knappa Chapter 52
- McKenzie Chapter 74
- North Powder Chapter 123
- North Santiam Chapter 122
- Rainier Chapter 89
- Winston-Dillard Chapter 29
Tier 2: 80% to 94%
- Arlington Chapter 111
- Astoria Chapter 72
- BACSEA Chapter 302
- Baker Chapter 20
- Blachly Chapter 99
- Centennial Chapter 113
- Central Chapter 124
- Clatsop CC Chapter 154
- Coos Bay Chapter 33
- Corvallis Chapter 2
- Cottage Grove Chapter 32
- Crook County Chapter 85
- Crow/Applegate/Lorane Chapter 45
- Dayton Chapter 88
- Elgin Chapter 60
- Estacada Chapter 100
- Fern Ridge Chapter 35
- Fossil Chapter 117
- Glendale Chapter 94
- Harney County Chapter 75
- Head Start of Lane County Chapter 600
Hermiston Chapter 10 - Hood River Chapter 9
- Joseph Chapter 136
- Lowell Chapter 118
- Marcola Chapter 132
- Neah-Kah-Nie Chapter 93
- Nestucca Valley Chapter 169
- North Clackamas Chapter 71
- Oakridge Chapter 46
- Oregon Trail Chapter 80
- Parkrose Chapter 44
- Philomath Chapter 64
- Phoenix-Talent Chapter 96
- Pleasant Hill Chapter 36
- Port Orford-Langlois Chapter 27
- Reynolds Chapter 37
- Sheridan Chapter 98
- Sherwood Chapter 103
- South Umpqua Chapter 79
- St. Helens Chapter 31
- Sutherlin Chapter 11
- Tillamook Chapter 28
- Vernonia Chapter 67
- Willamina Chapter 18
- Winston-Dillard Drivers Chapter 205
Tier 3: 70% to 79%
- Amity Chapter 144
- Ashland Chapter 42
- Athena-Weston Chapter 108
- Creswell Chapter 49
- Dallas Chapter 34
- Elkton Chapter 13
- Eugene Chapter 1
- Gervais Chapter 135
- Glide Chapter 134
- Imbler Chapter 77
- Jefferson Chapter 141
- Lake Oswego Chapter 12
- Madras Chapter 54
- Medford Chapter 15
- Molalla River Chapter 110
- Myrtle Point Chapter 16
- NeighborImpact Chapter 602
- North Bend Chapter 26
- North Marion Chapter 116
- NWRESD Chapter 101
- Oregon City Chapter 14
- Rogue CC Chapter 152
- Scio Chapter 137
- Seaside Chapter 107
- Silver Falls Chapter 148
- Springfield Chapter 4
- Umatilla Chapter 69
- Union Chapter 143
- Willamette ESDEA Chapter 95
- Woodburn Chapter 25