Oregon AFL-CIO issues endorsements for May primary
The Oregon AFL-CIO’s Committee
on Political Education (COPE) issued
endorsements for the May 15 primary,
though most of the candidates they en-
dorsed don’t have primary opponents.
In races that do, the state labor fed-
eration backed the re-election of U.S.
Rep. Peter DeFazio. The 12-term con-
gressman is being challenged by Ore-
gon State University graduate student
Matthew Robinson in the Democratic
primary.
Robinson, 24, of Cave Junction, is
the son of Republican primary candi-
date Art Robinson, whom DeFazio
handily defeated in 2010. The elder
Robinson spent more than $1 million
attacking DeFazio. He is running unop-
posed in the Republican primary.
Matthew Robinson told the Eugene
Register-Guard earlier this year that his
political views are “very similar” to his
father’s. DeFazio criticized Art Robin-
son in 2010 for his denial of global
warming and his attacks on the public
school system, the newspaper reported.
There are only a few contested races
in the Democratic primary for the Ore-
gon House of Representatives. In those
races, the AFL-CIO is supporting in-
cumbent Mike Schaufler in District 48
representing Happy Valley; Jennifer
Williamson in House District 36 repre-
senting Southwest Portland; and Ben
Unger in House District 29 represent-
ing Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest
Grove.
In District 48, Schaufler is being
challenged by retiring school teacher
Jeff Reardon.
House District 36 is being vacated
by Democrat Mary Nolan, who is run-
ning for Portland City Council.
Williamson faces Sharon Meieran, an
emergency room doctor, and Benjamin
Barber, a computer programmer.
Unger is running against Katie Ri-
ley in District 29. The winner will face
incumbent Republican Katie Eyre in
the November general election.
On the Republican side of the aisle,
the AFL-CIO endorsed incumbent Bob
Jenson in District 58 representing
Umatilla and a portion of Union coun-
ties. Three Republicans have filed
against Jenson, who resides in Pendle-
ton.
All other endorsements from the
AFL-CIO were for incumbents running
unopposed in the Democratic primary.
They include Ted Wheeler for state
treasurer; Kate Brown for secretary of
state; Brad Avakian for state labor com-
missioner; Suzanne Bonamici for U.S.
representative, 1st District; and Kurt
Schrader for U.S. representative, 5th
District.
Republicans fielded no candidates to
run for state treasurer or the 1st District
U.S. House seat, which means Wheeler
and Bonamici have already won.
In the Oregon Senate, the AFL-CIO
endorsed Diane Rosenbaum, Dist. 21;
Chip Shields, Dist. 22; Lee Beyer, Dist.
6; Chris Edwards, Dist. 7; and Floyd
Prozanski, Dist. 4.
Delegates also endorsed Arnie Rob-
lan, a Democrat who is leaving the
House of Representatives to run for an
open seat in Senate District 5.
In the Oregon House, the state labor
federation backed Jules Bailey, Dist.
42; Jeff Barker, Dist. 28; Phil Barnhart,
Dist. 11; Peter Buckley, Dist. 5;
Michael Dembrow, Dist. 45; Margaret
Doherty, Dist. 35; Chris Garrett, Dist.
38; Paul Holvey, Dist. 8; Val Hoyle,
Dist. 14; Tina Kotek, Dist. 44; Greg
More unions take action in Portland mayor’s race
More unions are taking positions in
Portland’s mayoral race, where 23 can-
didates have filed to run. Incumbent
Sam Adams is leaving after serving
only one term.
Last week, the Columbia Pacific
Building Trades Council (CPBCTC)
endorsed Eileen Brady, while United
Food and Commercial Workers
(UFCW) Local 555 endorsed Charlie
Hales.
Local 555 is Oregon’s largest pri-
vate sector union with some 19,000
members and retirees. CPBCTC has
27 affiliated locals representing more
than 25,000 union members.
CPBCTC joins the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Lo-
cal 48, Sheet Metal Workers Local 16,
Bricklayers and Allied Crafts Local 1,
and Operating Engineers Local 701 in
endorsing Brady, a businesswoman
and co-founder of New Seasons Mar-
kets.
The front-runners are Brady, Hales,
and Jefferson Smith, a state represen-
tative from Northeast Portland.
Smith has been endorsed by AF-
SCME Local 189, the largest union of
city workers, and the Portland Associ-
ation of Teachers, which represents
nearly 4,000 members.
Hales is a former Portland city com-
missioner who now is a senior vice
president at HDR Engineering plan-
ning new light rail and streetcar lines.
The primary is May 15. If no candi-
date captures a 50 percent majority, the
top two vote getters will face off in the
November general election.
Matthews, Dist. 50; Nancy Nathanson,
Dist. 13; Tobias Read, Dist. 27; Greg
Smith, Dist. 57; and Brad Witt, Dist.
31. All but Smith are Democrats.
CPBCTC
endorsements
The Columbia Pacific Building and
Construction Trades Council issued the
following political endorsements for
the May 15 primary election.
Portland City Council: Mary
Nolan, Position 1; Steve Novick, Posi-
tion 4.
Multnomah County: Judy
Shiprack, commissioner, District 3.
Metro: Sam Chase, counselor, Dis-
trict 5.
Clackamas County: Dave Hunt,
County Commission Chair; Jamie Da-
mon, commissioner, Position 4:
Columbia County: Earl Fisher,
commissioner.
...ATU takes
strike vote
(From Page 1)
proposes that full-time workers pay 15
percent of the premium for employee-
only coverage, an amount that comes
to over $90 a month. Part-timers would
pay at least 50 percent of the employee-
only premium, and 100 percent for
family coverage.
Under the previous contract, which
expired Nov. 30, 2011, hourly wages
start at $12.92 and rise to $21.23 over
10 years.
Local 757 has argued that TriMet
would save money by bringing the
work in-house — eliminating duplicate
management and the need to pay cor-
porate income tax and deliver a profit.
No strike date had been set as of
press time, and a mediation session was
scheduled March 22.
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