AFT President Randi Weingarten visits AFT-Oregon members

It’s been a busy week for AFT-Oregon educators. Not only are classes in full swing, but members are making efforts to engage their coworkers to grow power in their workplaces.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed. AFT President Randi Weingarten visited Oregon because she wanted to see this organizing in person.

“This is the most effective antidote to Friedrichs I can imagine.” President Weingarten said.

President Weingarten visited Portland Community College to meet with AFT-Oregon members for lunch and to speak. Weingarten spoke glowingly of AFT-Oregon members efforts to engage fellow members.

 “It’s awesome, and it’s a game changer we’re going back to the roots of the labor movement.” President Weingarten said. “We have to work together to try to secure the values that we aspire to.”

President Weingarten believes efforts like these can help working Americans reclaim the promise.

“That means making sure that there’s decent wages, fighting for accessible and affordable healthcare, making sure Adjuncts have the job security they need, making sure students don’t have this unsustainable student debt and that our state universities and colleges have the resources they need, that professors and classified employees have the latitude, dignity and professionalism to do their work,” President Weingarten said. “It’s a big big agenda, but it all starts with the members being engaged, and joining together with our communities, because we can’t do it alone.”

After President Weingarten spoke PCCFFAP, Local 2277, President Frank Goulard thanked Randi for speaking while everyone in the room gave a hearty round of applause.

Weingarten stuck around briefly and spoke to members before departing to meet with other educators.

Posted Oct. 15, 2015 at 4:13 p.m.