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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2008)
OCT. 17, 2008:NWLP 10/14/08 9:55 AM Page 10 Union-sponsored Oregon Working Families Party has spot on ballot By DON McINTOSH Associate Editor For the first and maybe the last time, Oregon voters will get a chance this November to vote for a candidate from a union-sponsored political party — the Oregon Working Families Party. Portland labor lawyer J. Ashlee Al- bies will appear — on the Working Families ballot line — as a candidate for Oregon attorney general. The Oregon Working Families Party, modeled on a New York minor party, formed in 2006 with the support of seven local unions in order to push a worker-friendly political agenda and reintroduce “fusion” voting to Ore- gon. Under a fusion voting system, candidates can appear on the ballot line of more than one endorsing party. So the Working Families Party, for ex- ample, could use its ballot line to en- dorse Democratic or Republican can- didates who support its jobs, justice, and worker rights platform. Voting for a candidate on the Working Families ballot line instead of the Democratic ballot line shows politicians that economic justice is important to those voters. The same dynamic would apply to candidates cross-endorsed by the Libertarian or Constitution parties. The two major parties outlawed fu- sion voting in the early 20th century. The Oregon Working Families Party gathered 28,000 signatures to gain mi- nor-party status, and then tried in the 2007 legislative session and the 2008 special session to get lawmakers to re- store fusion. That didn’t happen. Now Working Families’ status as a minor party will expire unless it again gathers the signatures, or gets more than 1 percent in a statewide race. That’s why the party asked Albies to run. Albies is an employee-side em- ployment law and civil rights law at- torney with the Portland firm Steen- son, Schumann, Tewksbury, Creighton and Rose. She co-chairs the Portland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. Working Families has no problem with John Kroger, who won the Dem- ocratic — and Republican primary (no Republican entered the race) — in May with heavy backing from or- ganized labor. Kroger is practically assured victory in November. There- fore, a Working Families candidate wouldn’t end up being a “spoiler,” throwing the race to a less-appealing candidate. But Measure 65 on the Nov. 4 bal- lot would completely rework the role of major and minor political parties in primary and general elections. If it passes, all candidates would appear to- gether on the primary ballot, and all voters, regardless of party registration, would choose from among the candi- dates. The top two vote-getters would go on to the general election. The Oregon AFL-CIO opposes the measure. No political party would be as- sured of a spot in the general election, and primaries would no longer be how the major parties choose their nomi- nees. Instead, each candidate would be identified by their party registra- tion, and next to their names would appear the names of any parties that endorsed them. For minor parties like Working Families, Measure 65’s passage would mean they would no longer have a “ballot line” on which to place candi- dates they’d nominated. But the party name would appear next to any candi- dates who accepted their endorse- ment. E E FR BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published Automotive 4 STUDDED SNOW tires, 31x10.5 50 R, 15LT, 90% tread and/or OEM aluminum six hole wheels, fits Dodge Dakota or Du- rango. 503 668-7172 (Bob) ’78 CHEVY CAPRICE classic, 4dr, 350, V8, AT, loaded w/options, black w/burgundy interior, ex cond, $2,600. 503 245-6714 ’91 GMC PICKUP w/canopy, 4x4, new clutch system, new fly wheel, stick shift, short bed, $2,395 OBO. 541 344-0569 TIRE CHAINS, new. 1 pr, fits 225/75R14 thru 6.50-16lt. lug reinforced, USA made,1 pr. fits 12.50-15, 12.50-16.5, $50 per pr. 360 213-9540 Housing ROCKAWAY BEACH house, 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 10, great amenities, minutes to beach or shops. 503 355-2136 or 503 709-6018 ‘99 MANUFACTURED HOME, 3bed, 2bth, office, appliances, front/back decks, .4 acre fenced, on Clackamas River in Ea- gle Creek, OR. $260,000. 503-679-4945 Wanted WE ENDORSE JUDY FOR MULTNOMAH COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT #3 Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO Teachers Voice in Politics/Portland Association of Teachers AFSCME Local 88 SEIU Locals 49 and 503 Portland Fire Fighters Association Local 43 Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council Painters and Allied and Allied Trades Council No. 5 Teamsters Joint Council No. 37 IBEW Local 48 Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 Iron Workers Local 29 Plasterers Local 82 OLD WOODWORKING Tools, Planes, Levels, Chisels, Handsaws, Slicks, Adzes, Wrenches, Folding Rulers, Old Leather Tools, Tool Chests. 503-659-0009 CASH FOR old oil paintings, toys or pot- tery. 503 653-1506 FURNACE OIL wanted, will pump. 503 252-4151 JUNK CARS, free removal of unwanted cars and pickups, cash for some. 503 314 8600 VIDEO POKER machines, old slot ma- chines, pinball machines, neon signs. 360 256-7810 For the Home BIONAIRE AIR PURIFIER, 3 feet tall, ro- tates, has remote $15. 503-777-9143 DINING ROOM CHAIRS, 6 high-back, all- leather Parsons chairs, 1 year old, paid $250 ea. excellent cond. $900, firm. 503- 669-5324 Sporting Goods BOAT TRAILER For 16-18 ft boat, good cond, $600 obo 503-659-1382 or 503- 320-1977 Miscellaneous 26 CLEAN CLEAR glass one gallon jugs w/lids, $1 each. 360 835-8000 TWO ANTIQUE dragsaws (1920s -30s), one is restored, 2nd is apart, but complete, w/blades and misc. wood cutting tools. 503 678-1696 (Herb) JOHN DEERE 1966 model 112 lawn- mower w/hydraulic lift, first year only 999 made, $1,400. 360 892-0864 TOOL BOXES, large, newer Craftsman roll-around, plus Kennedy with or w/o tools. 503 630-4919 CARHARTT SANDSTONE Detroit jacket, never worn, large w/embroidered Carpen- ters Local 247 logo. $75. 503 807-2582 TOW DOLLY in excl cond, new wiring, magnet lights, not many miles, 6 yrs old, kept inside, $1,000. 503 630-4970. HOLIDAY BAZAAR, Ardenwald Elemen- tary School, 8950 SE 36th Ave, Milwaukie, OR, Winter Wonderland, Saturday, Nov. 22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 503-353-5320 VOTE FOR JUDY SHIPRACK! PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY JUDY SHIPRACK FOR COUNTY COMMISSION PAGE 10 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 17, 2008
