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Who’s On Our Side?
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By Tom Chamberlain
President Obama’s Sept. 8 speech
on job creation laid out a concrete
plan to put millions of Americans
back to work and push our economy
into high gear.
As we enter the 2012 election cy-
cle, every candidate — everyone even
toying with the notion of running for
office — agrees that America must
create jobs, and create them as soon
as possible. But often, that is where
the agreement stops and the rhetoric
begins. And rhetoric rarely translates
into a solid plan that is strategic and
achievable.
So consider this a message to any
candidate seeking a union endorse-
ment on why rhetoric won’t cut it, and
why union members will be asking
for achievable job-creation plans in
2012.
While Oregon is a state that prides
itself on creating jobs in an emerging
green economy, green energy has not
surpassed manufacturing as our jobs
base. Oregon is still a manufacturing
state, in a region that is known for
making things — from streetcars to
trucks, medical equipment to micro-
chips, solar panels, aviation parts and
more.
Candidates must not only recog-
nize the importance of those indus-
tries to our economy, but they must
understand that the bulk of our manu-
factured goods are exported through
our ports and airport. Those facilities
are the conduit that connects products
from across the Northwest to markets
around the world. For our economy
to grow, our ports and airport must
keep up.
Now let’s be very clear: A good
job is a good job, whether in the pri-
vate or public sector. All too often we
hear that cutting government will cre-
ate jobs. Cutting government usually
means cutting jobs. Public sector jobs
infuse millions of dollars into our
economy. These are jobs that support
local business, who pay taxes that
fund our state’s essential services, and
build roads and bridges which create
jobs in the private sector. When we
cut public sector jobs we increase de-
mand for unemployment, food and
health care subsidies, and other serv-
ices that low wage earners and the un-
employed need.
As candidates increase their jobs
rhetoric they must remember the im-
portance of a plan, because it does
something rhetoric does not: It sets
the path to create jobs. And a good-
paying job with benefits is the answer
to most of what ails us.
A job is the answer to the low in-
come housing shortage; it is the path
to quality education; a job decreases
the crime rate, and increases revenue
so that we can afford to provide vital
services. We cannot answer Oregon’s,
or this country’s problems until we in-
crease employment.
Candidates must be ready to fight
for federal and state funding to re-
build our crumbling infrastructure.
This alone will put thousands of Ore-
gonians back to work. And they must
be willing to develop a jobs strategy
that attracts new business and main-
tains and expands existing compa-
nies, all while maintaining a healthy
environment.
Achieving rapid job creation is the
responsibility of every level of gov-
ernment, the private sector and yes,
unions. We must elect candidates who
understand that they can’t shirk their
responsibility to create jobs, and who
are committed to the resurgence of a
strong middle class.
With unemployment still over 9
percent, and in fact over 18 percent
when you factor in those who have
given up looking or who are working
part time when they need full time
work, I challenge candidates to quit
the rhetoric and follow President
Obama’s lead. Show us a plan. Show
us you’re on our side.
And I challenge union leaders and
members to listen to those seeking
your endorsement very carefully. If
creating jobs is not their number one
priority, whose side are they really
on?
Tom Chamberlain is president of
the Oregon AFL-CIO.
Workers rights go local:
Seattle passes paid sick leave
Seattle businesses with at least five
employees will be required to offer
paid sick leave under an ordinance ap-
proved Sept. 12 by Seattle City Coun-
cil.
Public health was the rationale for
the measure. Workers without sick
leave lose wages when they call in
sick, so they’re more likely to go to
work sick, exposing co-workers and
customers. Children are more likely to
be sent to school sick if their parents
must lose wages to care for them. Un-
der the new ordinance, workers will be
allowed to use the sick leave to care for
themselves or immediate family mem-
bers.
The measure was proposed in May
by a coalition of 70 labor and commu-
nity groups. It was strongly opposed
by the Greater Seattle Chamber of
Commerce. But it enjoyed wide pub-
lic support in Seattle. A late August
poll of likely voters by Grove Insight
opinion research found that 69 percent
supported the measure, while only 22
percent opposed it.
PAGE 10
In the days leading up to the vote,
union members and other supporters
of the measure flooded City Council
with phone calls, postcards and e-
mails. City Council members received
over 1,000 e-mails. Supporters also
rallied and filled council chambers the
day of the vote. The vote was 8 to 1 in
favor.
The measure requires established
companies with 5 to 49 employees to
provide at least five days a year of paid
sick leave. Companies with 50-249
employees would provide at least
seven days, and those over 250 at least
nine.
The ordinance will take effect Sept.
1, 2012. Employees start earning the
time off after six months on the job.
Businesses less than two years old
would be exempt from the require-
ment.
The Economic Opportunity Insti-
tute, an independent public policy re-
search center, estimated that 190,000
of Seattle’s 500,000 workers don’t cur-
rently have paid sick leave, but would
BARGAIN COUNTER
get it under the ordinance. That in-
cludes nearly 30,000 in accommoda-
tion and food service, 20,000 in retail,
and close to 20,000 in health services.
Seattle is home to about half a million
jobs.
San Francisco and Washington
D.C. passed similar ordinances in
2008. Milwaukee voters approved a
sick leave initiative in 2008, but that
measure was nullified this year by the
Republican majority in the Wisconsin
state legislature. And the Philadelphia
city council passed a sick leave ordi-
nance in June 2011 that was vetoed by
its mayor.
Connecticut became the first state
to pass such a requirement in June
2011. The Connecticut law requires
five days a year of paid sick leave, and
applies to hourly workers in service
sector businesses of 50 or more em-
ployees.
As to whether Portland would con-
sider such an ordinance, a spokesper-
son said Portland May Sam Adams’s
office would have to look into it.
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NW Oregon CLC
to recommend Witt
The Northwest Oregon Labor
Council will recommend that the Ore-
gon AFL-CIO endorse State. Rep.
Brad Witt in the special Democratic
primary election Nov. 8 in Oregon’s
1st Congressional District.
Witt is a union representative of
United Food and Commercial Work-
ers Local 555.
Several Democrats — including La-
bor Commissioner Brad Avakian and
State Sen. Suzanne Bonamici — are
vying for the seat, with the winner tak-
ing on the Republican primary nominee
in a special election Jan. 31 to succeed
David Wu, who resigned mid-term.
Under AFL-CIO policy, central la-
bor council’s don’t endorse in federal
races. Rather, they make recommen-
dations to the state body for action.
The Oregon AFL-CIO will take up the
matter at its convention in Eugene later
this month.
NOLC’s vote to recommend Witt
was held at a delegates’ meeting Sept.
12.
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SEPTEMBER 16, 2011