Earlier this year, the Freedom Foundation’s discovery of a partnership between the Oregon Education Association (OEA) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) handed the Beaver State’s largest teacher union an opportunity to disassociate with an ideology dubbed by Winston Churchill as “the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.”
After DSA doubled down amid radio silence from OEA, the Oregon legislature is taking notice.
In April, the Freedom Foundation’s Research & Government Affairs Associate Ben Straka publicized the OEA’s decision to host monthly meetings for the DSA’s Salem chapter in a dues-funded union district office.
While it was unclear whether OEA rented or donated the space to DSA, “union leaders wouldn’t be offering it at all if they didn’t view DSA as an ally,” wrote Straka.
To inform Salem educators about the partnership, the Freedom Foundation’s Oregon team “developed and positioned billboards in the area, announcing: OEA <3’s DSA…Why is Oregon’s largest teachers union hosting meetings for the Democratic Socialists of America?”
According to Portland’s DSA chapter, the answer is simple: “Oregon’s educator unions and DSA are in a committed relationship!”
Now, Oregon Senate Republican Leader Daneil Bonham is “demanding accountability and transparency” from the couple, labeling DSA “a radical group that openly supports pro-Hamas rhetoric.”
OEA’s entanglement with DSA “raises serious questions about their commitment to neutrality in our classrooms,” wrote Bonham. “Rather than being distracted by extreme political ideologies, the OEA should be fully focused on improving educational outcomes and supporting teachers in their mission to provide a quality education to every student.”
As students return to the classroom for a new school year, “Leader Bonham is calling on the OEA to publicly clarify its position, disclose any affiliations with extremist groups, and reaffirm its commitment to impartiality and the best interests of Oregon’s students and teachers.”
In the meantime, dues-paying Oregon teachers who wish to distance themselves from OEA’s “affiliations with extremist groups” can cancel their union membership from now until September 30.
