DEC-Holiday-2009 :Holiday Issue
12/15/09
9:47 AM
Page 5
Oregon AFL-CIO issues early political
endorsements in State House, Senate
The Oregon AFL-CIO on Dec. 7 is-
sued early endorsements in several leg-
islative races that will take place in
2010.
In the Oregon Senate, COPE (Com-
mittee on Political Education) endorsed
Democrats Peter Courtney, Richard
Devlin, Suzanne Bonamici, Floyd
Prozanski, Rod Monroe, Chip Shields,
Brent Barton and Lee Beyer. Shields
and Barton served in the House of Rep-
resentatives last session, where they
both earned “Silver Medal” status from
the AFL-CIO. Barton, of Clackamas, is
running for the District 26 seat being
vacated by Rick Metzger, and Shields
was appointed earlier this year to fill the
unexpired term of Margaret Carter in
North Portland’s District 22. Beyer is
running in District 6 in the Eu-
gene/Springfield area. He represented
that area for 10 years, before being ap-
pointed in 2001 to the Public Utility
Commission.
Early endorsements in the House
went to Tina Kotek, Mike Schaufler,
Brad Witt, Michael Dembrow, Dave
Hunt, Paul Holvey, Tobias Read, Phil
Barnhart, Jules Bailey, Peter Buckley,
Chris Garrett, Terry Beyer, Judy
Stiegler, Betty Komp, and Val Hoyle.
Hoyle was appointed to Lane County’s
House District 14 seat earlier this year
after Rep. Chris Edwards was ap-
pointed to fill the unexpired term of
Sen. Vicki Walker, who left to take a
state job.
AFL-CIO President Tom Chamber-
lain said more endorsements will be
forthcoming, but in order for politicians
Cook elected president of
Letter Carriers Branch 82
Jim Cook has been elected presi-
dent of the National Association of
Letter Carriers Branch 82. He de-
feated Jim Baxter by a vote of 460-
442 in balloting counted Dec. 7.
Current President L.C. Hansen did
not seek re-election to the full-time
post and is retiring.
Cook served as Branch 82 presi-
dent from 1988 to 1993, and from
1996 to 2001. In 1994 he ran unsuc-
cessfully for safety director of the na-
tional union, and in 1999 he was a
candidate for president of the North-
west Oregon Labor Council.
Cook stepped down as president of
DECEMBER 18, 2009
Branch 82 to give himself greater free-
dom to be an activist for labor rights
and other causes. He returned to his
old carrier route, while remaining ac-
tive as chair of the labor council’s La-
bor History Committee, the Pacific
Northwest Labor History Association,
and in General Strike, a band that
sings labor songs at picnics, picket
lines and rallies. He retired from the
U.S. Postal Service in 2007.
Joining Cook as top officers of
NALC Branch 82 are Kevin Card,
secretary-treasurer, and Jerry Fitzsim-
mons, vice president.
Two-year terms begin Jan. 1, 2010.
to be considered for an endorsement
they must complete a questionnaire.
Several incumbents with strong labor
voting records in the past had yet to
turn in their questionnaires prior to the
Dec. 7 COPE meeting.
One, State Rep. Mitch Greenlick of
Portland, informed Chamberlain that he
would not be filling one out. A founding
member of American Federation of
Teachers Local 3571 at Portland State
University, Greenlick, in an e-mail to
Chamberlain, said his past voting record
should be enough for an endorsement.
Greenlick was one of 17 representatives
to receive “Silver Medal” status from
the Oregon AFL-CIO last session. The
top tier is a Gold Medal.
“If my voting record for four terms
does not provide you with sufficient in-
formation about my attitude towards
working men and women and my loy-
alty to the cause, than I will have to suf-
fer without your endorsement,” Green-
lick wrote.
A week later, Greenlick faxed
Chamberlain a copy of an endorsement
letter from Service Employees Local
503 noting that because of his past vot-
ing record, he wasn’t required to fill out
a questionnaire or be interviewed.
“I am only asking that you do the
same,” Greenlick wrote Chamberlain.
That sparked a somewhat lengthy
debate among the COPE Board relat-
ing to the questionnaire stipulation.
In the end, a motion passed reiterat-
ing COPE’s policy requiring a com-
pleted questionnaire in order to be con-
sidered for a political endorsement.
COPE will reconvene in March to
consider additional endorsements, in-
cluding the race for governor.
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