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Portland Public Schools teachers who’ve spent four days on the picket line (and who knows how many more to come) can now find some solace in the form of 1-cent beers. And free ice cream. And half-off flotation therapy.
Since Nov. 1, when educators at Oregon’s largest school district went on strike for the very first time, local businesses began announcing their support for union members by offering them discounted goods and services. Some of the earliest backers were Portland breweries, which took to Facebook and Instagram to share strike specials.
Deals we’ve found so far include $1 off pints at Migration’s Northeast Glisan Street and North Williams Avenue locations as well as free food for kids whose parents dine in. Teachers who present their employee badges at Wayfinder can order $6 beers (prices normally range from $7 to $8) and score four bucks off of four-packs. Leikam Brewing is offering some menu items for half-price; better yet, all striking teachers and paraeducators can take a break from the picket line at the East Burnside Street pub and even use the restroom.
Away Days Brewing offered to donate $2 to the Sunnyside Environmental School Parent Teacher Student Association for each beer a customer purchased for an educator. But the owners also took to social media to praise the perseverance displayed by their child’s former kindergarten teacher during the 2020-21 school year—a time when trying to instruct 5-year-olds remotely via a screen must have been more difficult than herding cats.
“We saw passion, respect and commitment in their teaching. We also saw honesty, empathy and humility,” the post stated. “Our teachers are striking, not because they want to. But because they need and deserve change in order to teach our kids successfully and safely.”
Perhaps the best brewery discount in town, though, is Culmination’s penny pints (limit: one beer per teacher, per day to the first 100 teachers).
However, the price breaks extend beyond the beer scene. Milk Glass Mrkt will hand over a free soft serve to teachers who simply let them know the name of the school where they work. Soaking sessions are 50% off at Float On when a PPS badge is presented. And Elk Rock Yoga in Milwaukie will let any striking teacher take a free class throughout November.
While there doesn’t seem to be an official running list of businesses offering strike specials, some parents and teachers have started sharing their roundups informally online. If you’re a Portland teacher looking for a pick-me-up while bargaining continues, your best bet is to keep an eye on the social media accounts of your favorite businesses.