Labor Pulling Hard for Kitzhaber
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OCT. 15, 2010 :NWLP 10/12/10 10:03 AM Page 1 GENERAL ELECTION Endorsements of the NORTHWEST OREGON LABOR COUNCIL U.S. Senate: RON WYDEN Inside MEETING NOTICES See Page 6 Oregon Governor: JOHN KITZHABER Oregon Treasurer: TED WHEELER Volume 111 U.S. House of Representatives Number 20 October 15, 2010 DAVID WU Portland First District: EARL BLUMENAUER Third District: KURT SCHRADER Fifth District: Labor pulling hard for Kitzhaber How close is the Oregon governor’s work proposal would use state-issued Clackamas County race this year? Close enough that the energy conservation bonds to fund ANN LININGER outcome could hinge on union member large-scale construction and energy up - County Commissioner, Position 3: turnout. grades to public schools. The race is between Democrat John “For the building trades, there’s no City of Gresham Kitzhaber, a former emergency room question,” said John Mohlis, executive KEN STINE doctor and two-term Oregon governor, director of Oregon State Building and City Council, Position 6: and Republican Chris Dudley, an in - Construction Trades Council (OS - vestment advisor and former profes - BCTC). “[Kitzhaber] has a specific Metro sional basketball player with the Port - plan to weatherize, which would put TOM HUGHES land Trailblazers. our out-of-work members back to Council President: Organized labor in Oregon is pulling work,” Mohlis said. Mohlis said build - hard for Kitzhaber, while Dudley lacks ing trades unions have had no contact Multnomah County any union endorsements, even though with Dudley, but Kitzhaber, as a former LORETTA SMITH he was once a union negotiator with the governor, is a known quantity with County Commissioner, Dist. 2: National Basketball Players Associa - Gubernatorial candidate John whom they’ve had a good working re - Kitzhaber listens to workplace Ballot Measure 26-114 : (Creates a future alternative funding option for tion. That’s partly because on a range of lationship with in the past. Support issues, from jobs to health care reform issues at a Portland town hall with Kitzhaber twice during a televised Multnomah County Library. There is no tax increase or financial impact ) to tax policy, Kitzhaber’s platform is AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. debate declared the urgency of getting Ballot Measure 26-118 (Five-Year Levy: Oregon Historical Society, much closer to what the union move - people in the trades back to work; un - Support ment has been advocating in Salem. It’s employment in construction is as high library, museum educational programs. ) ECONOMIC RECOVERY also because Kitzhaber has sought Dudley’s “Jobs First” recovery plan as 30 percent. City of Oregon City union support, and Dudley has not. is centered on reducing the personal in - Both candidates say they support Whereas Kitzhaber outlined his come tax rate on capital gains, and in - building a new I-5 bridge over the Co - KATHY ROTH City Commissioner, Position 1: views in a half-hour-long interview with creasing tax deductions for businesses lumbia River. Kitzhaber said one of the the Labor Press, the Dudley campaign that make new capital investments. By first calls he’ll make, if elected, is to City of Portland failed to respond to an interview request. contrast, Kitzhaber’s main back-to- (Turn to Page 2) Support Ballot Measure 26-108 (Voter-Owned Elections ) Washington County ATU balks at Tri-Met plan to impose contract In the months-long contract wrangle “impose” their final offer when bar - month for employee-only coverage. GREG MALINOWSKI County Commissioner, District 2: between TriMet and Amalgamated gaining breaks down, but a new law Kaiser will go from $1,559 to $1,605 a GREG MECKLEM Transit Union Local 757, a new wrin - covering transit agencies requires that month for family coverage, and from County Commissioner, District 4: kle appeared Sept. 28. While Local 757 contracts be decided by an arbitrator if $519 to $535 a month for employee- officers were away attending the con - the two sides can’t agree. The two sides only coverage. Thus, under McFar - Oregon State Senate vention of their international union, declared impasse in July and were on lane’s directive, TriMet would require SUZANNE BONAMICI RICHARD DEVLIN TriMet General Manager Neil McFar - the way to arbitration. union members to pay out of pocket Dist. 17 - Dist. 19 - lane sent a letter to union members an - “We believe they have to keep things $16 to $226 a month to keep the same MARTHA SCHRADER CHIP SHIELDS Dist. 20 - Dist. 22 - nouncing that the transit agency will status quo until the mediator makes a coverage. As an alternative, TriMet is ROD MONROE BRENT BARTON Dist. 24 - Dist. 26 - unilaterally freeze wages as of Decem - decision,” Hunt said. proposing no-premium-increase cover - ber and require employees to start pay - Under the previous contract, which age that contains deductibles and bene - OREGON H OUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES ing part of their health insurance premi - expired Nov. 30, 2009, members got fit reductions. TOBIAS READ JEFF BARKER KATIE RILEY ums as of Jan. 1 — without the annual cost-of-living increases of 3 to 5 TriMet’s health insurance costs are Dist. 27 - Dist. 28 - Dist. 29 - agreement of, and over the objections percent based on the Consumer Price exceptionally high, Hunt said, but that DOUG AINGE BRAD WITT MARGARET DOHERTY Dist. 30 - Dist. 31 - Dist. 35 - Dist. 36 - of the union. Index, and TriMet paid 100 percent of has partly to do with the real chronic MARY NOLAN WILL RASMUSSEN CHRIS GARRETT DAVE Dist. 37 - Dist. 38 - Dist. 40 - That’s illegal, retorted Local 757 health insurance costs. Local 757 mem - health issues that bus operators face. HUNT CAROLYN TOMEI JULES BAILEY Dist. 41 - Dist. 42 - President Jon Hunt in a letter to mem - bers can choose either a traditional in - Like truck-driving, it’s a sedentary job LEW FREDERICK TINA KOTEK MICHAEL DEMBROW Dist. 43 - Dist. 44 - Dist. 45 - Dist. bers from the road. demnity plan with Regence Blue Cross that comes with occupational hazards BEN CANNON JEFFERSON SMITH MIKE SCHAUFLER “We believe they are misinterpreting Blue Shield, or membership in Kaiser like constant vibration, which causes 46 - Dist. 47 - Dist. 48 - Dist. 49 - NICK KAHL GREG MATTHEWS CHERYL MYERS the contract and binding arbitration Permanente, an HMO. Both are going musculo-skeletal problems. And bus Dist. 50 - Dist. 51 - law,” Hunt told the Labor Press. up in cost Jan. 1. Regence will rise from drivers have many more stress-related Oregon’s public employee collective $2,235 to $2,461 a month for family illnesses than other kinds of drivers be - (Authorized and paid for by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council 1125 SE Madison St., Portland, OR 97214) bargaining law does allow employers to coverage, and from $794 to $873 a (Turn to Page 5) OCT. 15, 2010 :NWLP 10/12/10 10:03 AM Page 2 Oregon Labor Employment Relations Association ...Kitzhaber endorsed by most unions in Oregon Conference, Reception/Awards, (From Page 1) spend more money on higher education lature. There’s no equivalent information Annual Meeting — and put away 3 percent of its rev - To cushion against future state on Dudley’s positions. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire — to enues for a “rainy day.” How he would budget shortfalls, Kitzhaber thinks the “We don’t know where he stands on November 10, 2010 see how they can get the project off the manage to cut taxes, increase spending state should not issue “kicker” tax re - the issues,” said Oregon AFL-CIO Pres - World Trade Center ground quickly. and not borrow money is not explained. funds until a rainy day fund is filled. ident Tom Chamberlain. “That’s be - 121 SW Salmon Street, Portland, OR Both candidates also oppose build - He also proposes to privatize liquor Kitzhaber’s positions match labor’s cause he’s never given us the time of The Conference (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) ing a new casino in the Columbia sales, and use alcohol taxes to fund on a number of issues that have come day.” Unlike past Republican candi - Gorge, a project the building trades “The Good, The Bad, and schools; Kitzhaber opposes that idea. up in recent ballot measures and leg - dates, Dudley never asked for union have supported. Kitzhaber said he’s The Barely Satisfactory” Kitzhaber wants a capital gains tax islative sessions. He said he supports the support, declined to fill out question - been candid with trades unions about Employee and Management Performance in the Workplace cut too, but not an across-the-board one establishment of a paid family leave naires, and didn’t respond when unions why. Speaker, author and employment attorney as Dudley is advocating. Kitzhaber pro - benefit; favors Buy America and Buy like the International Association of Fire “I think being consistent is a value Jathan Janove is presenting an interactive poses that proceeds from the sale of an Oregon requirements for state pur - Fighters — which backs Republicans that’s important,” Kitzhaber told the La - workshop based on his popular book Oregon business not be taxed if they’re chases; defends the requirement to pay more often than most unions — invited bor Press. “I negotiated the contracts “MANAGING TO STAY OUT OF COURT - How to used to buy another Oregon business prevailing wage on public construction him to discuss their issues. with the sovereign Native American Avoid the 8 Deadly Sins of Mismanagement.” within a few years — not unlike the projects; and would support minimum “Kitzhaber, on other hand, has a tribes when I was governor, and we had Afternoon workshops feature union and man - way home sale proceeds aren’t taxed if nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals, as pretty deep history running the state, a couple of provisions: one casino per agement professionals covering topics includ - they’re used to purchase another home.