Jobs will again top labor’s agenda at Oregon Legislature
SALEM — Jobs — both private and
public sector — will again top the union
agenda in the one-month session of the
Oregon Legislature that began Feb. 1.
Three bills this session aim to stop
jobs from heading overseas. A bill
sponsored by State Rep. Arnie Roblan
(D-Coos Bay), HB 4142, would require
the State of Oregon to favor Oregon pa-
per mills when it’s purchasing recycled
paper. A “Buy American” bill spon-
sored by State Sen. Laurie Monnes-An-
derson (D-Gresham), SB 1556, would
let transit agencies give preference to
vehicles with over 60 percent U.S.-
made components — when spending
federal funds. And State Sen. Chip
Shields (D-Portland) planned to intro-
duce a non-binding referendum calling
on Congress to pass the TRADE Act,
legislation that would put a stop to fur-
ther NAFTA-style trade agreements un-
til existing agreements are evaluated.
Other bills could put building trades
members to work. The Oregon State
Building and Constructions Trades
Council will support a bill (HB 4020)
by State Rep. Mike Schaufler (D-
Happy Valley) to increase lottery bond-
ing authority by $10 million to fund
competitive grants for air, marine, and
rail transportation infrastructure proj-
ects. Building Trades Executive Secre-
tary John Mohlis said the group will
also back a proposal for $60 million in
bonding authority to assist construction
of the Oregon Sustainability Center in
downtown Portland, billed as the
world’s first “net-zero” high-rise office
building because it would generate its
own energy, collect its own water, and
emit zero carbon in operation. The
trades will also support Oregon Treas-
urer Ted Wheeler’s proposed Oregon
Investment Act, HB 4040.
Lastly, Mohlis said building trades
unions will join with Oregon AFSCME
to support a campaign by State Rep. Val
Hoyle (D-Junction City) to build a sec-
ond state mental hospital in Junction
City.
Oregon AFSCME is also backing a
bill (HB 4033) to withhold the names
of Public Employee Retirement System
(PERS) retirees from public disclosure.
The proposal is in reaction to a recent
court decision.
The Legislature will need to rebal-
ance the state’s two-year budget. That
discussion will start Feb. 8 when the
state economist issues an updated rev-
enue forecast. To make that easier, State
Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) has intro-
duced a bill (HB 4132) to reduce tax
breaks by the same proportion that state
agency budgets are reduced. And State
Rep. Michael Dembrow (D-Portland)
has a bill (HB 4131) to thin manage-
ment ranks at state agencies — a year
earlier than a bill that was passed last
year. Dembrow’s bill speeds implemen-
tation of the goal of an 11-to-1 staff to
management ratio at larger state agen-
cies.
“We need to take advantage of re-
tirements that are happening now,”
Dembrow explained, “so agencies can
reduce administration now rather than
laying people off later.”
Dembrow is also sponsoring a bill
(HB 4141) to better coordinate state-
funded workforce training efforts with
state economic development efforts to
attract and grow businesses.
Noticing discrimination against the
long-term unemployed, State Sen. Di-
ane Rosenbaum (D-Portland) will push
a bill (SB 1548) to ban help wanted ads
that limit applicants to persons who are
currently employed.
And a union-supported campaign to
divest from big Wall Street banks may
get an echo in a bill (HB 4139) by State
Rep. Margaret Doherty (D-Tigard) to
deposit state funds in community banks
to the extent practicable.
The session is scheduled to run 29
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days. Oregon moved permanently to
annual legislative sessions in 2010,
when voters approved a constitutional
change that mandates that the Legisla-
ture meet for up to 160 calendar days in
odd-numbered years and up to 35 days
in even-numbered years.
Don’t expect major workers rights
legislation this session, says Oregon
AFL-CIO spokesperson Elana Guiney.
“Concepts that didn’t make it through
last [five-month-long] session probably
won’t make it this session,” Guiney
said, “because it’s the same people, with
less time.”
While Democrats have a 16-14 ma-
jority in the Oregon Senate, the Oregon
House is split 30-30 between Democ-
rats and Republicans.
Under the rules for the short session,
bills had to be filed before the session
began in order to be considered. Bills
have less than a week to be scheduled
for action in a committee, or they’re ef-
fectively dead. And bills that have not
been passed by their original committee
by February 14 won’t move forward.
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