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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2008)
SEPT. 5, 2008:NWLP 9/2/08 9:46 AM Page 3 Building Trades Council stays out of U.S. Senate race Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 SEPTEMBER 5, 2008 GORDON SMITH time and has teamed with Republican leaders many times on filibusters blocking pro-labor bills such as the Employee Free Choice Act. Smith made a brief appearance be- fore delegates on Wednesday morning. He had time for only one question fol- lowing his speech before rushing off to another event. He did not talk about his positions on free trade or the Em- ployee Free Choice Act. “I have not voted with you 100 per- cent of the time,” he acknowledged. “But I have worked with you 100 per- cent of the time.” He told delegates that he supports John McCain for president, prevailing wage laws, and legislation that funds projects that create construction jobs. “Whether it’s light rail, streetcars, whether it’s wind, whether it’s energy projects, I have been there for you — that counts for something,” he said. Smith told delegates that through his endeavors in the Senate over the past 12 years Oregon has seen 25,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dol- lars come to the state in the way of highway and construction projects. In asking for the council’s endorse- ment (which he got six years ago), Smith said it wouldn’t be wise “to put &DUSHQWHUV (OHFWULFLDQV /DERUHUV *OD]LHUV 6KHHWPHWDO :RUNHU V )ORRUFRYHUHUV %ULFNOD\HUV &HPHQW 0DVRQV 5RRIHUV $VEHVWRV :RUNHUV 0LOOZULJKWV 3DLQWHUV (OHYDWRUV 3ODVWHUHUV (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) JEFF MERKLEY all of your political party interests into one basket.” On Thursday, a motion by the OS- BCTC Executive Board to endorse Smith was amended, resulting in a no action for either candidate. In other political business, the Building Trades Council backed re- election of U. S. Representatives Greg Walden (R-2nd Dist.), Earl Blume- nauer (D-3rd Dist.), and Peter DeFazio (D-4th Dist.), and the election of De- mocrat Kurt Schrader, running for an open seat in the 5th District. On statewide ballot measures, the council endorsed two of 12 measures that will appear on the November bal- lot. They are Measure 56, a legisla- tively-referred constitutional amend- ment that would allow May and Nov- ember property tax elections to be de- cided by a majority vote, rather than a super-majority; and Measure 57, an- other referral from the Legislature, this one to increase sentences for drug traf- ficking, theft against the elderly, and specific repeat property and identity theft crimes. The OSBCTC opposes Measures 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65. Measure 63 is its major focus. The Bill Sizemore-sponsored measure would exempt some property owners from having to get building, plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits or in- spections for improvements valued at or under $35,000. The council is still working on its opposition campaign. Delegates authorized the Executive Board to decide how much money to raise to fight it. For details on all the ballot meas- ures, go to the Labor Press at: www. nwlaborpress.org/2008/8-15-08BM. html. Construction jobs, renewable en- ergy, and transportation were major themes at the convention. OSBCTC Executive Director Bob Shiprack reported that the state’s En- ergy Facility Citing Council, of which he is chair, has several requests in the pipeline to cite new wind, solar, geo- thermal, and gas turbine projects. He said a subcommittee appointed by Gov. Kulongoski will be recommend- ing to the 2009 Legislature a package of “several hundred million dollars” of bonding, loans, and utility funds for energy efficiency projects. “It’s going to impact literally every craft. We’re talking about retrofitting buildings — everything from houses to industrial plants,” he said. Rick Metsger, chair of the Senate Business and Transportation Commit- tee, lobbied delegates for support in investing in Oregon’s highway trans- portation system. Construction unions fully support building more roads and bridges — how to pay for it is another question. Should there be an increase in the gas (Turn to Page 4) &DUSHQWHUV (OHFWULFLDQV /DERUHUV *OD]LHUV 6KHHWPHWDO :RUNHUV )ORRUFRYHUHUV %ULFNOD\HUV &HPHQW 0DVRQV 5RRIHUV $VEHVWRV :RUNHUV 0LOOZULJKWV 3DLQWHUV (OHYDWRUV 3ODVWHUHUV )DPLO\ Loans and Lines of Credit to meet your needs whatever the situation. Contact the Loan Department today to find out more about our lending options. Solutions for Life When You Need Them 9955 SE Washington Street, Portland, OR 97216 (503) 253-8193 * (800) 356-6507 ext. 340 for the Loan Department www.ibewuwfcu.com &DUSHQWHUV (OHFWULFLDQV /DERUHUV *OD]LHUV 6KHHWPHWDO :RUNHUV )ORRUFRYHUHUV %ULFNOD\HUV &HPHQW 0DVRQV 5RRIHUV $VEHVWRV :RUNHUV 0LOOZULJKWV 3DLQWHUV (OHYDWRUV 3ODVWHUHUV )DPLO\ NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS &DUSHQWHUV (OHFWULFLDQV /DERUHUV *OD]LHUV 6KHHWPHWDO :RUNHU V )ORRUFRYHUHUV %ULFNOD\HUV &HPHQW 0DVRQV 5RRIHUV $VEHVWRV :RUNHUV 0LOOZULJKWV 3DLQWHUV (OHYDWRUV 3ODVWHUHUV BEND, Ore. — Despite pleas for endorsement from both candidates, the Oregon State Building and Construc- tion Trades Council (OSBCTC) took no action in a hotly contested race for U.S. Senate. Both Democratic State Rep. Jeff Merkley and incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith addressed nearly 100 delegates and guests at OS- BCTC’s 47th annual convention held Aug. 26-28 at the Riverhouse Confer- ence Center. On Tuesday, Merkley said he was the best choice for working families, touting his leadership as Speaker of the House that resulted in “the most pro-worker session of the Oregon Leg- islature that we’ve seen in three de- cades.” Jobs were created, Merkley said, as a result of large public investments in construction projects for community colleges, universities, K-12 schools, highways and other infrastructure. Workers were protected, he continued, with passage of legislation that clari- fies prevailing wage rates on public- private construction projects; that al- lows workers to apply for unemployment insurance if they are locked out of their jobs in a labor dis- pute; and that permits public employ- ees to form a union through majority sign-up (card-check). “Together we got it done,” Merkley said. “But Oregon can only go so far if our nation is way off track. And we are way off track.” Merkley said the United States and Oregon have lost millions of good paying jobs as a result of bad trade and tax policies. Oregon alone has shed 70,000 jobs since enactment of the North American and Central American free trade agreements, he said. Merkley pointed out that Smith supports free trade and tax breaks for the wealthy — and opposes the Em- ployee Free Choice Act. Smith’s positions are polar oppo- sites of Merkley’s on these issues. In fact, Smith has voted with President George Bush nearly 90 percent of the PAGE 3
