Portland Association of Teachers

Call Carole Smith and the Board and tell them to settle with Portland Teachers now!

(503) 916-3203 or (503)916-3906

• Portland Teachers have been working without a contract for over 19 months!
• Portland teachers have given. Portland teachers work an average of 55 hours per week. Portland teachers spend an average of $700 out of pocket for materials and supplies each year.
• In1994 Portland teachers took a salary freeze.
• In 1995 Portland teachers suspended:
• sabbaticals
• tuition reimbursement and
• reduced personal leave
• Portland Public school employees gave $8,000,000.00 directly to the District from their Health and Welfare Trust reserves.
• In 1998 Portland teachers eliminated sabbaticals generating an annual savings of $1,200,000.
• In 2003, barely 6 years ago, Portland teachers, and only the teachers worked 10 days without pay, over a 5% pay cut to keep all schools open for all students. No other employee group shared in that sacrifice.
• In 2004-2006 Portland Teachers reduced their health benefits by $100 per month per member and began paying a portion of their premiums.

Your bargaining team had another mediation session at 4pm on February 3rd with the district. We presented yet another proposal regarding their interests in Article 20 (work day/year). While we were preparing a response to their health insurance proposal, they declared impasse and left at 6:30pm. More details to follow. PLEASE READ THE AT THE TABLE.

As Rebecca Levison, our PAT President said:

Portland Teachers have continually sacrificed for their students. They have taken salary freezes, they have reduced their benefits and they even worked ten days without pay to keep all students in school. No others made that sacrifice, not even the highest paid employees.

For the 2009 year, members should look at their final pay stub in 2009 to find their annual union dues paid.

Members may be able to deduct their union dues for 2009 income taxes. This includes NEA, OEA and Local dues. The deduction still has to run the gauntlet of the limitations on miscellaneous itemized deductions (deductible when “Miscellaneous” limited deductions exceed 2% of adjusted gross income). You can only claim union dues as a deduction if you use the Long Form 1040. On the Schedule A (Form 1040) - Itemized Deductions, the union dues are reported on line 21. Read more for Tax Chart.