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Our 2019 Legislative Agenda

The 2019 Oregon Legislative Session just started, and we’re looking forward to supporting several important policy campaigns. This year, PCUN’s Policy Agenda includes:

  • Time to Care Oregon’s campaign to gain Paid Family Medical Leave for workers.
  • Oregon Corporate Accountability Act ensuring workers rights are enforced by deputizing whistle blowers to bring forward public enforcement lawsuits.
  • Oregon Voting  Rights Act for a more representative democracy, holding office, and elected positions reflective of the communities they serve.
  • Fairness for Opportunity for Immigrant Families we won’t stop fighting until every immigrant family is treated with dignity and respect.
  • Clean Energy  – a limit and price on climate pollution from the largest polluters in the state. Creates clean energy jobs and a thriving economy, and insuring meaningful investments in rural, low-income, tribal, and communities of color.
  • The Fair Shot Agenda a collective legislative agenda with the support of labor, racial and gender justice organizations, fighting to end racial, gender, and economic inequality.

We look forward to your participation and support. Here are some events we’d love for you to join:

  • Spanish-Member Advocacy Training, February 7, 6-8 at PCUN
  • Causa Immigrant Action Day, February 9, 10-2 at Chemeketa College in Salem
  • Renew Oregon Youth Lobby Day, February 11, in Salem
  • Latinx Advocacy Day, February 28, in Salem, RSVP here

Please RSVP to Martha at marthasonato@pcun.org, if you’re interested in joining our days of action!

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Meet our New Staff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENRIQUE RUIZ (he/him)

Data & Field Manager

Coming from an immigrant family, Enrique was born in Grants Pass, Oregon and lived there until 2013 after completing his first year of high school. He then moved to Salem where he is currently living. Since then, he’s remained involved with local organizations aimed to make change. He’s currently at Chemeketa Community College in pursuit of a transfer degree to major in Sociology.

Enrique is the Field and Data Manager for PCUN. He is responsible for running PCUN’s electoral program (Acción Política PCUNista) as well as manages the data for PCUN.

As a volunteer, Enrique has canvassed for former Rep. Betty Komp in House District 22. He’s also volunteered for State Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon, Levi Herrera-Lopez and Woodburn School Board Member Anthony Medina. Enrique was also a part of the team that canvassed to pass the Salem-Keizer school bond and the No on Measure 105 campaign.

It is family and community that drives Enrique in the work he does. His passion is to give the Latinx community a level playing field, and to make sure Latinx are given opportunities to live out their dreams. Enrique likes being outside and spending time with friends and family. Fun fact: Enrique became an uncle when he was a one-year-old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARTHA SONATO (she/her)

Political Director 

Martha Sonato was born in Michoacán, Mexico. In 2000, Martha migrated with her family to Hood River, Oregon where her parents are currently farm workers. In 2015, Martha became the first in her family to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Willamette University.

Since then, Martha has worked in Governor Kate Brown’s office as a housing and human services policy assistant and as a legislative aide in Senator Sara Gelser’s office. In 2016, Martha joined Accion Politica PCUNista, PCUN’s electoral arm and led a series of electoral victories including: running a parallel campaign to elect Representative Teresa Alonso Leon, the first immigrant and indigenous woman to represent House District 22; electing the first Latinx majority school board in Oregon right in Woodburn; passing 620 million bond dollars for Salem-Keizer school district; and re-electing progressive leaders like Kate Brown.

In January 2019, Martha became the new political director for PCUN. She is passionate about building a representative democracy and equitable policies for under served communities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAURA GALINDO PALOMERA (she/her)

Membership & Communications Director 

Born in Astoria and raised in The Dalles, Laura considers Oregon her first home. Being a Xicana with Mexican roots means that Jalisco, Mexico is her second home. Laura is a recent graduate from OSU where she studied Political Science and Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies.

Currently, Laura is the Membership & Communications Director at PCUN where she manages the communications content for the organization, as well as building PCUN’s membership and sustainer program.

Previously, Laura was working with the Northwest Workers’ Project as a Paralegal and the Immigration Services Coordinator advocating at the intersection of worker’s rights and immigration. She is also experienced in advocacy campaigns and electoral work, having worked directly on the No on 105 and the Cover All Kids campaigns, and organizing for State Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon’s campaign.

Laura is driven by her passion to disrupt oppressive institutions and uplift the voices of women and femmes of color. On her free time, she enjoys spending time with animals, trees, and books.

 

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We’re Hiring!

FIELD ORGANIZER (4 positions)

Our Mission

PCUN’s fundamental goal is to empower farmworkers to understand and take action against systematic exploitation and all of its effects. To achieve this end, PCUN is involved in community and workplace organizing on many different levels. We’ve worked to empower farmworkers, Latinx families, and immigrants in Marion County for over 40 years.

Acción Política PCUNista (APP) is PCUN’s (Oregon’s Farmworker Union) electoral program. APP is dedicated to building Latinx political power in the Mid-Willamette Valley through issue-based campaigns, candidate campaigns and voter engagement and mobilization.

Position overview

Our Field organizers will be accountable for executing PCUN’s field goals. PCUN is working to elect the first Latinx candidate to the Salem-Keizer School Board. The field organizer is critical to ensuring the growth of the organization and building genuine relationships with PCUN’s base, as well as developing the leadership of members and volunteers. They will also be responsible for ensuring that PCUN’s base, (farmworkers, Latinx voters, members, supporters, and volunteers) are engaged in this important campaign. In large part, through cultivation and organizing tactics. A key part of their field responsibilities includes volunteer recruitment, phone banking, door-knocking and volunteer management. PCUN’s field organizers must be highly organized, effective communicators, self-motivated, and passionate about social justice. The field organizers will be supervised be PCUN’s Field Manager.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Supports Field Manager in accomplishing PCUN’s voter outreach, registration, and turnout goals.
  • Organizes and leads campaign activities; phone banks, canvasses, mailers, and door knocking events.
  • Takes care of logistics for mass canvasses, and volunteer activities.
  • Builds strong team of volunteers to support the work of PCUN.
  • Cultivate genuine relationships with PCUN’s base while door knocking and phone-banking.
  • Actively participate in debriefs and reports back daily post door and phone canvasses.
  • Meticulous eye on details, and timely nightly and weekly reporting of field work.
  • Keeping close counts of door knocks, voters called, and volunteers recruited.
  • Data entry and follow-up with partners, volunteers, and the base of registered voters.
  • Base-building and volunteer recruitment
  • Makes presentations about PCUN in the Salem-Keizer Community.
  • Collect stories from students/parents/community members for PCUN’s communication purposes.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

  • Passionate about farmworker and immigrant rights, social justice, and gender justice.
  • Excellent time management and organizational skills
  • Bilingual in Spanish and English.
  • Bicultural, with a strong understanding of Oregon’s Latinx community.
  • Experienced leading/coordinating political campaigns.
  • Excellent communications skills, both oral and written.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and willing to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and late evenings.  
  • Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft word, excel. Some knowledge of the Voter Activation Network, My Campaign, and EveryAction is a plus.
  • Self-motivated and resourceful. Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
  • Strong interpersonal skills; ability to build trust and maintain genuine relationships.
  • Ability to spend long hours phone banking and door knocking.
  • Comfortable with face-to-face interaction with the public

How to Apply: Submit the following as soon as possible

  • A resume (1 page max) detailing relevant experience, work history, education and accomplishments.
  • At least 3 references, their contact information, and your relationship to them.
  • Send your documents to enriqueruiz@pcun.org

Other: 

  • Location: Northeast Salem, with occasional travel to PCUN office in Woodburn, Oregon
  • Duration: Temporary position (February 28th, 2019 – May 24th, 2019)
  • Hours: Part-time for duration of the Salem-Keizer School Bond Campaign
  • Compensation: $15/hr
  • Application Deadline: Open until filled

 

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PRESS RELEASE: America Needs Permanent Solutions, Not A Wall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1/19/2019

America Needs Permanent Solutions, Not A Wall

Woodburn, Oregon – As word spreads about plans to put a deal on the table, and President Trump’s so-called immigration compromise, PCUN’s stance continues to stay the same. The President’s offer is expected to include $5.7 billion demand for wall money in exchange for extended protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and legislation to extend the legal status of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients.

PCUN’s position stays the same: #Not1Dollar. More money for DHS will allow this already-rogue agency to build more private prisons, hire more ICE agents, carry out more terrorizing raids, further militarize southern border communities and separate more children from their moms and dads.  The House has passed two spending bills to reopen the government, but Senator McConnell has refused to bring them to a vote on the Senate floor. Budgets are moral documents that should reflect the values of our country, not a white nationalist agenda.

The fights for DREAM and TPS are not mutually exclusive fights. PCUN and our national networks are fighting for DREAM and TPS, but also reiterating our long-standing position of not one dollar for this administration’s hateful agenda. More money for DHS means more pain for our families.

PCUN’s Executive Director, Reyna Lopez, says, “ DREAMer’s and TPS holders are not bargaining chips. It’s time for the President and Republicans to stop playing politics with people’s lives. Hundreds of thousands of families are being hurt by this shutdown.  This “deal” exemplifies just how out of touch Trump is with working families in our country. Budgets are moral documents that should reflect the values of our country, not a white nationalist agenda. We call on Republicans to step up and end this shutdown and end this agenda of hate. We need a permanent solution for DACA, and TPS holders that ensure they have a permanent pathway to legalization.”

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Check out highlights from our Annual Cumbia Party!

We had a magical evening on November 8th for PCUN’s Annual Cumbia Party. We raised over $30,000 to continue enhancing PCUN’s community organizing work! This year PCUN is doing a lot – and we’re excited, and over-whelmed with the amount of support that consistently comes from our community.

Thank you to our sponsors, our families, and our supporters across the state and the country. Special thank you to our members, and our staff. We love you! Check out these highlights:

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2018 Mid Term Elections

 

(Our team of organizers, Gail, Nicole, Mario, Martha, Alex, and Enrique)

The 2018 Midterms were a success for PCUN and our partners in the social justice movement. We are proud to say that farm workers, immigrants, and Latinx working families made a huge impact in getting out the vote for progressive issues and candidates this election cycle. Today, I can confidently say we are building and flexing our power in a huge way. This year, PCUN knocked on a total of 27,000 Latinx bilingual, bicultural doors with our team of Latinx organizers. We provided ballot assistance to over 350 Latinx voters. It made a huge difference. But what really made the difference was the unity in the movement – which collectively knocked on over 400,000 doors!

Here are some highlights from the campaigns and on candidates we endorsed:

  • Kate Brown is still our Governor, and PCUN knocked on thousands of Latinx doors to ensure that the Latinx vote came out in full force for our Governor. She has had our backs for years, we are honored to get to return the favor.
  • Representative Teresa Alonso Leon also won her race in House District 22, Oregon’s first majority Latinx district in the state.
  • Representative Paul Evans of House District 20, Independence and West Salem, also won his race, and is continuing to hold up farmworker values in the state legislature.
  • And we’re very proud of Rachel Prusak, the Representative Elect of  HD 37. You can 
  • Anna Williams for HD 52 in Hood River also won her race. Congrats to Anna!
  • Andrea Salinas in HD 38, Lake Oswego, ran unopposed.
  • Eric Swenson is now the Mayor of Woodburn, he is a champion for Woodburn Schools, and a true bridge builder and strong advocate for equity.

On Measure 105… WE DID IT. Defeating this measure truly took a village. With the help of over 500 organizations, PCUN and our sister organizations, labor partners, and more, beat measure 105. Oregonian’s have spoken. We want to be a place that welcomes people, and rejects racial profiling based on our perceived immigration status.

PCUN also said NO to Measure 103, 104, 106, and we said YES on 102. Oregonian’s agreed last night, and voted down 103,104,105, 106, and said Yes to 102. 

La lucha Sigue – the fight continues! We’re proud of the campaigns our candidates put on. And we continue to fight for better representation of our communities.  Here are some of the campaigns we endorsed, that did not win. 

Check out the rest of our positions on the other measures you’ll see on the November ballot: