Support Unionizing Preschool Teachers Illegally Furloughed

Guidepost Montessori is the largest and fastest growing chain of Montessori schools, with over 125 schools throughout the world. In late March the workers at the Tigard location filed for a union election and in early April, the workers at the Lloyd location in Portland also moved forward in a union effort. Both centers have a large majority of teachers in favor of unionization. Less than 24 hours after the Lloyd campus notified Guidepost of their desire to unionize, Guidepost abruptly furloughed workers at both locations, notably keeping 3 other centers in the Portland area in operation. ILWU Local 5 (the union representing workers at both locations) has filed an unfair labor practice charge in response to this illegal and retaliatory action against workers exercising their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

The effects of this extreme response have sent ripples throughout the community. Parents have lost reliable care for their children; children are being dysregulated through the loss of their routine and unexpected loss of relationships with friends and teachers; teachers have lost their livelihoods.

As a union of workers, our top priority is supporting workers in this immediate and urgent need. Many teachers survive without much savings and this unexpected and unwarranted unpaid furlough has put intense financial strain on teachers. It is because of this that we are establishing a Guidepost Workers Relief Fund.

Below is testimony from workers on how the unpaid retaliatory furlough has affected them:

“I have enjoyed working with the parents, students, and my coworkers over the past 2 years. The other teachers and I have been trying to receive support for safety concerns and facility upkeep as long as I have worked at Guidepost. Our concerns were barely addressed if at all so we decided our best course of action was to unionize. Our desire for positive change was met with vitriol and aggressive action by the company. Our entire community was dissolved in a single email with less than 24 hours before school was to begin on Monday. Guidepost needs to be held accountable for the devastating effect their actions have caused on this community."

“To say that I am disappointed in Guidepost Montessori would be quite an understatement. I have been at the Tigard campus for nearly 3 years and have seen so much growth over that time, and I was truly excited to be part of a union that would continue to make our school the best that it could be. In just a single email Guidepost destroyed all those years of hard work and commitment not only from me and my fellow Guides, but from the parent community as well. It is abundantly clear now how little regard Guidepost Montessori, Higher Ground Education, and the individual people that manage these organizations have for the teachers, parents, and (most importantly) the children. It has been wonderful to see our school community come together to support one another through this time and I could not be more grateful to the parents that have continued to stand by us teachers and are fighting for Guidepost Montessori to answer for the wrong they have done. “

We are asking our community to help us raise $10,000 to help support furloughed and unpaid Guidepost teachers, now and for the coming months. This money will go directly to Guidepost Teachers who have been illegally furloughed for trying to unionize their workplace. We are so grateful to our community for its support and continued dedication to the idea that early educators deserve safety, security, and the right to form a union.

Thank you for your solidarity,

The Guidepost Workers Union

Portland and Tigard, Oregon