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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 2007)
In Oregon Legislature Many labor-backed bills advancing Remembering workers killed on the job SALEM — Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (pictured above at podium) urged citizens to contact federal lawmakers and insist that they strengthen — not weaken — workplace safety rules in the United States. Kulongoski spoke to about 100 people gathered at the front steps of the State Capitol April 27 to ob- serve Workers Memorial Day. The actual Workers Memorial Day — April 28 — was established 18 years ago by the national AFL-CIO to recognize the thousands of workers who die on the job each. Last year, 69 workers died on the job in Oregon. Kulongoski expressed outrage at the Bush Administration and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for “lowering it priorities” for protect- ing workers. According to a New York Times report, OSHA under the Bush Ad- ministration has issued the fewest significant standards in its history — and the only significant health 7LUHG RI :RUNLQJ LQ 3$,1" 0RVW,QVXUDQFH 3ODQV$FFHSWHG 3 P 528'/< ROUDLY 6 S (59,1* ERVING P ORTLAND W 3 257/$1' : ORKERS 25.(56 OR O VER 32 Y EARS ) F 25 2 9(5 < ($56 MAY 4, 2007 standard it issued was ordered by a federal court. President Bush’s political ap- pointees come from big business, and since he took office OSHA has eased regulations or weakened en- forcement that it considers cum- bersome or too costly for busi- nesses and consumers. “It’s absolutely outrageous,” Kulongsoki said. “You need to tell them (the White House, OSHA and federal lawmakers) you won’t tolerate it.” Kulongoski said Congress passed the OSHA Act in 1970 with the intent of protecting workers. He said in Oregon, workplace fa- talities have declined 75 percent since enactment of the Oregon Safe Employment Act in 1973. At the Salem memorial cere- mony, Oregon-OSHA Administra- tor Michael Wood read the names of all 69 workers killed in Oregon last year, as well as the names of the 19 Oregon soldiers killed in the Iraq war. As the names were read, a bell tolled in the background. %HHVRQ &KLURSUDFWLF KHOSVEULQJWKH UHOLHI\RXQHHG 7UHDWPHQWIRUSDLQGXHWR RYHUXVHDQGUHSHWLWLYHPRWLRQ &KLURSUDFWLFDGMXVWPHQWV 7UHDWPHQWIRUDFFLGHQWDQG VSRUWVUHODWHGLQMXULHV 5HKDELOLWDWLRQH[HUFLVHV 7KHUDSHXWLFPDVVDJH ,QWHUQDOGLDJQRVLVDQGWUHDWPHQW /DEWHVWVDQG[UD\V 'U'DQ%HHVRQ&KLURSUDFWRU 6(7KLUWHHQWK$YHLQ6HOOZRRG &$// SALEM — The Oregon House of Representatives passed three of the Ore- gon AFL-CIO’s “top priority” bills last month. The bills are designed to protect the rights of working Oregonians to or- ganize and collectively bargain without interference by employers. The Democratic-controlled House passed House Bill 2893, dubbed the Worker Freedom Act, by 31-27; HB 2891, the Majority Sign-Up for Public Employees bill, on a vote of 34-24; and HB 2892, the State Financial Account- ability Act, by a party-line vote of 31- 29. HB 2893 gives employees the free- dom to walk away from anti-union, po- litical and religious indoctrination meet- ings without fear of being fired. Employers can still hold meetings, ex- press their beliefs and exercise free speech; they simply can’t make the meetings mandatory or take retaliatory measures if an employee doesn’t want to attend. Faith-based and political or- ganizations are exempted under the bill. HB 2891 allows public-sector work- ers to decide for themselves whether to use the already legal process of majority sign-up, which allows workers to form a union by demonstrating a clear ma- jority of worker support through signa- tures on cards or petitions. Currently, the decision about whether to use such a process is the choice of the employer. Three Republicans joined all 31 De- mocrats in supporting HB 2891. They were Representatives Bill Garrard of Klamath Falls, Fred Girod of Stayton, and Greg Smith of Heppner. HB 2892 ensures that taxpayer dol- lars are used to pay for programs, in- stead of paying high-dollar consultants to deter union organizing campaigns. The bills now go to the State Senate. Still coming up in the House is House Joint Memorial 7, a bill to sup- port the national Employee Free Choice Act. The Oregon AFL-CIO has made its four-bill “Restoring the Freedom to Organize” package a top priority for the 2007 legislative session. Another bill supported by labor would stop fraud and abuse of Oregon’s initiative process. HB 2082, which passed the House last month, will require campaigns that hire paid signature gatherers to keep ac- curate and up-to-date payroll records, and gives the secretary of state audit au- thority to spot-check campaigns. The measure also increases the num- ber of signatures required to file a ballot title from 25 to 1,000, which would stop the current practice of campaigns mar- keting their ideas on the taxpayer’s dime. If the campaign goes forward with the measure, the 1,000 signatures would count for the final total. Another labor-backed bill became law last month when Gov. Ted Kulon- goski signed SB 362 to expand the Ore- gon Prescription Drug Program to in- clude the private sector, labor unions and all underinsured Oregonians who lack full prescription drug coverage. The program was created in 2003 to help low-income uninsured Oregonians over the age of 54 afford the high cost of prescription drugs. Through the power of bulk purchasing for prescrip- tions and by pooling resources together, the state is able to negotiate lower prices for prescriptions than what individuals and businesses normally can. In November 2006 the program was expanded under Ballot Measure 44 to allow all Oregonians without prescrip- tion drug coverage to access the pro- gram. Since then, the number of Orego- nians enrolled in the program has more than tripled to nearly 16,000 members. Kulongoski said Oregonians en- rolled in the program save on average $28 per prescription, and savings can be as high as 60 percent over retail prices. THE UNION PLUS ® MORTGAGE PROGRAM Provided Exclusively by Chase Home Finance When it comes to mortgages, we’re taking a stand for Union members. 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