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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2007)
Union members in Oregon Legislature get key posts SALEM — It will be a new Oregon Legislature when the Capitol opens for business Jan. 8. Democrats control the House, Senate and governor’s office for the first time in over a decade. That means, for a handful of “labor legisla- tors,” all Democrats, that they’ll chair committees for the first time in their legislative careers, and have a much better chance of passing legislation. Up to now, there hasn’t been a for- mal “labor caucus” in Oregon, just in- formal lists of union-friendly lawmak- ers. State Rep. Diane Rosenbaum hopes that will change this year. Rosenbaum, a retired central office technician for Qwest and a 30-year member of Communications Workers of America Local 7901, is president of the labor caucus of the National Con- ference of State Legislators. She wants to formalize a group of legislators who would sign a pledge and meet periodi- cally to discuss bills and plan strategy. If it follows the national model, Rosenbaum said Oregon’s labor cau- cus wouldn’t be limited to union mem- bers, but would be open to any law- maker who supports a “pro-working families agenda.” Rosenbaum will be speaker pro- tem of the House this legislative ses- sion, which means she’ll control the agenda of the House when Speaker Jeff Merkley is away. And she’ll chair the House Elections, Ethics and Rules Committee. Rosenbaum expects the committee will look at reforms limit- ing gifts and paid travel legislators could accept; electoral reforms like limiting pay-per-voter “bounty” for registering new voters; and fusion vot- ing, which is sought by the recently formed Working Families Party of Oregon. Rosenbaum’s other committee as- signments include the House Revenue Committee, which deals with taxes, and the House Business and Labor Committee. Cancer caused by asbestos exposure • Shipyards* • Refineries • Steel and Paper Mills • Powerhouses • Construction • Home Remodel • Brake Repair • Railroads *32% of 3,000 Americans diagnosed every year with Mesothelioma were exposed during Navy service or working in Navy shipyards. Find out more by calling: For information on treatment options, settlements and verdicts, asbestos products and patient profiles, please visit www.mesothel.com Chairing the Business and Labor Committee is Rep. Mike Schaufler, a former member of the Laborers Union. Schaufler will also serve on the Joint Committee on Emergency Pre- paredness and Ocean Policy, and will be vice chair of the House Veteran Af- fairs Committee. State Rep. Brad Witt, who served 14 years as secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL-CIO, will chair the House Workforce and Economic De- velopment Committee. He will also be a member of the Revenue Committee. When not in session, Witt is a staff representative at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. State Rep. Paul Holvey, a commu- nity relations representative for the Pa- cific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, will chair the House Con- sumer Protection Committee. He’ll also serve on Workforce and Eco- nomic Development and will be vice chair of Business and Labor. State Rep. Jeff Barker, a retired lieutenant of the Portland Police Bu- reau and former president of the Port- land Police Association, will chair the Veterans Affairs Committee. He will also be vice chair of the House Judi- ciary Committee, and a member of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety. State Rep. Larry Galizio, a teacher at Portland Community College and member of the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon Local 2277, will chair the Joint Ways and Means Sub- committee on Education, which will work on the education part of the state budget. He will also serve on Con- sumer Protection, Joint Ways and Means, and the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Govern- ment. As a part-time professor at Portland State, State Rep. Mitch Greenlick is a member of American Federation of Teachers-Oregon. Greenlick, who last year sponsored an unsuccessful at- tempt to qualify a ballot measure de- claring the right of every Oregonian to health care, will now chair the House Health Care Committee and its Sub- committee on Health Care Access. He will also serve on the House Education Committee and its Subcommittee on Higher Education. The Oregon Senate has just one union member — Laurie Monnes Anderson, who belongs to the Oregon Nurses Association. She will continue to chair the Senate Health Policy & Public Affairs Committee, and will serve on the Senate’s Special Commit- tee on Health Care Reform, and the Business, Transportation & Workforce Development, Health & Human Ser- vices, and Rules Committees. AFL-CIO legislative conference set Saturday, Jan. 27, in Portland A legislative conference for union members will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16’s Training Center, 2379 NE 178th Ave., Portland. The conference, held traditionally at the start of the legislative session, will give union members and leaders an opportunity to meet with state law- makers and other elected officials to hear and share views on the state of Oregon. Workshops will be geared toward affordable health care, energy policy, workforce and organizing. Additionally, union members new to the legislative process will have an opportunity to learn lobbying skills and techniques. The conference, sponsored by the Labor Education and Research Center of the University of Oregon, begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $25 for persons affiliated with the Ore- gon AFL-CIO, and $35 for non-affili- ates. Lunch will be provided. For more information, call 503-725- 3295, or from Eugene call 541-346- 5054. Seaside site of next AFL-CIO convention The 50th convention of the Oregon AFL-CIO will be held Oct. 8-10 at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center on the Oregon Coast. The date and location was an- nounced at the quarterly meeting of the state labor federation held Dec. 14. More information and convention packets will be provided as the date nears. Gradine Storms Since 2000, Roger G. Worthington, P.C. has donated over $2,500,000 towards medical research into finding a cure for mesothelioma. See: www.phlbi.org Offices in Los Angeles, Orange County and Dallas, Texas. Lawyers licensed in California, Oregon and Texas. PAGE 4 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Real Estate Broker Member of CWA Local 7901 E-Mail: gstorms@equitygroup.com www.equitygroup.com/gstorms 7886 SE 13th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97202 Direct: 503-495-4932 Branch: 503-233-8883 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated JANUARY 5, 2007
