Your Bargaining Team will make every effort to negotiate for COLAs retroactive to Sept 1, 2025 and back-pay for any days we are on strike. This means once we have a settlement members will receive a lump sum of backpay in addition to their regular paycheck. Even so, we should still be prepared for potential financial impact during a strike. Keep in mind that strikes lasting longer than a month are rare, but still possible. In order to be prepared for a longer scenario, here is some guidance about how to prepare financially for a strike.
- Pay: A strike plan has been developed that should put us in the best financial situation possible. Should we need to strike, the plan is to strike towards the beginning of the month, right after many of us are paid and will maintain healthcare through the end of April.
- Unemployment for Striking Workers: As of January 1, 2026 unionized employees in Oregon can now apply for unemployment benefits while on strike. Workers on strike will be eligible for UI benefits for up to 10 weeks after a two-week waiting period.
- Healthcare: Striking at the beginning of the month should also mean that PCC has paid our healthcare premiums and we will have no disruptions through the end of the following month. After the end of April, if we are still on strike and PCC decided to stop paying our healthcare premiums, the College would need to notify members and provide information about how to sign up for COBRA.
- From this Nerdwallet article, COBRA can be used during a strike.
- From Health Plans in OR and other online information, COBRA can be filed retroactively for up to 60 days. Members who do not have substantial monthly healthcare expenses may be willing to forego health insurance for the days of the strike, because if you get sick or injured during the strike, then file for COBRA, your insurance will be applied retroactively. It would be a major bureaucratic hassle as well as exceptionally cruel for PCC to cut off health insurance during a strike, so we are hopeful they will not resort to that tactic.
- AFT-National Low-Risk Loan Support: FFAP leaders are working with AFT-National to set up a process for members to apply for short-term loans should FFAP be on strike for more than 5 days. While we are still in process and things might change, here are the expectations: AFT-National will (1) pay the interest for a limited time for a loan that is no more than $600/week (for the duration of the strike) and (2) for anyone who isn’t approved for a loan (e.g., low credit score), AFT-National will back the loan. Note: interest is reimbursed after loan is paid off or when the time period is up and is coordinated with FFAP. More information about this to come.
- AFT-OR Strike Fund Application: We have submitted our application to AFT-OR for their strike fund. If FFAP is awarded funds, there will be more information about this, but we know we would need to triage the funds for those with the greatest need as it will not be enough to provide funds to every employee on strike to replace their earnings.
- FFAP Strike Fund: We started our strike fund this year. If you can, donate to the FFAP Strike Fund. We have limited resources we will be using on a case by case basis to support members in greatest need. The more we have in the fund, the more people we can help! More information on this will be available in the coming weeks.
- Food: We will be working with Labor’s Community Service Agency, a support organization who can provide food boxes for members and food for strike lines. More information soon.
- Supporting Each Other: Connect with others to pool resources. Carpooling or exchanging child care are practical methods to cut costs. Let’s be in solidarity! We are not alone in this.
Please reach out to federation@pccffap.org if you have any questions about financially preparing for a strike.