PORTLAND, Oregon — On the eve of Day 10 of the Portland teachers strike, three Oregon lawmakers announced plans for legislation to end teacher walkouts during school hours.
"We need to honor our children in their time and their education," said Rep. Christine Goodwin , R-Canyonville. "I think that other school districts are looking at this, and I think it's a dangerous precedent to set."
Goodwin lives in southern Oregon but has been invested the Portland teachers strike. She believes the price that PPS students are paying now could have statewide implications in the future, especially given the instruction time students lost during the pandemic.
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On Wednesday, Goodwin and two other lawmakers — Reps. Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville, and Jami Cate, R-Lebanon — announced plans to introduce a bill next session. It would limit teachers unions from walking off the job on school days. Many states, including Washington, have similar laws, though they're not always enforced.
"It is really an important topic for our state to consider and honor the children's education," Goodwin said. "This is their time in school; this should not be a time for the unions to play their games with education."
Wednesday marked the ninth day that 44,000 students missed school because of the Portland teachers strike. As on most mornings, McDaniel senior Elle Hansen joined teachers on the picket lines.
"The goal for me is to become an educator in the future," Hansen said. "So to support these teachers these teachers means that I am supporting a cause that I really believe in, I'm supporting the education of my fellow peers."
And yet, Hansen pointed out some challenges the strike has caused, including applying for scholarships at home alone.
"It's not easy, though our teachers have set us up for success without them necessarily being able to help us due to the strike," Hansen said.
The Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) union and the Portland Public Schools (PPS) district have made some progress on issues like planning time, but several sticking points remain. Teachers are still fighting for higher pay and smaller class sizes.
They're also demanding better working conditions. On Wednesday, the city of Portland announced plans to help address the latter. In a joint statement, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Carmen Rubio said they would "fast track" $19.9 million to improve Portland Public school buildings and infrastructure. The money comes from the Portland Clean Energy Fund.
"I appreciate the dedication PPS and PAT have shown remaining at the bargaining table, which demonstrates their commitment to reaching a resolution," Wheeler said. "These resources will bolster the package PPS/PAT agree to, improving school conditions to benefit both teachers and students."