The Elections Committee has verified a list of fourteen candidates running for several offices. We haven’t had this kind of turnout for many years and are very excited. We are planning two things to help you get to know your candidates.
First, we are having the next General Membership Meeting, November 16, at 12:05, building 17/310, set aside as a Candidate’s Forum. Each candidate will be given a couple minutes to introduce themselves and tell you why they are running for the position they chose. This will take about 45 minutes and the remainder of the meeting will be a Q&A time.
Second, we have asked each candidate to write a short statement about themselves and why they chose to run for office. This will be posted on the web page next week. We are doing this since many of you might be unable to attend the Forum. We hope this will give you an opportunity to know the candidates.
Here is a list of our candidates running for each position.
President:
Elizabeth Andrade Sara Fox Patrick Griffin
Vice-President:
Robin Geyer Marleena Pearson Michael Schneider
Grievance Chair:
Denise Brinkman Dawn Rupp
Treasurer:
Casandra Rhay
Recording Secretary:
Lesley Stine
Corresponding Secretary:
Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe
Membership Chair:
Tammy Burbee Von Young
Chief Labor Delegate :
No candidate
COPE Chair:
Lisa Rupp
Member at Large:
No candidate
PRESIDENT:
Elizabeth Andrade
Seventeen years ago I became part of Lane’s union because of my personal principles of justice and solidarity which is also the base of the labor unions.
My experience as a member during all these years has helped me to envision a type of union with a leadership that is inclusive, where every voice counts and everyone trusts its leadership. A leadership that keeps an inventory of every member’s skills as part of the union structure and taps into those skills to further its mission. A leadership that keeps a constant outlook for the needs of its constituencies so they can advance in the workplace. And a leadership that will create a solid structure to serve both, long-term and employees to come.
To realize this vision for our union, I made the decision to run for Union President. And to fulfill successfully this commitment, I offer:
- All the personal time required to accomplish the position’s responsibilities
- My education in Business Administration
- More than 35 years of experience as an employee, 17 of them in Human Resources with private, municipal and governmental organizations, 7 of these years at Lane’s HR department, which provided me with a deep understanding of the college labor practices regarding payroll, benefits, compensation, recruitment and labor relations
- A comprehensive knowledge of the relation between the college and its intricate funding sources
- An awareness of the administration perspective during bargaining times
- A depth and understanding around national labor rights and contract issues
If your vision of a better future for our union aligns with mine, I invite you to support me with your vote!
For additional information please check www.Elizabeth-Andrade.com
Sara Fox
Becoming an officer is a huge time commitment and a lot of additional stress. When an opportunity arose, I opted to jump in because I figured it was time to try to help create change; Secretary allowed for a learning opportunity. The first thing I learned is change doesn’t happen quickly. Instead, there are many processes to follow and understand to stay compliant, not negatively impact the local, and stay within the law and governing documents. As we all know, over the course of the last year or so, there has been significant change in leadership. These changes impacted the ability to move work forward as hoped.
A few things to know about me-I am not a politician. I do not fight/play dirty; I believe in communication-even if it’s not easy-and working together. I genuinely care about everyone and am here to represent every single member of the classified staff-I will make a special trip, set up a meeting, or provide my contact information to help. From day one, I have invested myself in learning, growing, and working toward change. Growth came from listening to members and their ideas/hopes, attending trainings, dedicating time, being available, and increasing my understanding of the union as a whole. I actively participate on committees, in bargaining, Labor Management, grievances, representing employees, and anything else I can to become a better asset to each classified person.
I am Sara Fox, and I am running for LCCEF President.
Email and facebook: July3Sara@gmail.com
Patrick Griffin
I’ve been in Lane’s IT department for almost 6 years. Prior to that I was Vice President of Product Development for AP Technology in Carlsbad CA. Before that I worked on LaserJet printers for HP in Boise ID. I’ve been in Eugene for 13 years now and I love backpacking in the Cascades and surfing on the Oregon coast. You can find me stand up paddle boarding on the Willamette usually once a week.
I attended 3 different universities and 1 community college as my life took me to a few different states before I earned a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Boise State. Through this I found that the community college was where I received the highest quality instruction. It was there that I had my smallest class sizes, and instructors who chose a career in teaching, as opposed to research like some of my university professors. I truly believe in community colleges, and I’d like to see us improve Lane by working together to solve the current problems we are facing.
For the last few months I’ve been working to recruit more members and to get more people involved in our union. With a new college president, continuing enrollment declines, and the pending right to work Supreme Court decision we have some opportunities and some challenges, and I would like to lead our union through them. For more information see: patgriffin.com.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Robin Geyer
For the past 23 years I have served our local in many roles. Examples: Hiring Policy Process Subcommittee, Compensation and Classification Study 2005, Joint Insurance Committee, Joint Review Committee, LCCEF Bargaining Team 2008 & 2016, 3 Governance Councils (Facilities, Technology, and Finance), LCCEF Executive Council (Labor Delegate, Corresponding Secretary, Vice President), LCCEF Elections Chair. Currently; Vice President, Finance Council Chair, Joint Review Committee, and FY17/18 Classification and Compensation Study. Training includes AFT–Ore Grievance Fundamentals for Stewards, AFT-Ore Leading the Challenge to Change, LERC Bargaining Training, Compensation and Classification Training 2005, and various leadership training such as; Direction Services Leadership Series #1-5, Aspiring Leaders Program, Emotional Intelligence, and Emotional Intelligence Positivity and Resilience Train the Trainer, and Building Cultural Agile Leaders/Unconscious Bias. Community volunteer experience includes; Mid Lane Community Chest Member, City of Veneta Skate Park Fundraising Chair and Event Coordinator.
I voluntarily serve, and will continue to serve, LCCEF Local 2417 because I care. I care about my Lane colleagues and call many of you friend. I care about our students, and about Lane. I have a lot of energy and have devoted much of that energy to the Classified Union and Lane. I don’t claim to know all our issues or the solutions. But I believe strongly that our collective group of amazing classified employees possess the knowledge and solutions we need. I believe TOGETHER, we can determine how to make our work environment and compensation better, which in turn makes Lane better. For more information see: patgriffin.com
Marleena Pearson
We need change. We need updating. We need community. I joined Lane with no personal union experience, but having witnessed the unity of a local going through bargaining at PCC. When I saw how different things were here, and how little was known about the union at Lane, I wanted to be a part of change. I learned a lot as a member of LCCEF EC over the last 4 years as Membership Chair working on organizing and as Corresponding Secretary hoping to increase communication. Taking opportunities for training with AFT, AFL-CIO, and LERC. Working closely with EC leaders open to growth, building a plan for how our union could operate, and fostering respectful relationships for mutual benefit within the local, the college, and the community. LCCEF needs to be strong, but I believe that strength comes from being united rather than name calling or disparaging an individual’s character. Several times we got close, having strategic plans as an EC, or uniting as members in wearing red, but slipped back. Now is the perfect time for change. I believe I would bring a sense of history from recent years with understanding of the past, current training, and research into successful practices of other locals to the position of Vice-President, all with a focus on becoming one community with common goals.
Michael Schneider
My name is Michael Schneider and I have worked for the college since 2001 in the Public Safety department. I was fair share until a little over a year ago when a contract was accepted that increased health insurance cost more than one hundred dollars for a family. I did not understand how the union could accept something that would cause a major hardship for its members, especially those who made close to minimum wage. I never want to see that happen again to our members and I think that we need some new blood and some new direction in the union leadership. I am running for Vice President with the purpose of learning all I can about the inner workings so I can eventually run for President. I will support our President in making sure that any and all decisions are fair and just for the Lane family as a whole, not just for a few.
Thank you
GRIEVANCE CHAIR:
Denise Brinkman
As the daughter of a retired judge, I have always had a deep-rooted commitment to justice and equity. I guess that’s why being your Grievance Chair feels like the job I was born to do. I have held this position since March 2008, just after joining the Bargaining Team. Those roles are 2 sides of the same coin – one of them bargains the contract and the other works to enforce members’ rights outlined in the contract. I believe my experience in both roles has provided value to the local, both collectively and individually. I hope I’ve lived up to your expectations for the last 9 years and I’m asking you to allow me to continue to do so.
In the wake of the recall earlier this year, the temptation to replace the entire Executive Council might seem attractive. If so, I urge you to not let your wish for change be the catalyst for inexperience. Bargaining is just around the corner and that’s one area where inexperience could be painful for the local.
In the contested races, I am endorsing Sara Fox for President, Marleena Pearson for Vice President and Tammy Burbee for Membership Chair. I value Marleena & Sara’s judgement and experience, both on EC and the Bargaining Team – but I also love that all 3 candidates are much younger than the rest of us! The local’s future will be in the hands of younger members, so why not start now? With these 3, you get youth AND experience!
Denise
Dawn Rupp
My goals running for a seat on the executive council is to be representative for all of the classified team. Not just contracted staff but also part-time staff. To be inclusive with all staff members and create harmony as a TEAM. In the past year and a half my department was fractured as a team because of our management but now with new management who truly cares about us and our team I can represent our members in a positive way. I started my career at Lane in 1996 in the mailroom as a work study student then moved to Facilities where I worked until 2008 before moving to Conference and Culinary Services as the Administrative Financial Coordinator where I have found my forever home. The team that I am privileged to work with everyday has taught me to be a true team player. My promise as a team member of the union is to always let you know my position and to always hear you. I graduated from Lane in 1999 with a degree in accounting. On a personal note, I have been with my wife Lisa for 22 years and we have a daughter Dakota who is 26. Dakota has grown up at Lane and I want her to be proud of the college as she looks back at her time at Lane.
TREASURER:
Casandra Rhay
Hello LCCEF Members!
Thank you for considering me for the LCCEF Treasurer position. Rather than explain how I am qualified for this position, I would like to tell you why I’ve decided to run for office again and why it is important you vote for me this election.
- Prior to October 2015 the high turnover in the Treasurer position resulted in an audit finding. A consistent Treasurer is important to our remediation.
- I need more time to document Treasurer processes so that anybody can seamlessly step into this position in the future.
- I believe in transparency and accountability and strive to have this within our union.
- I can work with any candidate without hesitation and have the ability to adapt my work-style to fit the needs of my team, helping create a more unified union.
- I care deeply for the well-being of classified staff as is evidenced by my participation on other committees, which affect my colleagues.
I sincerely hope you will take the above factors into consideration when choosing the best person for the Treasurer position this election cycle. I’m asking you to vote for me for the reasons outlined and if for any reason you have hesitation, email me or call me so we can talk about it. My goal is to serve all LCCEF members according to their needs and wants – knowing what those are sometimes requires more conversation.
Casandra Rhay
October 2015-2017 Treasurer
2018-2020 Treasurer Candidate
RECORDING SECRETARY:
Lesley Stine
Nothing submitted at this time.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY:
Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe
My name is Rosa Maria Bañuelos-Uribe I earned a BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon. I have been at the college since November 2009 and have worked in the ESL and Workforce Development departments and currently work in the Office of Admissions as the Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator. I am running for the Corresponding Secretary position, because I believe my communication and technology abilities, working with teams, professionalism, commitment, energy and can-do attitude are qualities necessary for this role and are ones that I would bring if given the opportunity to serve on the union leadership team.
Thanks,
Rosa Maria
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR:
Tammy Burbee
My name is Tammy Burbee, I am running for Membership Coordinator because I believe we need a strong union with people leading that can not only get along with one another, but can also get along with management and the majority of our union members, but still be strong when being the voice for the union as a whole. I believe it is important to be strong and positive as we run for these positions.
I want to see us all work together to make our work environment better. Having a strong union will help us to better provide for ourselves and our families. I have great relationships across campus, in various divisions, and have been at Lane since Fall 2010. I started out as a timesheet in Workforce and handled a couple of projects for ASA before landing in Health Professions. I love working with students and faculty from all walks of life and have learned a great deal about how important it is to be open and accepting to all.
Lane is my first union position I have personally held, but I have been married to my union electrician husband for over 25 years and I know how important it is for our lives to have good benefits, working conditions and retirement options.
I want to grow our union and help those that aren’t members understand how important it is for us to stand strong together. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions, tburbee33@msn.com .
Von Young
I have been a union member for 37 years starting when I was 18. This includes 19 years as a Teamster and now 17 years in LCCEF. Having participated in bargaining as a Teamster and living with the results of the Union/Management “relationship” here at Lane I believe in the importance of a strong Union. A strong Union is the result of a membership who understand the importance of being involved. Being involved includes having a say in your rights, responsibilities and benefits through voting on the direction of the Union. As Membership Chair I would encourage full membership through education of how your voice can shape a stronger Union for all.
I have been the Division Coordinator for the Science Department for the last 4 ½ years and 12 ½ years in the Workforce Development department before that. My life with Lane includes receiving an Associate of Science in Business Management before moving on to Linfield College where I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Management.
CHIEF LABOR DELEGATE:
No candidate applied
COPE CHAIR – Chair of Political Education:
Lisa Rupp
My name is Lisa Rupp. I started at LCC as a student in 1996.I was a work-study student for the mail room and for Public Safety.I then worked hourly for the bookstore, Facilities Management and Planning in general services and in Public Safety as an officer.I became fulltime classified as a Public Safety Officer in May of 2000.I continued taking classes while working and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
I am pro-union and believe strongly in workers’ rights. I fight for those that can’t do it themselves and have continued to do that my entire career here.
I want to be a part of the Executive Council because I believe we need a more positive change going forward. We need more communication that is cordial and informative.
I believe in the ideals and character of Pat Griffin and Robin Geyer. As a team, we will work together with you and for you regardless of your background and status. We will fight for all employees.
If you would like more information regarding our team, please go to patgriffin.com.
Thank you.
MEMBER AT LARGE (2) .5 or less:
No candidates applied
