About Uplift Oregon
Together we’re making a better workplace and a better Oregon.
What is Uplift Oregon?
Uplift Oregon is the program name of the labor-management partnership that was formed as the Oregon Unions State Worker Training and Education Trust. The purpose of labor-management partnerships is to collaboratively identify and create solutions to shared challenges.
What is a labor-management partnership?
A labor-management partnership is a structure to address the shared needs of employees and employers. Unions and employers have found many benefits from establishing labor-management trusts. Frequently, employers realize cost savings from joining together to obtain benefits or design training. As an organization of workers, unions value employees having a greater voice in the design of the programs intended for them. Through collaboration, employers and unions use labor-management partnerships to accomplish what they often can’t on their own.
In 2019 bargaining, the State of Oregon, SEIU 503, and AFSCME Council 75 agreed to jointly create and oversee a labor-management partnership to deliver training on subjects relevant to state employees. Uplift Oregon provides quality training and education on benefits, wellness, and equity through this collaboration.
There are over 40,000 people in Oregon’s state workforce, with thousands of job classifications and hundreds of worksites. We are here to complement and supplement agencies’ existing training programs to ensure employees are equipped with essential knowledge and resources.
Mission
Uplift Oregon exists to support strong public services for all Oregonians. We provide workshops and training rooted in equity so that all state employees contribute to, and benefit from, a healthy, inclusive, and empowering workplace.
Vision
Through labor-management collaboration, state employees receive clear, consistent, accessible training upon hire and throughout their career. And they in turn can offer stellar, creative, and justice-based services to all Oregonians, resulting in a state where all people will thrive.
We make sure to listen to a diversity of voices.
Uplift creates quality training and educational resources that are useful and responsive to the needs of all state employees, from direct-service staff to management. We do this by gathering input from our Trust board, advisory committees, unions, and state employees themselves. Our training design process is a demonstration of the ability of management and unions to work together to create the best outcomes for all Oregonians and employees of the State of Oregon.
Benefits, wellness, and equity are our core program areas. We seek to constantly improve and adapt our program through listening, feedback, and evaluation to improve our program. Uplift’s long-term goal is to offer accessible and consistent core trainings.
Uplift Oregon recognizes that equity happens only through intentionality. We want state employees to thrive in a welcoming and inclusive workplace and we believe that happens with purposeful effort. We are committed to delivering equitable programs throughout Oregon, by building and delivering inclusive and accessible benefits, wellness, and equity education for state employees in all agencies. State of Oregon employees are a diverse workforce that is a source of strength for providing accessible services to all who live and work in our state.
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Our Team
Learn more about the Trustees and staff who work to advance Uplift Oregon’s mission and vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Uplift Oregon (Oregon Unions State Worker Training and Education Fund) admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the Fund’s training programs. It doesn’t discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other school-administered programs.