JULY 3, 2009:NWLP
6/30/09
10:25 AM
Page 7
Union foes file initiative
petition to ban card-check Chamber averse to Buy American
Two union foes may try to get a
measure on the 2010 Oregon ballot
that’s aimed at banning the “card check”
method of unionization. With card
check, workers unionize when a major-
ity sign cards asking for it. It’s favored
by unions because it’s simpler and faster
than the alternative method — a work-
place union election.
Russ Walker, vice chairman of the
Oregon Republican Party, and Kim
Thatcher, a Republican member of the
Oregon House from Keizer, are chief
petitioners for a proposed constitutional
amendment that would establish a “right
to a secret ballot” in public and private
elections. Scott Moore of the labor-sup-
ported watchdog group Our Oregon said
it’s one of numerous attacks on working
families that are planned for the 2010
ballot.
Elections for public office and ballot
measures are already conducted by se-
cret ballot (and there’s no move to
change that), so the relevant part of the
proposed amendment is its requirement
...Tackett to run
for NOLC job
(From Page 1)
the Labor Day picnic at Oaks Park in
September, but after that, it’s goodbye.
Her outer-Southeast Portland home
is for sale, and as soon as it’s sold she
and her husband Tony will be moving
to Billings, Montana. O’Connor grew
up in Kalispell.
Nominations to fill her unexpired
term will be held at NOLC’s monthly
meetings July 27 and Aug. 24.
O’Connor told the Northwest Labor
Press that she will nominate Bob Tack-
ett, the Oregon AFL-CIO’s Workforce
Investment Act labor liaison. Tackett, a
member of Steelworkers Local 330,
confirmed that he is seeking the post.
that elections for “designation or au-
thorization of employee representation”
be conducted by secret ballot.
In an interview with the Labor Press,
Thatcher confirmed the measure is in-
tended to eliminate card check.
“It doesn’t seem right to have some-
body breathing down your neck want-
ing you to sign something,” Thatcher
said. “You might just do it to get them
off your back.”
Thatcher said she didn’t know of any
cases in Oregon where workers were in-
timidated into signing union cards.
“All I know is, the thought of it both-
ers some of my constituents, family
members and friends who I’ve discussed
it with,” Thatcher said. And for her,
that’s apparently enough to justify
amending the Oregon Constitution.
But it’s not actually clear the consti-
tutional amendment would have the in-
tended effect. The amendment says all
elections have to be conducted by secret
ballot. But card check, arguably, isn’t an
election. If the amendment did end up
being interpreted as banning card check,
it would likely be challenged in federal
court, at least as it applied to the private
sector workers who are covered under
the National Labor Relations Act. That
federal labor law, which permits em-
ployers to recognize unions on the basis
of card check, also pre-empts states
from modifying the rules that govern
how workers unionize.
Walker and Thatcher’s campaign
turned in the necessary 1,000 valid sig-
natures June 23 to get the process
started, and the initiative is now before
the attorney general’s office awaiting a
ballot title. Once a ballot title is issued, it
would be approved to circulate. The
measure would then need 110,358 valid
signatures to get on the ballot.
Thatcher has filed anti-union initia-
tive petitions before, including a “pay-
check protection” proposal for the 2006
ballot, and a “right-to-work” measure
for the 2008 ballot.
By TULA CONNELL
National AFL-CIO
There they go again. Those running
the show at the U.S. Chamber of Com-
merce are attacking again the Buy
American provision in the economic
stimulus package.
Ignoring, once more, that Buy
American makes fundamental eco-
nomic sense by ensuring at least some
of our taxpayer bailout money is in-
vested in American-made productions,
the Chamber is siding with foreign em-
bassies battling the Buy American pro-
visions. In a June 2 letter to lawmakers,
Bruce Josten, the Chamber’s executive
vice president for government affairs,
asked Congress to exclude Buy Amer-
ican provisions from all legislation.
More recently, the Chamber held a
joint press conference June 11 with the
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
to decry the Buy American provisions
in the stimulus. For a trade association
with “U.S.” in its name, siding with for-
eign corporations against those in the
United States is, well, you fill in the
word that best describes it.
The Chamber’s anti-Buy American
stance, which undermines the interests
of America’s workers, also isn’t amus-
ing for the millions of jobless workers
in this nation.
In fact, the Chamber’s false argu-
ment that Buy America provisions will
start a “trade war” is a tired one. The
Open
Forum
stimulus requires that U.S. material be
used in projects funded by the bill, but
also states that the clause should not
override U.S. international trade com-
mitments.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Repre-
sentative spokeswoman Deborah Mes-
loh said the Obama Administration is
committed to ensuring that the Buy
America requirements in the stimulus
legislation are applied in a manner that
is consistent with U.S. obligations un-
der international agreements.
Politicians: Trade unions are good for America
To The Editor:
It has been my observation that for
years the labor movement has blindly
endorsed Democrats.
Recently, the labor movement has
been slapped in the face by Democratic
politicians in Washington State.
In Oregon, labor endorsed Gov. Ted
Kulongoski and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden,
among others. These people have turned
out to be no friends of unions.
Wyden’s proposed health care plan is
no benefit to union members.
It is obvious to me that the majority
of Democrat and Republican leaders in
Congress are wealthy men (and many
lawyers) who care zero about anyone
else. It has become a government of the
rich, by the rich, and for the rich.
Why do we not look carefully at a
man’s or woman’s character; what they
believe in; what their life has been and
make a recommendation based on the
quality of the person instead of blindly
endorsing candidates that strongly sup-
port abortion and gay rights and do not
support the people’s constitution of
these United States?
Why do we not constantly put out the
information that unions are for the mid-
dle class to be able to have a fair share of
the American dream.
My union membership has given me
a decent life, health benefits, a pension,
protection for my seniority rights and
much, much more.
I say we need to examine the charac-
ter of those we endorse based on their
intelligent appraisal that trade unions are
good for the workers and good for
America.
And don’t forget to tell those who we
endorse that they need to study labor
history, and not just the propaganda
against unions from all the media con-
trolled by big business.
Wayne Johnson
ATU Local 757
(Retired)
Gresham
SERVING UNIONS FOR OVER 25 YEARS
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JULY 3, 2009
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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