Northwest labor press., November 06, 2009, Page 3, Image 3

NOV. 6, 2009:NWLP
11/3/09
10:21 AM
Page 3
Teachers’ unions file new
lawsuit against Sizemore
The Oregon Education Association (OEA) and American Federation of
Teachers (AFT)-Oregon filed a civil lawsuit in Multnomah County Oct. 29
against Bill Sizemore, Loren Parks and his organizations for racketeering.
The claim is that Sizemore and Parks, a Nevada millionaire, conspired to
set up a sham charitable organization to cover up their political activities.
In 2002, the unions won a civil racketeering judgment against Size-
more’s Oregon Taxpayers United and the OTU Education Foundation.
“It’s unbelievable that Sizemore continues to engage in racketeering
and that Parks continues to illegally funnel money into sham charities to
support Mr. Sizemore in his unlawful efforts,” said OEA President Gail
Rasmussen. “Their intolerable actions have perverted Oregon’s citizen ini-
tiative system.”
The lawsuit centers on Sizemore and Parks’ use of a charitable founda-
tion to gather signatures for, and to promote, four ballot measures during
the 2008 general election campaign. The unions allege that the foundation
was utilized to funnel money for Sizemore’s political activities. Many of
the allegations made in the plaintiffs’ suit were referenced and substanti-
ated in a 2008 ruling issued by Multnomah County Judge Janice Wilson in
which she found Sizemore in contempt of court.
“It’s clear that Sizemore and Parks have teamed up in order to subvert
the initiative process,” said AFT-Oregon Executive Director Richard
Schwarz. “It’s time they were held accountable for corrupting Oregon’s
initiative system. Anyone wanting to make laws ought to live by those we
already have.”
The suit alleges the racketeering conspiracy between Sizemore and
Parks was so prevalent that it required Sizemore to commit perjury on mul-
tiple occasions to cover up their activities. There are 33 different and sepa-
rate instances of Sizemore’s alleged perjury included in the plaintiffs’ suit.
The suit seeks $18 million in damages — three times the amount the
unions spent to defeat the Sizemore measures last fall.
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Pacific NW Regional Council
Savage resigns from Carpenters
Longtime Carpenters leader Pete
Savage resigned his staff position at Pa-
cific Northwest Regional Council of
Carpenters (PNWRCC) Oct. 9 — at
the request of Executive Secretary-
Treasurer Doug Tweedy.
The position was at-will. Savage
told the Labor Press he had differences
with the PNRCC leadership over the
direction of the union, including the
way contracts were negotiated. PN-
WRCC had just concluded a new
agreement with Associated General
Contractors (AGC) covering general
construction carpenters.
“The only reason [Tweedy] gave me
when he asked me to resign was that
the AGC contractors weren’t happy
with me,” Savage said.
PNWRCC spokesperson Eric
Franklin confirmed that was one factor,
but said another major factor was Sav-
age’s support earlier this year for a bill in
the Oregon Legislature that the Carpen-
ters Regional Council opposed. The bill
would have expanded — to mixed com-
mercial-residential projects — an af-
fordable housing exemption from the re-
quirement to pay prevailing wage to
construction workers. The bill was spon-
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PETE SAVAGE
sored by the Oregon State Building and
Construction Trades Council, but build-
ing trades unions were divided on it.
Savage said he was vocal in his dis-
agreement with PNRCC’s decision to
oppose it.
Franklin also said a PNWRCC re-
structure was a tough transition for
Savage. State-level Carpenters councils
had greater autonomy prior to the re-
structure, which put PNRCC leaders in
Kent, Washington, in charge of staff in
five states. Savage, who had been Car-
penters regional manager for Oregon
and Southwest Washington, was given
a new job as “lead representative,” with
a stripped-down set of responsibilities.
As regional manager, Savage had
overseen business representatives, led
contract negotiations, handled pension
trust issues, and run steward meetings.
The new position confined his role to
public relations and community out-
reach, and managing three outlying
representatives.
Savage won’t be replaced, Franklin
said, because most of his responsibili-
ties had already been shifted to other
staff.
Savage, 49, has been a member of
Portland-headquartered Carpenters Lo-
cal 247 since 1988, when he tested in
as a journeyman carpenter. He worked
as a construction superintendent for
eight years, and came on staff with the
union in 2003, becoming regional man-
ager in 2004.
Savage said he will continue to
serve as conductor of Local 247 and as
a delegate to PNWRCC, and will re-
turn to work in the carpentry trade.
Savage was working as a trade show
carpenter as of press time.
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