Concern for AAUP Staff Safety

Dear Colleagues,
This morning CPSO Police Officer Lt. Kevin Modica, without identifying himself as a member of campus security, provoked a confrontation with PSU-AAUP’s Executive Director of Membership, Organizing, and Communications. I have deep concern for the health and safety of our staff, and am working with our staff member to ensure they get the medical attention they need for any potential injuries resulting from this incident. 

I also share deep concern for the safety of PSU-AAUP members, students, and every person on this campus for their legal right to freely express opinions with their speech, posters, t-shirts, and other protected forms of expression. 

Any use of physical force or restraint by President Cudd’s police officers against anyone involved in PSU-AAUP organizing or any member of our community is unconscionable.

Moreover, this use of physical force and restraint of organizing is illegal under Oregon State statute. Per PECBA 243.672:
Unfair labor practices; complaints; filing fees. (1) It is an unfair labor practice for a public employer or its designated representative to do any of the following:
 
      (a) Interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in or because of the exercise of rights guaranteed in ORS 243.662.
 
      (b) Dominate, interfere with or assist in the formation, existence or administration of any employee organization.
 
PSU-AAUP will be exploring all options to aggressively enforce our legal right to organize. We will keep you posted as we learn more about this incident, and we encourage the Cudd Administration to reverse the notices of layoff and settle the PSU-AAUP contract before further incidents occur. In the wake of this week’s notices of layoffs, we demand the Cudd administration respect our concerted protected activity to win the conditions our students, colleagues, and families deserve.

Send President Cudd an email now demanding a stop to the cuts and a fair contract now:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-the-layoffs-support-students-and-workers-at-portland-state

To assert our organizing rights, let’s show President Cudd a sea of AAUP red in our next bargaining session. RSVP here:https://www.tickettailor.com/events/psuaaup/1294634

In Solidarity,


Emily
PSU-AAUP President