Portland observer., November 01, 2023, Image 1

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Volume LII • Number20
‘City
www.portlandobserver.com
of
Roses’ Wednesday • November 01, 2023
Committed to Cultural Diversity
New PCC
Athletics
Director
Appointed
Portland Teachers and Supporters Rally. Photo by Zoe Holman-Kragero
Looming Teachers’ Strike
Strike over class
sizes, pay and lack
of resources
(AP) -Teachers in Portland, Ore-
gon, have voted to go on strike, their
union announced Friday, in another
sign of a growing national organized
labor movement that’s seen thousands
of workers in various sectors walk off
the job this year.
The Portland Association of Teach-
ers’ strike would start Nov. 1 unless
an agreement with the school district
is reached before then. The union said
nearly 99% of teachers voted in favor
of the strike, with 93% of its members
participating in the ballot.
Teachers have cited large class
sizes, salaries that have not kept up
with inflation and a lack of resources
as key concerns. The union has been
bargaining for months with the dis-
trict for a new contract, which expired
in June. “Students need stability and
experienced educators in our schools,
but the high cost of living is pushing
teachers to leave the district. I don’t
know how I’m going to survive on a
teacher salary in Portland and I’m at
the top of the pay scale,” said Shannon
Kittrick, a high school educator, in an
emailed statement from the union.
Schools will close and there will be
no classroom or online instruction if
the strike takes place, according to the
district, which said it wants to avoid
such a scenario. “We want to reach a
fair, sustainable settlement, and we
will stay at the bargaining table as
long as it takes to get there. We ask
our educators to stay at the table with
us, not close schools,” Portland Public
Schools said in an emailed statement.
The district is the largest in Oregon
with roughly 45,000 students. Public
education has been gripped by a series
of high-profile strikes this year. In the
Los Angeles Unified School District,
the nation’s second-largest, workers
including teachers’ aides, cafeteria
workers and custodians walked out
for three days in March to demand
better wages and increased staffing,
shutting down education for half a
million students. In Oakland, Cali-
fornia, the union representing teach-
ers, counselors, librarians and other
workers went on strike for more than
a week in May. In addition to typi-
cal demands such as higher salaries,
it also pushed for “common good”
changes, such as reparations for Black
students and resources for students
who are homeless.
Tony Broadous
The Hall of Famer,
Tony Broadous, has
strong background
in athletics
Tony Broadous has been named the
athletics director for Portland Com-
munity College. With a strong back-
ground in athletics and an impres-
sive track record, Broadous brings a
wealth of experience and enthusiasm
to this crucial role.
A long-time resident of Portland, he
served as PCC's head men's basketball
coach for 11 years, during which he
garnered numerous accolades, includ-
ing coach of the year awards, confer-
ence and league championships, and
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