Portland Troublemakers School

Online pre-registration is now closed, but you can still attend! Come at 9 a.m. on Saturday and we'll get you signed up.

Portland-area Troublemakers are gathering for a day of skill-building workshops that will help union members and labor activists build power on the job.

Keynote Speaker: Jovanka Beckles, a union activist twice elected to the city council of Richmond, California, and a leader of the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a grassroots coalition dedicated to making Richmond a city for the 99%.

Hear from union leaders and activists about how to fight back and win, take part in trainings such as “Beating Apathy,” "Preparing for Right-to-Work," "Building Strong Labor-Community Alliances," and "Assertive Grievance Handling."

Network with local organizers to share strategies on building a stronger workers movement in Portland.

When:

Saturday, April 8
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where:

UA 290 Training Center
20210 SW Teton Ave.
Tualatin, OR
(Click here for directions.)

Cost:

$10, Lunch included. Childcare stipends, transportation, and Spanish translation available. To sign up or for questions, contact Johanna (email labornotespdx@gmail.com, phone 971-998-7340).

“Labor Notes Troublemakers School is the one training you do not want to miss. Learn the skills it takes to organize and take part in actions to take on the boss, Trump policies, and more. This won't happen without your involvement.”

—Amanda Hill, steward and activist, OFNHP AFT 5017

“My brother James and I had an amazing opportunity to attend the Labor Notes Conference in Chicago 2016 along with two other members. We met so many incredible people and got to participate in classes that gave us great ideas and knowledge that we could take back with us. Now we have the opportunity to share the experience again on April 8 in Portland, and other members have the chance to join us. I’m very proud to be helping make this an amazing Troublemakers School.”

—Brenda Bridger, ILWU Local 4

“I’m looking forward to learning new techniques to help strengthen our union and the labor movement at large! Getting together allows for a good exchange of ideas, and builds a stronger labor community by building resources and contacts.”

—Linda Jauron-Mills, Tri-Met bus driver and ATU 757 member

“At the Troublemakers School we can build solidarity with other workers—and also learn how they organize, the strategies they use.”

—John Feeney, plumber and member of UA Local 290

Featuring Labor Notes' new Secrets of a Successful Organizer workshop series...

Beating Apathy

Are you beating your head against the wall trying to get other workers involved? This workshop is for you. Hear success stories from those who’ve turned their workplaces around and turned apathy into action. Learn practical organizing tools for engaging your co-workers, taking action, and getting results.

Assembling Your Dream Team

The center of your union should be in the workplace. You need to know where people are and how to stay in constant contact. You also know you can’t go it alone; you need a team of leaders to divide up the work. Learn how to find the people who are already leaders at work and link them up to keep your workplace organized.

Turning an Issue into a Campaign

Everybody has complaints and frustrations, but an organizer knows how to turn problems into opportunities. Learn to sort through the issues you hear from co-workers, find the ones with the potential to bring people together, and make a plan to solve them.

The UA 290 Hall is closer than you think! Five minutes from I-5, and just 20 minutes from downtown Portland. To get there:

• Take I-5 to Exit 289 toward Tualatin/Sherwood
• Right onto SW Nyberg St
• Slight left onto Tualatin Sherwood Rd
• Left on SW Teton
• After you cross the railroad tracks, the entrance to the 290 parking lot is your first left.

Tabling:

Tabling is open to sponsoring unions, organizations whose members are presenting at the school, and unions and community-based organizations working on issues that are in line with those the school is discussing. All requests for tables will be considered by the Troublemakers School organizing committee. Email labornotespdx@gmail.com to request a table. Cost of a table is $25. This fee may be waived by the organizing committee. The deadline for requesting to table is March 25.

Several unions have prepaid the registration costs for their members to attend (AAUP/PSU, AFSCME Local 88, ATU Local 757, UBC Oregon/Southwest Washington, ILWU Local 4, LIUNA Local 483, NALC Branch 82, PAT, REA, SEIU Local 503, or UA Local 290).