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See Inside MEETINGMEETING NOTICESNOTICES Page 6 Volume 109 Number 7 April 4, 2008 Portland Schrader, Kroger garner AFL-CIO endorsements John Kroger was endorsed by the Oregon AFL-CIO’s Committee on Politi- cal Education (COPE) to be the state’s next attorney general, and State Sen. Kurt Schrader was picked to succeed Darlene Hooley in Congress. Delegates met March 27 in Northeast Portland to discuss races in the May 20 primary. To endorse a candidate requires a two-thirds majority vote of delegates. Earlier this year, the Oregon AFL-CIO endorsed Jeff Merkley in the Democ- ratic primary for U.S. Senate and Ben Westlund for State Treasurer. Merkley is facing Steve Novick in the Democratic primary, with the winner taking on Re- publican incumbent Gordon Smith. Westlund is unopposed. Three Democratic state senators vying for secretary of state will fight it out in the primary without an endorsement from the AFL-CIO. The state labor fed- eration took no action in the race between Rick Metzger, Vicki Walker and Kate Brown. A motion just to consider endorsing in the race failed to get enough votes to proceed. Kroger, a Lewis & Clark Law School professor and a former federal prose- cutor, is in a heated battle with Lake Oswego State Rep. Greg Macpherson in Responding to solar demand the Democratic primary. The four-term incumbent, Democrat Hardy Myers, is In response to an increase in demand for trained solar electricians, the NECA-IBEW Local 280 training center retiring, and no Republican has filed for the post, which means the winner of the in Tangent is conducting additional 16-hour solar installation classes for journeymen electricians. Above, Democratic primary will be the next attorney general. journeymen Carlos Rivera, Miguel Rivera and Todd Hanson deconstruct a 2.1 kW solar array during a class Kroger captured the COPE endorsement by a vote of 13-4. held March 12. The union has been training electricians on solar panel installations since 2000, said Local 280 Gary Gillespie, president of Oregon AFSCME Council 75, described Kroger Business Manager Tim Nicol. “Solar installation curriculum is taught to every apprentice who goes through our as “a fresh voice who will work in connection with the the labor commissioner program. Renewable energy has been a top priority for us.” Eight more classes will be held this year. Currently to make sure workers’ rights are enforced.” there are 350 Local 280 journeymen and women qualified to make Oregon Energy Trust-certified installations. Macpherson was criticized by several delegates for his leading role in shep- (Turn to Page 2) National health care may be on the horizon Clinton and Obama push $1,000 a month for the first time. Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. to provide health coverage. als — and to small businesses that America’s health care system is When employers provide health insur- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illi- want to cover their employees. A pub- piecemeal steps to unique: No other developed country ance, they pay for it in pre-tax dollars, nois) proposes a new public insurance lic subsidy would be available to help universal care, while gives private insurance companies a which works out to be a substantial program which would be available pay the premiums, using a sliding dominant role, or lets so many citizens public tax subsidy. Individuals outside voluntarily to all uninsured individu- McCain proposes suffer from a lack of care. Either, like the above groups are mostly on their (Turn to Page 4) eliminating employer-paid Canada, they have national insurance own; they can purchase private health (kind of like Medicare, but covering insurance, or go without. coverage all citizens, not just seniors), or, like This year, each major party candi- Great Britain, they have a national date for president has a set of health Welcome, McMinnville By DON McINTOSH health service (kind of like America’s care reform proposals. Associate Editor VA hospitals for armed service veter- U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New Next year could be the year Con- ans, where doctors are government York) proposes to require uninsured Steelworkers Local 8378 gress passes some kind of major na- employees). individuals to get and pay for health The Northwest Labor Press Local 8378 members can find tional health care reform. America has a hodge-podge health insurance. A tax credit would help would like to welcome United Steel- their official Meeting Notice on Page By now very few Americans, even care system, with different levels of them pay for it, scaled so as to limit workers Local 8378 as its newest 6 of this issue, and the free Bargain among the insured, think the U.S. public subsidy for different groups. health premiums to a certain percent- subscribing union. Counter classified ads section on health care system is fine the way it is. Servicemen and women, and veterans, age of income. Individuals could The McMinnville-based local On the contrary, it’s widely seen as get health care directly from govern- choose a new Medicare-like plan for Page 10. To submit a free classified represents approximately 400 work- costly, inefficient, and hard to under- ment doctors. Seniors 65 and older get all ages, or they could get the same ad, e-mail it to Michael492@com- ers at Cascade Steel Rolling Mills, stand. About 47 million Americans government health insurance known choice of private insurers as members cast.net or mail it to P.O. Box 13150, have no health insurance, and for as Medicare. Some very poor people of Congress. Those who are now in- where they manufacture reinforcing Portland, OR 97213. those who have insurance, costs are get state-administered health coverage sured could keep what they have, if bar, wire rod, coiled rebar, and mer- The NW Labor Press covers rising. Family coverage premiums are through Medicaid. Some children they want to. Large employers would chant bar from recycled materials. union-related stories in Oregon and up 78 percent since 2001 — over four from families not poor enough to be be required to provide health cover- The mill is a wholly-owned sub- Southwest Washington and on Capi- times the increase in wages or infla- on Medicaid get coverage through a age, or pay for it. Small employers sidiary of Schnitzer Steel Industries. tol Hill in Washington, D.C. tion. Last year, average employer-paid program called the State Children’s would get a tax credit if they choose Inc. family health premiums topped ...Oregon AFL-CIO issues May primary endorsements (From Page 1) In contested state House and Sen- Dist. 41 - Carolyn Tomei (D) ate primary races the Oregon AFL- Dist. 43 - Chip Shields (D) herding votes in 2003 to reform the CIO endorsed the following candi- Dist. 44 - Tina Kotek (D) Public Employees Retirement Sys- dates: Dist. 45 - Michael Dembrow (D) tem. OREGON SENATE Dist. 46 - Ben Cannon (D) Schrader is facing four Democratic Dist. 5 - Joanne Verger (D) Dist. 47 - Jefferson Smith (D) challengers in the primary. Hooley, a Dist. 14 - Mark Hass (D) Dist. 48 - Mike Schaufler (D) Democrat, surprised many when she Dist. 21 - Diane Rosenbaum (D) Dist. 49 - Nick Kahl (D) announced earlier this year that she Dist. 23 - Jackie Dingfelder (D) Dist. 50 - Greg Mathews (D) would not seek re-election. Dist. 25- Laurie Monnes-Anderson (D) In addition to Schrader, COPE en- U.S. SENATE dorsed the re-election of Congress- OREGON HOUSE Jeff Merkley (D) men David Wu in District 1, Earl Blu- District 5 - Peter Buckley (D) menauer in District 3, and Peter District 8 - Paul Holvey (D) U.S. CONGRESS DeFazio in District 4. None is facing a District 9 - Arnie Roblan (D) Dist. 1 - David Wu (D) serious challenger. District 10 - Jean Cowan (D) Dist. 3 - Earl Blumenauer (D) A motion to make an early en- District 11 - Phil Barnhart (D) Dist. 4 - Peter DeFazio (D) dorsement for labor commissioner in District 12 - Terry Beyer (D) Dist. 5 - Kurt Schrader (D) the November general election failed Dist. 13 - Nancy Nathanson (D) to win enough votes to proceed. In- Dist. 16 - Sara Gelser (D) ATTORNEY GENERAL cumbent Dan Gardner, a member of Dist. 21 - Brian Clem (D) John Kroger (D) Electrical Workers Local 48, resigned Dist. 22 - Betty Komp (D) last month to take a job with his inter- Dist. 27 - Tobias Read (D) STATE TREASURER national union in Washington, D.C. Dist. 28 - Jeff Barker (D) Ben Westlund (D) Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed Dist. 30 - David Edwards (D) State Sen. Brad Avakian (D-Bethany) Pat Riggs-Henson, secretary-treasurer of the Lane County Labor Council, Dist. 31 - Brad Witt (D) to replace Gardner. Avakian was run- requests to be heard at Oregon AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education Dist. 33 - Mitch Greenlick (D) ning in the crowded race for secretary endorsement meeting March 27 in Northeast Portland. COPE made its Dist. 34 - Suzanne Bonamici (D) Mortgage industry of state. He now must run for the la- recommendations for the May 20 primary election. Next to Riggs-Henson is Dist. 35 - Larry Galizio (D) bor office in the November general Mike Richards, executive secretary-treasurer of Portland-based Office and Dist. 36 - Mary Nolan (D) gets $5.5 million election. Professional Employees Local 11. Dist. 40 - Dave Hunt (D) from Labor Dept. The U.S. Department of Labor will give $5.5 million to California to pro- Labor groups are split in race vide employment and training assis- b h Bennett Hartman tance for some 863 workers dislocated for Oregon attorney general as a result of statewide layoffs from Morris & Kaplan, llp companies within the mortgage and Attorneys at Law Both candidates running for Oregon attorney general in the May 20 Democra- banking industries.