...NOLC endorses school, safety levies
(From Page 2)
in the unincorporated portion of the
county.
“If 3-386 passes, it would function-
ally eliminate the use of urban renewal
in unincorporated Clackamas
County,” Lininger said. “How could
one win (or even fund) a countywide
campaign to use an arcane finance
tool to improve a neighborhood most
voters likely have never visited?”
NOLC’s Executive Board voted to
actively oppose Ballot Measure 3-386.
If both ballot measures pass in No-
vember, the measure with the most
votes will be declared the winner.
NOLC also supports Ballot Meas-
ure 3-378, the renewal of a public
safety levy first passed by Clackamas
County residents in 2006. The 2006
levy costs homeowners 24.8 cents per
$1,000 of assessed value.
“That will not change under Meas-
ure 3-378, it’s simply a continuation
of that levy,” said Steve Thorough-
man, marine patrol supervisor for
Clackamas County. Thoroughman
said renewal of the levy will help re-
duce the early release of inmates,
maintain or increase sheriff patrols,
and help fight drug crimes.
...Health care insurance
(From Page 1)
premium increase for family coverage,
but it wouldn’t explain the 8 percent in-
crease in premiums for employee-only
coverage.
The survey also found that union
employers were significantly more
likely to offer health benefits: 83 per-
cent of firms that have at least some
union workers offer health benefits,
compared to 58 percent of firms with
no union employees. And large firms
with union workers were more than
twice as likely to offer retiree health
benefits than large firms without union
workers – 44 percent versus 20 per-
cent.
Benefits were more costly, on aver-
age, at unionized firms: For family
coverage, the cost averaged $15,610 at
unionized firms versus $14,780 at non-
union firms; employee-only coverage
is $5,615 at unionized firms, and
$5,330 at non-union. The survey did-
n’t say whether that was because the
union firms had more generous benefit
levels, or employed older workers, or
both.
Union and non-union workers paid
about the same percentage of the pre-
mium for employee-only coverage (17
vs. 18 percent.) But employers picked
up more of the tab for family coverage
at unionized firms (79 percent versus
68 percent at non-union firms).
The survey was conducted between
January and May of 2011 and included
3,184 randomly selected, non-federal
public and private employers with
three or more employees. More details
are available at http://ehbs.kff.org.
In West Linn, the labor council
supports Ballot Measure 3-377, a
bond measure to raise $8.5 million to
build a new police station. The current
police station was built in 1936 and is
falling apart. Last May residents re-
jected a bond measure seeking $10.8
million. The city came back with a
lower bond after finding a cheaper
piece of property. The cost to home-
owners is about 16 cents per every
$1,000 of assessed value over the next
20 years. NOLC’s endorsement came
with a condition that any construction
of a new police station must have a
project labor agreement with unions
from the building trades.
In Beaverton, the labor council en-
dorsed Ballot Measure 34-193, a 5-
year local option levy proposed by the
Beaverton School District to help off-
set reductions in teachers and educa-
tional programs. The levy would be $1
per $1,000 of assessed home value. If
passed, it would raise approximately
$14 million per year for the next five
years.
The election is Nov. 8. Ballots will
be in mailboxes starting Oct. 21.
(Editor’s Note: The NOLC Execu-
tive Board also opposes Initiative Peti-
tion 3. The petition is currently on the
street seeking enough signatures to
qualify for the 2012 ballot. It is sup-
ported by friends of union foe Bill Size-
more. The initiative would prohibit
public employees from making volun-
tary contributions to their union’s polit-
ical activities or to charities through
payroll deduction. NOLC is asking
union members, their families, and
friends not to sign the petition.)
N OV . 8 G ENERAL E LECTION
Endorsements of the
SW W ASHINGTON C ENTRAL L ABOR C OUNCIL
City of Vancouver
City Council, Position 4: B ART H ANSEN
City Council, Position 5: L ARRY S MITH
City Council, Position 6: A NNE M C E NERNY -O GLE
City of LaCenter
Mayor: J IM I RISH
City of Washougal
City Council, Position 4: J OYCE L INDSAY
Local Ballot Measures
Support: Proposition 1
(Approve 0.2 percent sales tax increase (2 cents on a $10 purchase)
to preserve C-TRAN local fixed routes and connector service.)
W ASHINGTON S TATE L ABOR C OUNCIL
E NDORSEMENTS
Washington House of Representatives
District 49, Position 1: S HARON W ILEY
Statewide Ballot Measures
Oppose: Initiative 1125
(Defunding highway and transportation projects)
Support: Initiative 1163
(Training for long-term care workers)
Oppose: Initiative 1183 :
(Privatization of liquor sales and distribution)
(Authorized and paid for by the SW Washington Central Labor Council
P.O Box 61929· Vancouver, WA 98666-1929)
OCTOBER 21, 2011
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 5