Published: September 5, 2018

What better way to close out the summer than with your union siblings at a Labor Day picnic? In La Grande this year, members from Eastern Oregon University booked Riverside Park and invited members from every segment of SEIU 503 to come out with their families and friends for a day of cookouts, bouncy houses, water fights and more. In attendance were 503 members who worked in Local Government, Higher Ed, Parks Services, Home Care, and more.

So far, 2018 has been a monumental year for the labor movement. Despite an anti-worker ruling in the Supreme Court, unions continue to gain support nationwide as public school teachers in North Carolina triggered a wave of teacher strikes in some of the US’ most traditionally anti-union states. In Missouri, voters once again overwhelmingly voted against proposed anti-worker “Right-to-Work” laws, something the citizens of Missouri push back against nearly every election cycle in recent years, and right here in the pacific northwest, teachers in several Washington school districts have voted to strike due to unfair proposals from district leaders.

Adjunct professors and college faculty from coast to coast are demanding unions, fair wages, and a more just education system, and fast food workers continue their push for $15 an hour and union rights. In fact, right here in Oregon, the Burgerville Workers Union became the first federally recognized fast food workers union by the National Labor Relations Board.

But it’s important to remember that unions are more than just contracts, bylaws, and policies, unions are an extension of our communities. With bargaining, elections, and a new school year starting, it’s vital that we unite together through both good and bad. The EOU leadership team continues to bridge gaps between SEIU 503 members throughout rural Eastern Oregon, bringing us together to make us stronger.