See Inside MEETINGMEETING NOTICESNOTICES Page 6 Volume 109 Number 11 June 6, 2008 Portland Retired Labor Press editor, columnist Gene Klare dies Gene Klare, retired editor of the Labor Press The Labor Press is a non-profit and the longest-serving columnist in the news- newspaper owned by 20 local unions and labor and Journal from publishing, but it did take a toll on their cir- paper’s 109-year history, died May 30 from councils under the Oregon Labor Press Publishing culation. It was a subject Klare re-visited often in his “Let Me complications following a mild heart attack. He Co. It was created in 1900 as the Portland Labor Say This About That” column. He even wrote a 100,000- was 81. Press, but has undergone three name changes since word manuscript about a “fictional” newspaper strike. Klare became the seventh editor of the then then — the Oregon Labor Press in 1915, the Ore- During the labor dispute, Klare helped members of the strik- Oregon Labor Press in October 1965. He suc- gon/Washington Labor Press in 1986, and the ing unions establish the Portland Reporter, a tabloid newspaper ceeded James Goodsell, who left after 14 years Northwest Labor Press in 1987. that began publishing in February 1960. It ceased operations to become director of the U.S. Department of Klare was a veteran of the bitter Oregonian on Sept. 30, 1964. Klare worked as a reporter, advertising sales Commerce’s regional office in Portland. newspaper strike, which started Nov. 10, 1959, and manager, and promotions manager. In the early years of the Re- Klare retired in October 1986, but continued ended with the paper busting its unions April 5, porter he also did some freelance writing for the Labor Press. his column, “Let Me Say This About That,” un- 1965. Klare was an investigative reporter for the Goodsell hired Klare full time to the Labor Press staff in til January 2008 — a span of more than 40 years. newspaper. The strike did not stop the Oregonian (Turn to Page 11) It’s Democrat Jeff Merkley vs Gordon Smith in November State and federal candidates backed Oregon State Building and Construc- also knocked on 1,200 doors, and that’s by organized labor won big in Oregon’s tion Trades Council, Service Employ- not counting the Working America can- May 20 primary. ees International Union (SEIU), the vass. Five paid staff from Working Every candidate running with the en- Oregon Education Association, locals America spent three weeks going door- dorsement of the Oregon AFL-CIO of the Pacific NW Regional Council of to-door in Dembrow’s House district. won, including the two candidates for Carpenters, and others. No candidate On the weekend before election day whom the state federation worked hard- from another party filed to run for attor- the Oregon AFL-CIO, Northwest Ore- est: Jeff Merkley and Michael Dem- ney general, so Kroger’s win means he gon Labor Council, and Oregon AF- brow. will be the state’s top prosecutor as of SCME Council 75 co-sponsored a big Merkley, who is speaker of the Ore- January 2009. get-out-the-vote (GOTV) canvass in the gon House of Representatives, won the Most AFL-CIO-endorsed state and Portland metropolitan area. Democratic nomination for U.S. Sen- federal candidates were incumbents or Then there were worksite fliers — ate, and will face Republican incum- were otherwise strongly favored to win. 50,000 a week for six weeks, Orr said bent Gordon Smith in November. But labor involvement likely made the — distributed at union halls and at con- The national AFL-CIO has targeted difference in close races like the struction sites and other union work- the U.S. Senate race in Oregon as one Merkley and Dembrow contests. With places by members and staff of 50 lo- of its top priority contests in the country. 45 percent of the vote, Merkley out- cal unions. Union leaders sent letters to Dembrow, an officer of American polled fellow Democrat Steve Novick 20,000 members. The Oregon AFL- Federation of Teachers-Oregon, out- by three percentage points. Dembrow CIO sent over 80,000 pieces of direct polled two other candidates to win the won by 800 votes. mail to union members in Multnomah Democratic nomination for Northeast Much of labor’s political impact County and to Working America mem- Portland’s House District 45. No Re- came from outreach to union members, bers around the state: two mailings for publican filed to run for the seat, so and to the 65,000 members of the AFL- Merkley, two for Dembrow, and a union Dembrow’s primary win effectively CIO’s community affiliate, Working voter guide. makes him the latest addition to the America. A comparable effort was mounted Legislature’s growing labor caucus. Oregon AFL-CIO spokesperson Re- by SEIU, which targeted its members, And John Kroger, a Lewis & Clark bekah Orr said the state federation plus members of unions affiliated with Law School professor and former fed- made 195,000 phone calls, some auto- the Change to Win labor federation. eral prosecutor, won the Democratic mated, others by volunteers or by a Staff and volunteers in 22 cities made primary race for state attorney general hired call center. Union staffmembers 160,000 phone calls, knocked on with support from the AFL-CIO, the and volunteers from affiliated unions Oregon State Rep. Jeff Merkley basks in his victory in the Democratic (Turn to Page 3) primary for U.S. Senate. Next up, Republican incumbent Gordon Smith. Obama wins Oregon Democratic primary Change to Win members across According to Change to Win, it has Oregon waged an aggressive grassroots 80,000 members in Oregon. effort to help push Barack Obama to “Change to Win members and vol- victory over Democratic rival Sen. unteers pushed Sen. Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton in the May 20 primary victory in the Beaver State, bringing election. Obama captured 59 percent of him the majority of pledged delegates the vote to Clinton’s 41 percent. and within reach of clinching the De- The Change to Win labor federation mocratic nomination for the president endorsed Obama earlier this year, while of the United States of America,” said the national AFL-CIO was neutral in Executive Director Greg Tarpinian. the primary. That, however, didn’t stop “Now it’s time for the Democratic several international unions from mak- Party to unite together for victory in ing endorsements and promoting their November and bring the change work- favorites. ing families need.” AFL-CIO affiliates supporting Tarpinian, who will be leaving the Obama included the Boilermakers; federation July 6 to return to the New Plumbers and Fitters; Utility Workers York-based Labor Research Associa- UFCW Local 555 rallying for Obama Union; the International Longshore and tion, said its volunteers made more Warehouse Union; and the American than 150,000 phone calls; knocked on Members and leadership of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 rallied with Oregon Congressman Earl Federation of Government Employees. nearly 30,000 doors targeting areas in Blumenauer May 19 on behalf of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The rally took place at Obama’s campaign Oregon AFSCME Council 75 also North/Northeast and Southeast Port- office at SE 30th and Division in Portland the day before the Oregon primary election in which Obama won by a endorsed Obama, even though its inter- land, and Gresham; sent hundreds of margin of 55-45 percent. Blumenauer is an Obama superdelegate, and UFCW was one of the first unions to endorse national union campaigned for Clinton. thousands of direct mail pieces to De- the Illinois senator’s campaign. Change to Win affiliates endorsing mocratic households; helped manage Obama were United Food and Com- get-out-the-vote staging locations in mercial Workers, the Teamsters, Portland and Tigard; and conducted UNITE HERE, and the Service Em- member-to-member education efforts Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council’s ployees International Union. at worksites throughout the state. May primary endorsements get mixed results Nine of 12 candidates endorsed by In Clackamas County, Craig Rob- Local 2746. the Columbia Pacific Building and erts was re-elected sheriff while Lynn In District 4, where the seat was Construction Trades Council in the Ore- Peterson and Martha Schrader were re- open, Dirk Rohne defeated endorsed b h Bennett Hartman gon primary were successful May 20. elected easily to the county commis- candidate Cary Johnson by a margin of Morris & Kaplan, llp At the City of Portland, the building sion. All were endorsed by the CP- 62-38 percent. Attorneys at Law trades backed Mayor-elect Sam Adams, BCTC. Trent Tidwell, an Oregon City In Columbia County, CPBCTC- Commissioner Randy Leonard, and commissioner, lost in his bid for a seat backed incumbent Joe Corsiglia lost to m k Nick Fish. Leonard is an incumbent and on the newly expanded Clackamas challenger Earl Fisher 5,189 to 3,014 in Fish was running in a special election County Board of Commissioners. He the Democratic primary. Fisher had en- for a seat vacated by Erik Sten. finished fourth in a seven-person race. dorsements from United Food and Oregon’s Full Service Union Law Firm In Multnomah County, Deborah In Clatsop County, CPBCTC- en- Commercial Workers Local 555, Kafoury and Judy Shiprack were the dorsed Commission Chairwoman Patri- Teamsters, Oregon School Employees Representing Workers Since 1960 top vote-getters in their respective races. cia Roberts received 41 percent of the Association. and IBEW Local 48. Kafoury received 87 percent of the vote vote to finish second behind Jim Fisher will take on Republican War- and will take office in January 2009.