News

The Michael Arken Scholarship

     In 2018 the chapter established the Michael Arken scholarship to honor the chapter’s founding President and long-time leader.

         Every year a $1,000.00 award is made to a student who is a relative of an AFSCME member.

         The winner is selected by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission for the Oregon Student Access Completion on behalf of the chapter. 

         To date scholarships have been awarded to:

2018 – 2019    Opal Richenberg

2019 – 2020    Kiera Dwyer

Dear Michael Arken and Oregon AFSCME Council,

Thank you so much for your continued support. I can tell by how much you have invested in my education that you believe in my ability to become someone great using my education.

Without this scholarship, it would be hard to find transportation to and from work and school. Time can be constrained by money, so you are helping me reach my goal of using my time to research environmental issues, explore my hobbies, and participate in on campus organizations and clubs.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the White House’s announcement Thursday that the Biden administration will forgive student loans for an additional 78,000 borrowers — including many AFSCME members — under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders congratulated Nicole Berner, a longtime labor lawyer and general counsel of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), on being confirmed to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Montoya goes to Washington

Photo: Nicholas Voutsinos/ AFSCME

In this year’s State of the Union speech, President Joe Biden highlighted his administration’s achievements over the past three years and vowed to continue fighting for working people.

AFSCME applauds his accomplishments and strongly supports the Biden-Harris administration’s vision for the future, which includes defending our nation’s democracy, protecting a woman’s right to choose and making the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes, among other things.

Salem, Oregon - Oregon's 82nd Legislative Assembly passed HB 4045, the Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act, an historic investment in Oregon's public safety workers.. HB 4045 received overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support, marking a significant step forward in prioritizing the dedicated workers who serve on the front lines of public safety by allowing them to retire with enhanced benefits.