Washington State Labor Council COPE
votes to ‘oppose’ Herrera Beutler in 3rd
SEATTLE — Delegates to the
Washington State Labor Council’s
Committee on Political Education
(COPE) convention on May 5 voted to
oppose the re-election of U.S. Rep.
Jamie Herrera Beutler in the 3rd Dis-
trict, which covers Southwest Wash-
ington.
Herrera Beutler, a Republican from
Camas, succeeded Democrat Brian
Baird in 2010 after he decided not to
run. She defeated labor-endorsed De-
mocrat Denny Heck.
Following the 2010 Census and re-
districting, Washington gained a con-
gressional seat, and the 3rd District was
strengthened for the Republicans.
Heck is now running in the new
10th District. He was endorsed at the
COPE convention.
No established Democrat stepped
up to challenge Herrera Beutler. Their
candidate is Jon T. Haugen, a former
Navy pilot now working at a commer-
cial airline. Haugen ran unsuccessfully
for state Senate in 2008.
Elizabeth Uelmen, a school princi-
pal and wife of union firefighter Mark
Johnston — filed to run but later
dropped out.
WSLC did not endorse in the 3rd
Congressional primary.
During her short time in Congress,
Herrera Beutler has compiled a 4 per-
cent COPE voting record — one
“right” vote against 27 “wrong” votes
— as tracked by the national AFL-CIO.
Her “right” vote was against an amend-
ment to House Resolution 1 that would
have defunded the National Labor Re-
lations Board for the remainder of
2011. The amendment failed by a vote
of 176-250.
In legislative races in Southwest
Washington, COPE endorsed:
• Democrat Tim Probst for Senate
in the 17th District. He is leaving the
House to take on four-term Republican
incumbent Sen. Don Benton.
• Democrat Monica Stonier, a mid-
dle school teacher making a run for
Probst’s House seat in the 17th District.
At presstime, she was running unop-
posed.
• Democrat James Gizzi, a member
of the Clark County Planning Commis-
sion, for House Seat 2 in the 17th Dis-
trict. The post is held by Republican
Paul Harris.
• Democrat Annette Cleveland for
state Senate in the 49th District. The
seat is being vacated by Democrat
Craig Pridemore, who is running for
state auditor. Cleveland was the only
candidate to file as of press time.
WSLC delegates also resolved to
oppose Republican state Sen. Joe
Zarelli in the 18th District. Zarelli has
no opposition from any political party.
In statewide primary races, WSLC
endorsed the following:
Washington Supreme Court, Pos. 2 -
Susan Owens; Pos. 8 - Steven Gonza-
lez; Pos. 9 - Bruce Hilyer and John
Ladenburg (dual);
Insurance Commissioner - Mike
Kreidler;
John Mohlis
reappointed
to PDC board
The Portland City Council con-
firmed the reappointment of John
Mohlis and Charles Wilhoite to the
Portland Development Commission
(PDC) Board on
April 25. Their
new terms will
run from July 1,
2012 through
June 30, 2015.
Mohlis, 56, is
executive secre-
tary of the Oregon
J OHN M OHLIS
State Building
and Construction
Trades Council. He was first appointed
to the PDC in January 2007, and will
be serving his third term. Mohlis has
played a key role in PDC’s utilization
of minority contracting and apprentice-
ship training programs.
Wilhoite’s tenure as a PDC com-
missioner began in August 2006; this
will be his third term, which includes
time as the board chair. Wilhoite is a
managing director of Willamette Man-
agement Associates, a firm specializing
in financial consulting.
PDC Board Chair Scott Andrews
said, “I have always relied on the sound
advice and guidance of John Mohlis
and Charles Wilhoite, and very much
appreciate their expertise, energy and
wise perspectives. PDC is in very good
hands, thanks to their leadership and
connections to the communities we
serve.”
Local Motion
Lt. Governor - Brad Owen;
Secretary of State - Kathleen Drew
and Greg Nickels (dual);
Sup’t of Public Instruction - Randy
Dorn;
April 2012
On statewide ballot measures,
WSLC took the following action:
APPROVE Ref. 74 (Marriage
Equality Act allowing same-sex cou-
ples to marry);
YES on Initiative 502 (Marijuana
reform that legalizes possession of
small amounts of regulated marijuana
and taxes it);
NO on Initiative 1185 (Tim Eyman
measure requiring 2/3s super-majority
to repeal special interest tax breaks or to
raise taxes);
NO on Initiative 1191 (Making
Washington a so-called “right-to-work”
state);
NO on Initiative 1192 (Redefining
marriage as a civil contract and banning
same-sex marriage).
Voting in union elections
In February, the Washington State
Labor Council issued early endorse-
ments for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell,
Jay Inslee for governor, and Bob Fer-
guson for attorney general. All are De-
mocrats. Both the governor and AG are
open seats.
Washington’s primary is Aug. 7. It
is an open primary, which means the
top two vote-getters, regardless of their
political party, will advance to the gen-
eral election in November.
WSLC will consider further en-
dorsements at its convention Aug. 6-9.
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.
Date Workplace (Location) Union
Yes
No
4/5 McCormack Coil (Lake Oswego) Teamsters Local 162
3
6
4/20 Allied Waste of Portland shop (Portland) Teamsters Local 305
0
2
4/20 Allied Waste of Lake Oswego shop (Portland) Teamsters Local 305
4
2
17
8
4
5
4/24 Dyno Nobel chemical factory (Deer Island) AWPPW
4/30 Central Pre-Mix of Oregon (Hermiston) Teamsters Local 839
Requesting a union election
Workplace (Location) Union
Number of workers in unit
Sun River Water water district (Sun River) Teamsters Local 962
Ore. Child Dev. Coalition Head Start (Gresham) Laborers Local 320 DECERT
Dosha Salon Spa (Portland) CWA Local 7901 DECERT
Pacific Rail Services railroad hub center (Portland) Boilermakers Local 104 DECERT
Clatsop County corrections (Astoria) C.C. Law Enforcement Assn vs. AFSCME 2746
City of Toledo (Toledo) Toledo Employees Assn vs. Oregon AFSCME
12
55
150
29
46
19
L EGEND
: workers will be union-represented
DECERT
: workers will be on their own
: A decertification election occurs when some union-represented workers declare
that the union no longer has majority support. A ‘yes’ vote is a vote for the union.
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MAY 18, 2012
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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