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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2012)
By margin of 60 to 40 percent Anti-light rail measure passes in Clackamas Co. Several labor organizations stepped up to defend light rail in Clackamas County, but judging by the vote re- sults, no amount of effort would have defeated Measure 3-401. The anti- light rail ballot initiative passed by a 3-to-2 margin in a Sept. 18 special election, barring the County from spending any money on “public rail transit systems” without it being first approved by voters. Turnout was low, with only 39 percent of the County’s 217,518 registered voters casting bal- lots. The measure’s passage is the fourth in a string of defeats for advo- cates of infrastructure and develop- ment in Clackamas County. Neither side spent much money in the campaign, but Jesse Cornett, staff- person for the campaign opposing the measure, said if it wasn’t for union support, the measure would have passed by an even wider margin. Or- ganized labor was the biggest backer of Positively Clackamas — the politi- cal action committee formed to op- pose Measure 3-401. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, Team- sters Joint Council No. 37, and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 contributed $500 to $4,000 each. Unions also mailed literature about the measure to mem- bers living in Clackamas County, in- cluding Oregon AFSCME, after Local 350, its Clackamas County affiliate, took a stand against the measure. [Lo- cal 350 represents 1,900 workers at three county departments, five munic- ipal governments and three service districts in Clackamas County.] “If you’re not building infrastruc- ture, you’re not building jobs,” said UFCW Local 555 Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Anderson. Light rail spurs eco- nomic development, Anderson said — including retail, the sector that em- ploys most Local 555 members. Clackamas Rail Vote, the political action committee that supported 3-401, was funded mostly by out-of-state con- servatives, including Nevada million- aire and self-described sex hypnotist Loren Parks. Parks donated $250,000 to two political action committees, which in turn provided $15,000 of in- kind support for advertising. In the last 18 months, Clackamas County voters have also turned down a $130 million bond for upgrades to Clackamas Community College, struck down a $5 per year vehicle reg- istration fee that would have paid for improvements to the Sellwood Bridge, and passed a citizen initiative requiring a county-wide vote before any municipal government can create an urban renewal district. The latest measure passed with 60.2 percent support, though turnout was relatively low, with 84,621 ballots cast (39 per- cent of registered voters). In the short term, Measure 3-401’s impact will be largely symbolic, since TriMet’s Portland-Milwaukie “Or- ange Line” is already under construc- tion, and there are no other current plans for light rail expansion. Clacka- mas County Commission contributed $20 million toward the line, which Cornett points out is less than 2 per- cent of the project’s cost. Most of the money to build the line is coming from the federal government. Longview/Kelso students don hard hats Butch Willman, business manager of Longview Laborers Local 791, shows high school students what it’s like to work from a scissor-lift at the second annual Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Construction Career Fair held Sept. 28 at the Cowlitz Expo Center. High school students from throughout the area attended the fair to learn what it takes to work in construction. Hands-on booths were set up by construction unions, contractors, apprenticeship training programs, government agencies, and other groups, allowing students to operate a backhoe, to jack-hammer a cement barrier, lay bricks, weld, and more. The event was hosted by Kelso High School and attracted nearly 900 students throughout the day. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Mace, Kelso High School.) Thank You! 2012 Washington CLUB Golf Tournament Sponsors The Washington CLUB Tournament Committee sincerely thanks the sponsors below for their generous support. In 11 years the CLUB has raised $950,000 for our recipient charities. This year we collected $90,000. We are so pleased and excited — and we owe it all to you! PLEASE JOIN US NEXT YEAR WHEN WE BREAK THE $1 MILLION BARRIER! M ARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2013 TOURNAMENT : W EDNESDAY & T HURSDAY , J UNE 12-13, AT G OLD M OUNTAIN G OLF C OMPLEX , B REMERTON , WA G O TO WWW . WA - CLUB . ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION TITLE SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS Washington Capital Management Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council IBEW Local 46/Puget Sound NECA Sue & Mike Raney Aetna; Becker Capital; Clifton Larson Allen Ekman; Bohrer & Thulin P.S.; Ferguson Wellman; First Choice Health; IBEW Local 76; K2 Advisors; Labaton Sucharow LLP; Lindquist LLP; NEPC; North Sky Capital; Nuveen Investments; NW Sheet Metal Workers Organizational Trust; Permal Group Inc.; Premera Blue Cross; Systematic Financial Management; Union Bank/US Bank; United Labor Bank; Washington State Council of Firefighters; Welfare & Pension Administration Services, Inc.; Willamette Dental; Wurts & Associate; Zenith American Solutions PLATINUM SPONSORS Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Quest Investment Management, Inc. Rainier Investment Management SILVER SPONSORS Alliance Bernstein Institutional Investments; Allianz Global; Investors Capital; BNY Mellon; Bricklayers Local 1 of Washington; Entrust; Envi- sion Pharmaceutical Services; Grosvenor Capital Management LP; In- vesco; IUOE Local 612; JP Morgan; LSV Asset Management; MEPT; Pan- theon; Sentinel Reality; State Street; The Segal Company; VSP; WA & N. ID District Council of Laborers; Wellington Management Company. HOLE SPONSORS Blue Rock Advisors; Brandywine Global Investment Management; Bright Now Dental; ConvergEx Group; Dearborn Partners; DiMartino Associates, Inc.; Hamilton Lane; Highland Capital Advisors; ING Investment; Marco Consulting; Mass Mutual; McMorgan & Co./NY Life Retirement Plan Serv- ices; Mesirow Financial; NuWest Insurance Services; NW Administrators; NW Labor Press; Rael & Letson; Reid, Pedersen; McCarthy & Ballew, LLP; Robblee Detwiler & Black P.L.L.P.; Russell Investments; Segall Bryant & Hamill; Sellen Construction; Sunrise Dental; Yucaipa Companies PAGE 8 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS “Contractors Lock-Down” Participants will be held in Lock- Down until their bail bond is paid. Date: November 13, 2012 Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Location: McMenamins at the Kennedy School – Gymnasium 5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland Oregon 97211 Bond is set at $500. To find out if you know any of the lock- down participants please visit our website www.constructing- hope.com Goal for this event is to raise $25,000 to help fund our general operations including: basic tools and equipment for class and to complete community projects. OCTOBER 5, 2012
