Author: Team BerniePDX

Vote for the 2023 BerniePDX Multnomah County Commission Endorsement! Voting closes Sunday, 11pm.

This spring is the perfect time to get involved and make a difference! There are tons of important upcoming events: volunteer for school board candidates and ERA; testify against TriMet fair increases; protest Adidas wage theft; work to stop oil trains in Portland; attend trainings on how to make your union strong; help prevent the implementation of bad trade deals that will harm workers and the environment; and more!

Visit www.berniepdx.us/events or click the Events tab up top to take action.

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Kate Sherman is a mom with children in the David Douglas School District. For years she has attended school board meetings and worked with other parents to improve the district, and we’re excited for Kate to take her involvement to the next level. Some of Kate’s priorities include expanding pre-K programs, preserving high school career and technical education programs, eliminating racial disparities in discipline, and elevating student voices.

Kate’s priorities and her focus on attracting high quality, diverse educators through good wages and benefits, and fair staffing, earned her an endorsement from the Oregon Education Association. With her goals of expanding equity in its many forms and removing barriers, Kate will be an excellent addition to the David Douglas School Board in Position 7.

Learn more and get involved at www.kateforddsd.com

BerniePDX is proud to endorse Michelle DePass for Portland Public School Board, Zone 2 for a second time. Michelle has served her community her whole life; her first job was at the Black Panther Free Health Clinic on Williams Avenue when she was 12 years old. Michelle has been our children’s advocate on the PPS Board for the last four years. Michelle’s priorities for her second term include advocating for the science of reading curriculum adoption, closing the racial achievement gap, and ensuring the district’s actions are in alignment with their climate and equity policies.

Michelle also aims to increase school board transparency, as well as engagement, particularly with families of color. We are thrilled to join the Portland Association of Teachers in endorsing Michelle DePass for the Portland Public School Board.

Learn more and get involved at depassforpps.com

Tammy Carpenter is a strong believer in the power of a union. As a member of the Beaverton School Board, Tammy will support educators and work to ensure teachers have the resources they need to help their students succeed. This is one of the many reasons why Tammy was endorsed by the Beaverton Education Association.

Tammy’s other priorities include promoting equity and ensuring the safety of students and staff. Her equity goals include a particular focus on school funding. Tammy’s personal experience as a student in STEM has inspired her goal to make STEM education a more inclusive and welcoming space. Tammy’s input will be valuable on the Beaverton School Board in Zone 7 and BerniePDX is happy to endorse her for this office.

Learn more and get involved at tammycarpenter.com

BerniePDX endorses Measure 26-238, Eviction Representation for All Multnomah County, because every tenant deserves quality representation in court!  

Learn more and get involved at https://www.eratenants.org

Cast your vote today! Last day to vote is April 5.

Union members, military veterans, and healthcare reformers around the country are demanding that the Biden Administration stop its privatization of traditional Medicare and the VA hospital system, two of our best working models for single-payer healthcare.

At the USPS, which employs more than 100,000 veterans, workers are also resisting the continuation of Trump-era policies designed to replace our national network of post offices with private mail delivery firms.

At this March 29 labor-community discussion, find out more about these critical anti-privatization campaigns – and what’s at stake for Medicare recipients, VA patients, Postal Service customers, and all private and public sector union members.

Location: First Unitarian Church, 1211 SW Main St.

Join a Saturday canvass to support Eviction Representation for All, which is on the May ballot. All tenants deserve representation in court! Visit eratenants.org/calendar to see upcoming volunteer opportunities.

UPDATE: CITY WORKERS STRIKE IS OVER!

ONGOING: Support Striking City Workers! 

Portland City Laborers are on strike for fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect! Laborers Local 483 represents over 600 workers in the Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Bureau of Transportation, and Parks and Rec. Come out to one of the four picket sites to show your support for the people who take care of our city: Wastewater Plant, Kerby Yard, Albina Yard and Tabor Yard. 

RSVP & Location Details Here

FEB. 3 & 4: 11AM-5PM: New Seasons Labor Union Pickets 

Join a picket this weekend to support New Seasons workers in their fight to reinstate COVID paid leave!

Locations: New Seasons: Concordia, Grant Park, Seven Corners, Slabtown, Woodstock, Arbor Lodge (Saturday only at Arbor Lodge)

The campaign was very well received at the PSU farmers market — we had a great time talking to people about the importance of expanding tenants’ rights!

Signatures are due MONDAY! If you haven’t signed yet, you can print out a sheet to sign at home by visiting https://www.eratenants.org

Join BerniePDX to collect signatures for Eviction Representation for All, because all tenants deserve representation in court! This is the final push to ensure we have enough signatures to make it onto the May ballot, so it’s all hands on deck. 

WHERE: Portland State Farmers Market, meet at the SW Park Block between Clay and Market

WHEN: 11:00am – We’ll have a short training before collecting signatures 

ABOUT ERA: Eviction Representation for All (ERA) is a Right to Counsel program designed to provide free legal representation for every tenant in eviction court in Multnomah County. It is a universal program that protects everyone, regardless of income, funded by a 0.75% increase in capital gains tax. Learn more at https://www.eratenants.org

Congratulations to Travis Nelson, Mark Gamba, and Farrah Chaichi on winning your elections to the Oregon Legislature! We are lucky to have you representing us at the state level. 

Congratulations to Portlanders for passing Charter Reform. Beginning in 2024, we will get to elect City Councilors from our own communities! We are also thrilled that Measure 112 passed, which will amend Oregon’s constitution to remove slavery as a criminal punishment. 

BerniePDX was honored to endorse Jo Ann Hardesty for PDX City Council, Libra Forde for Clackamas County, and Jamie McLeod Skinner for Congress. Not all the ballots have been counted, and we would love to update this post to add some more winners. But if not, we hope to support these wonderful women in a future run for office.