g n i t a i d e C M m fro Heart the n ediatioides M s ’ A v OE rk pro ort Netwoo-peer suppfl icts peer-t igating conways in navgh holistic throu
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onflict is a natural part of human experience and something educators face daily with their colleagues and the students they serve. Conflict will usually escalate when a person's values, needs, interests, or aspects of their identity are perceived as being threatened, challenged, or undermined. In these situations, people often become defensive and want to protect themselves by taking action to maintain a sense of dignity. In the past, OEA members By Peter Bauer, experiencing conflict in OEA Union School the workplace might have attempted to file a complaint with a supervisor or a Human Resources Manager. This is like taking a case to court and asking someone else to make a judgement. A person might present their best evidence only to receive a ruling that they either didn’t anticipate or that has negative long-term consequences. Others have gone directly to the union and attempted to file a grievance against a fellow union member. Because grievances are filed when an employer is violating the contract, this solution does not resolve in the best interest of the member’s needs. Over time, it has become apparent that a network for peer-to-peer problem solvers is needed to help resolve issues at the job site. The most common types of complaints that are brought forward fall into three general categories: communication, decision-making, and professionalism. The OEA Mediation Network was developed in the Fall of 2019 to address these issues by providing confidential, non-judgmental mediation and conflict resolution services to OEA members. Nineteen members from across Oregon were accepted into the first cohort of
TODAY’S OEA | SPRING/SUMMER 2021
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