PCCFCE

Just weeks after a historic strike, @portlandcommcollege Board of Directors met tonight in a special meeting and approved a mutual separation agreement with President Dr. Adrien Bennings. Effective immediately, PCC Executive Vice President Dr. Katy Ho will serve as Acting President.

LET’S GET READY FOR THE 2026 CLASSIFIED RETREAT! Join us on Thursday, June 18th, 2026, for a day of connection, learning, and community. This year’s retreat will be held in person at the Rock Creek Campus, Events Center (Building 9) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please RSVP via the newsletter sent to your work email by Monday, June 1st, 2026 so we can ensure there’s plenty of food for everyone. We also encourage you to get involved! We’re looking for volunteers to help on the day of the event, as well as members interested in sharing workshop ideas. Do you have an interesting skill, hobby, or knowledge you’d like to share with your coworkers? Please lead a workshop! Our union often gets requests for fun activities like games and art, and we need more volunteers for these workshops. If you have questions, need accommodations, have an idea for a workshop you would teach, or would volunteer to help at the event, please reach out to [email protected].

KEY DATES & INFO FOR CLASSIFIED UNION ELECTIONS Keep an eye on your work inbox for emails from [email protected] for ballots & results of the upcoming elections. FCE Constitution & Bylaws Amendments & AFT Delegates Election - Ballots will be arriving in your PCC inbox on Monday May 18th. - This election closes Friday May 22nd. - Results will be emailed out Monday May 25th. FCE Executive Council (EC) Election - A nominations ballot will be arriving in your PCC inbox on Monday May 11th. - Nominations close Monday May 18th. - Ballots to vote for EC candidates will be sent out Thursday June 18th. - This election closes Monday June 29th. - Results will be emailed out Wednesday July 1st. If you don’t see your ballot, be sure to check your spam folder. Email the Elections Committee at [email protected] if you need assistance. 📸 photo by Christian Martinez Guzman

CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES: SAY YOU’LL BE THERE THIS SATURDAY! FCE General Membership Meeting Saturday, May 16th 1-3pm - Remote Option: Zoom Link in newsletter sent to work email - In-Person Option: Oregon AFL-CIO (basement) 3645 SE 32nd Ave, Portland, OR 97202 Refreshments provided Our annual General Membership Meeting (GMM) is right around the corner and this is not one to miss! In the aftermath of an historic strike, your union siblings are bringing to you 4 Constitution & Bylaws amendments seeking to reform the democratic processes and accessibility of your union. There is no better event during the year than our GMM to have your voice make a real impact on your union - and with Officer Elections right around the corner, this will be an opportunity to confer with your colleagues and consider what roles you might want to take in shaping its future. Our FCE President, Jeff Grider, will be offering a State of the Union address, you will have a chance to meet your AFT Delegate candidates, you will be hearing from the authors of the proposed amendments, and getting a direct line of communication to your Executive Council. We hope to see you at the AFL-CIO SE Portland location on Saturday. Drinks and refreshments will be provided!

OUR CLASSIFIED UNION’S COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE IS RECRUITING! Are you a dues-paying member with an interest in Communications? Please fill out the PCCFCE Communications Committee Interest Form from the union newsletter in your work email and get connected with our hardworking volunteers! Members are recommended to join 1 of 3 subgroups, and also attend the Main Comms Meeting, for 2 short meetings per month. Volunteer time commitment = between 1 and 2 hours a week. Main Communications Meeting - report outs from each subgroup - Newsletter writing - Big picture issues, new ideas Website Team Subgroup - Hub for centralized communication & resources - Revamp current structure and organization - Continuous updates Discord Team Subgroup - Online community, interaction - Moderation - User Verification Visual Media Subgroup - Content Creation (images, video, infographics) - Facebook & Instagram (updates, comments) - Physical Media (posters, buttons, Zoom backgrounds) Initial meetings will be scheduled in June, so survey respondents can expect to hear back from Meryl DePasquale at the end of May. Contact Meryl with any questions: [email protected]

OUR UNION IS POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS! PCCFCE Officer nominations will be open May 11-18. Getting involved with our Executive Council is FUN and also rewarding. It’s a great way to connect with other classified employees and to have a voice in what’s happening in our workplace. WHAT DOES A CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE DO? Many of the positions that are vacant or up for re-election are campus representatives. This is a great introductory role for new leaders, or for experienced leaders who want a broad focus, instead of specializing in one area. As a campus rep, you would: - Represent your coworkers and your area of the College with a seat on the Executive Council — 3-5 hours per month - Distribute important information to fellow classified employees, attend events, and have one-on-one conversations about workplace issues — <1 hour a week - Become a member of at least one of our union’s committees (examples: Communications, Contract Action Team, Finance, Member Organizing, Political Action) — ~1 hour a week TOTAL TIME COMMITMENT = 2 hours per week on average. If you have 24 minutes a day, you can make our union stronger. All union leaders have access to union release time, for meetings and events during the work day. WHAT DOES A GRIEVANCE OFFICER DO? The time commitment for a grievance officer can be slightly more than a campus representative, but most of the work they do, including representing members in meetings with HR/PSEC and preparing for those meetings, has additional protections under federal and state law. Grievance officers will be released from their job duties during the work day to help members with workplace issues and make sure classified employees’ rights are being respected. If you are interested in this kind of work, please don’t hesitate to nominate yourself. Training will be provided.

Graphic by Foxx Hess. Classified Union Elections need candidates from all over the College! Join as a member by May 29 so you can run for office and/or vote in the election. PCCFCE UNION LEADERS ELECTION Nominations will be open May 11-18. Now is a great time to start thinking about what you might like to run for. Join our union’s Executive Council (EC) and help make classified employees stronger before our next round of contract negotiations begins! Learn more about each EC position in the Constitution & Bylaws. If you don’t see a position on the list below that seems like the “perfect fit” for you, but you’d like to get involved, please nominate yourself for any open position when you receive the nominations email May 11-18. It’s always possible that someone’s work location has changed, or that someone will change positions, and the position you’re looking for could become vacant before the election. By nominating yourself now, you’ll be in conversation with our union and we’ll be aware of your interests. Positions Up for Election: President Treasurer Vice President of Communications Grievance Officer #2 (Cascade/PMWTC/ Swan Island) Grievance Officer #4 (Southeast) Grievance Officer #5 (Downtown/CLIMB) Sylvania Campus Representative #3 Sylvania Campus Representative #4 Cascade Campus Representative 2 Rock Creek Campus Representative 2 Rock Creek Campus Representative 3 Southeast Campus Representative 2 Willow Creek Representative CLIMB Campus Representative PMWTC Campus Representative Positions Currently Vacant (Subject to Change): Grievance Officer 1 (Sylvania/Newberg/Coffee Creek) Grievance Officer 3 (Rock Creek/Willow Creek/Hillsboro) Sylvania Campus Representative 5 Cascade Campus Representative 3 Rock Creek Campus Representative 1 ***Nominations will be open May 11-18***

NOMINEES FOR 2026 AFT NATIONAL CONVENTION DELEGATES The Executive Council (EC) has voted to send five delegates and up to three alternates to the 2026 AFT National Convention, which will be held in Washington, D.C. from July 15, 2026 through July 18, 2026. Voting opens on May 18, 2026. Delegate Nominees Aaron McKee Adam Padilla Amina Saseyi Aurora Newkirk Blanca Coma Caitlin Recor Juanita Lognion Sara Lampert Scot Brooks Tania Rezaie Ty Graham

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS Last Wednesday, our PCCFCE’s Executive Council (EC) held a special meeting to decide if they will recommend member-proposed amendments to the Constitution & Bylaws. All dues-paying members will have an opportunity to vote on these amendments once they have been presented at the General Membership Meeting (GMM) May 16th. The decision last Wednesday solely concerns the endorsement of the EC. Classified employees can read the amendments in the newsletter sent to their work email. Bylaws Article II - Elections: Update elections rules to include term limits — EC vote to recommend = No Constitution Article IV - Structure, Section 3: Include updated election rules on term limits — EC vote to recommend = No Bylaws Article VI - Duties of Committees: to include equal access to member data for all candidates running for election — EC vote to recommend = Yes Entire Constitution to be updated to an accessible, digital format as its base format — EC vote to recommend = Yes Voting by rank and file members on these amendments opens on May 18, 2026.

TWO ELECTIONS: Key Dates in May and June Amendments & Delegates - Must have been a dues-paying member by April 22 to vote - General Membership Meeting May 16 - Amendments will be presented - Voting May 18-22 Union Leaders - Must become a dues-paying member by May 29 to vote - Classified Retreat June 18 - Candidates will introduce themselves - Voting June 18-29

HOW TO TAKE ACTION RE: PCC’s BOARD OF DIRECTORS Did last Thursday’s board meeting remind you of why we need new board members? Do you believe we deserve a union-friendly board that puts students and workers first? Would you like to help investigate our current board members and search for replacements? Join the FFAP & FCE Joint Board Mapping Committee: Marianne Stupfel-Wallace ([email protected]) and Aenghus Taylor ([email protected]). Mark your calendars for the next Board meeting on Thursday evening, May 21. Consider giving public comment yourself this day, or attending in-person to support your coworkers as they give public comments. We are stronger together!

DIRECTOR PENNER WEAPONIZES RACISM TO AVOID CALLS FOR OVERSIGHT, A BOARD RESPONSIBILITY Following public testimony, Director Brandy Penner read a statement claiming that Dr. Bennings and Chair Penson experienced racism and sexism during the strike. Director Penner declined to specify what the alleged racism and sexism entailed, and whether it was committed by union members. FCE leaders and members understand that racism, sexism, and oppression are baked into the structures we operate within, including both union and community college governance. This includes oppression that is perpetuated by PCC administration against workers. We wanted to point you to a couple of responses to Director Penner’s remarks, one from a PCC graduate who gave compelling testimony earlier in same the meeting, and one from a leader in our sibling union: “How dare you sit on your high white savior horse, proclaiming that you speak for marginalized communities while you watch marginalized people beg this board, which has the power to reverse the program closures, for just a shred of humanity.” -PCC gerontology graduate Shawntá Creech, in an open letter to PCC Board of Directors member Brandy Penner “Director Penner’s concern for Black lives excludes those which belong to the working-class […] most workers of color at PCC are either classified staff or casual employees, who earn the least in our striated employee caste system. Casual employees, consistently the majority of PCC hires (see images below) are paid the least and are not represented by a union, and so lack job protections. In addition, we cannot forget that President Bennings failed to make classified workers financially whole following the strike, which disproportionately impacts PCC’s workers of color. Where is Director Penner’s, President Bennings’, or Chair Penson’s concern for these workers’ livelihoods? Do these working-class Black and Brown lives not matter to these women in power?” -FFAP Lead Steward for Fulltime Faculty Yvette Rosales, in a response to PCC Board of Directors member Brandy Penner