Northwest labor press., July 15, 2011, Page 7, Image 7

July 15, 2011 _NWLP 7/12/11 10:12 Am Page 7
Teachers union
backs Obama
CHICAGO (PAI) — As expected,
the National Education Association
(OEA) endorsed Democratic President
Barack Obama for re-election — but
not until it blasted many of his educa-
tion policies, as carried out by Educa-
tion Secretary Arne Duncan, a close
personal friend of Obama’s.
The 3-million-member union’s
9,000 delegates — meeting here July
5-8 — voted for the endorsement by a
72 percent to 28 percent margin.
And even though it endorsed him,
NEA views Obama’s support for pub-
lic school teachers as lukewarm. That
showed in a long denunciation of Edu-
cation Secretary Duncan and his poli-
cies — criticisms similar to ones the
union leveled at the Bush Administra-
tion. But NEA leaders made clear that
whatever his flaws, Obama still be-
lieves in public education, unlike any
of his Republican foes.
The July 5 endorsement came after
Vice President Joseph Biden addressed
delegates, declaring: “We should be
listening to you, not lecturing to you!
We should be embracing you, not
pushing you aside! You are not the
problem!”
In other political action, delegates
approved a $10 annual dues increase
for the next four years to fend off GOP
attacks on public schools nationwide.
Local Motion
June 2011
A list of Oregon and Southwest Washington workplaces deciding
whether to be union-represented – as reported by the National
Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board.
New officers at Painters Local 10
Newly-elected officers of Painters and Drywall Finishers Local 10 were sworn
in at the June 15 union meeting. From left to right are Trustee John
Madewell; Vice President Wyatt McMinn; Treasurer Tom Williams; Trustee
Kim Hartke; President Roben White; Warden Kevin Davis; Trustee George
Ranum; and Recording Secretary Jack Johnson. Not pictured is Financial
Secretary Johnny Chris-Lawson. Terms are for three years. The local, which
is part of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 5, represents 800
painters and drywall finishers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. White
said after years of high unemployment, work, especially in the industrial
sector, is starting to pick up. “We’re making progress,” White said. “We are
looking forward to the future.”
Oregon AFL-CIO confab Sept. 25-28
The 52 biennial convention of the
Oregon AFL-CIO will be held Sept.
25-28 at the Hilton Eugene & Confer-
ence Center, 66 East 6th Ave., Eugene.
Registration opens Sunday, Sept.
25. That evening a Welcome Party will
be held. Convention business gets un-
der way Monday morning Sept. 26.
The popular Union Label Show is
scheduled Tuesday evening, Sept. 27.
For more information, call the Ore-
gon AFL-CIO at 503-224-3169 or
from Salem call 503-585-6320.
Date Workplace (Location) Union
Yes
No
6
8
6/7 LaPine Water District (LaPine) Teamsters 962
1
0
6/7 LaPine Special Sewer District (LaPine) Teamsters 962
3
0
6/7 Ridgeline Montessori Charter School (Eugene) AFT
DECERT
Requesting a union election
Workplace (Location) Union
Number of workers in unit
First Student school bus drivers (Gresham) Oregon School Employees Assn.
Milton-Freewater Police Dept. (Milton-Freewater) MFPA vs. IBEW 125
DECERT
110
17
L EGEND
: workers will be union-represented
DECERT :
: workers will be on their own
unionized workers vote whether to go non-union
...Rep. Witt announces bid for Congress
(From Page 1)
has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO in
each of his seven campaigns. He has a
94 percent Committee on Political Ed-
ucation voting record as tracked by the
national labor federation.
But Wu has been under media
scrutiny since his re-election last No-
vember for erratic behavior that led to
several key members of his staff re-
signing. Some constituents and party
insiders have questioned whether he is
fit to serve, and have called for his res-
ignation. Wu explained that he was un-
der severe stress during the campaign,
that he sought professional help, and is
JULY 15, 2011
Voting in union elections
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
fully capable of serving in Congress.
He has raised more than $219,000 for
his re-election, which isn’t until next
year.
In an interview with the Labor Press
prior to the press conference, Witt ac-
knowledged Wu’s favorable labor vot-
ing record, but said, “There is more to it
than just voting right. Folks that have
encouraged me to run say they want
competent leadership. They want
someone in Washington who represents
them — not issues entirely unrelated to
their needs.”
Responding to some critics who
have said the Democratic Party should-
n’t have a contested primary against an
incumbent, or that any challenge
should be limited to one candidate, Witt
said, “This election is too important to
be about incumbency or who gets into
the race first. This Congressional elec-
tion is about the opportunity for voters
to determine which of the candidates
best represents their views and priori-
ties,” emphasizing that victory won’t
necessarily go to the candidate who
raises the most money, but rather “to
the candidate who works the hardest
and gains the voters’ trust.”
Witt is known for his long-term
commitment to sustainable forestry,
worker safety, and the rights of injured
and dislocated workers. He says that his
background and focus on business, the
economy, and workforce development
appeals to both labor and management,
which sets him apart from the other
candidates.
A resident of Clatskanie, Witt has
served in the Oregon House since 2005.
House District 31 runs some 90 miles
along the Columbia River in Northwest
Oregon from Sauvie Island to Astoria.
He has worked in sawmills, has
served in a variety of staff capacities at
the national AFL-CIO, the Western
Council of Industrial Workers (now the
Carpenters Industrial Council), and
UFCW Local 555. He was first elected
secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL-
CIO in 1991, where he served for 14
years.
He is a graduate of the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst and received
his master’s degree in labor relations
from the University of Oregon.
Witt’s campaign website is: Wittfor-
Congress.com.
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