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July 25, 2018
Youth leaders from
Benin, Burkina Faso,
Republic of Congo,
Gabon and Togo will visit
Portland next month
as part of a program
to promote mutual
understanding between
cultures, increase
leadership skills and
prepare youth to make
a difference in their
communities.
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Youth Leaders Need Host Families
Youth and adult leaders from
the Pan-Africa Youth Leadership
Program will arrive in Portland
next month as part of a program
to promote mutual understanding
and help is needed in placing par-
ticipants in homes across the Port-
land metro community.
The program brings youth lead-
ers and their adult mentors from
Benin, Burkina Faso, Republic of
Congo, Gabon, and Togo to our
community. Local residents can
serve as an ambassador for the
program by hosting either an adult
mentor or high school participant
in the program. You can also pro-
vide transportation support.
Participants in this U.S. De-
partment of State program, coor-
dinated locally through the World
Affairs Council of Oregon, are be-
tween the ages 15 and 18 and are
recruited based on their outstand-
ing academic performance and
leadership potential.
During their time in Portland,
the students engage in workshops
on leadership and service, com-
munity site visits, local cultural
activities, and more. On evenings
and weekends, they are spending
time with their host families.
To fill out a hosting application or
for more information about the pro-
gram, email lauara@worldoreg.org.
www.portlandobserver.com
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expired in June of 2017, many
drivers have held protests, school
board testimonials, and other
pleas for receiving a livable wage
as mediated negotiations between
the two sides took place.
Union representative and driver
Jimmy Appelhanz laid out some
of the issues during a school board
meeting last week, telling board
members that the district has,
through either indifference or in-
competence, failed to meet the
union’s reasonable demands for
an equitable contract.
“A strike is an action of last re-
sort. But after a year of negotiation
and mediation this is a step we are
prepared to take,” Appelhanz said.
“The lack of respect being shown
to your employees is galling and
our patience has long since wore
thin.”
The union is within its right to
strike, according to Oregon labor
laws and the union’s own regula-
tions.
Back in late April, Local 757
declared an impasse after mediat-
ed negotiations failed to appease
all parties. Around the same time,
the union also asked PPS to enter
arbitration, which the district de-
clined. Merely asking to arbitrate
fulfilled a needed step before the
right to strike is allowed, accord-
ing to union rules.
In early May, the district gave
their final offer of $17.96 starting
pay, which they’re now imple-
menting, and within their right to
do so. Protesters around that time
were vocal then that $17.96 would
be an inadequate pay raise.
Blumklotz said they will be
standing by their mediation date
of August 16 to continue nego-
tiations, despite the final offer
implementation and will vote on
whether to strike or accept the
new wages then.
“They are implementing in
hopes to attract new drivers and in
hopes that the current drivers will
say it’s enough, when the drivers
already said it is not,” she wrote in
an email representing the Portland
Public Schools Special Education
School Bus Drivers’ negotiating
team.
Blumklotz and Appelhanz are
two of over 100 special education
bus drivers that work directly for
PPS. Other bus drivers used by
the school are contracted out to
a private company, First Student,
the employees of which get paid
$18.25 to start.
Implementing the final offer
for the special education drivers
while mediation is still ongoing
will help the district recruit new
drivers for the upcoming school
year, according to the resolution
before the school board. Current
drivers have reported understaff-
ing and stressful days as a work-
force is stretched thin.
The wage increases will also
apply to current employees, dis-
trict spokesperson Harry Esteve
told the Portland Observer.
Blumklotz said higher wages
attract quality drivers who can
handle the use of CPR, first aid,
and adequately deal with special
needs children to apply. For a job
that drivers often take home with
them, proper wages are important
to ensure the support of the kids,
she added.
“We put the kids into positions
to fail when we don’t meet their
needs. And we are a public school
system. We are here to meet the
students’ needs,” Blumklotz said.