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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2012)
Nov. 16, 2012_NWLP 10/10/17 10:52 AM Page 5 ...Election results: In Oregon, labor wins across the state (From Page 1) Obama carried Oregon 54 percent to 42.5 percent, and Washington 55.9 percent to 41.7 percent. Voter turnout in Oregon reached 81 percent. In Washington, 73.7 percent of registered voters cast ballots. “This election was about a choice between two very different visions for our nation,” Trumka told a Nov. 7 post- election press conference. “One vision rewards hard work and the people who do it, while the other benefits only those at the top. Voters rejected Rom- ney economics. “They made clear they want solu- tions that respect hard work, strengthen the middle class, invest in America and build upon working together instead of driving people apart.” U.S. SENATE In several U.S. Senate races where Republican, corporate, and Super PAC cash looked like it would make the dif- ference, union members’ get-out-the- vote activism and votes helped push union-endorsed candidates to victory. The election left the new Senate with 53 Democrats, a gain of two; plus two independents who are expected to cau- cus with the Democrats. “We said we’d defend all of our seats and would put half of their seats in play,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D- WA), chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “No one believed me, but we did just that.” Major victories included Elizabeth Warren’s defeat of Sen. Scott Brown, who had won a partial term in Massa- Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer (second from right) celebrates a victorious election night with members of Iron Workers Local 29. From left they are Jose Alvarez, Emmanual Sanchez, John Larrison, Robert Camarillo. The men volunteered to phone bank and leaflet job sites for union-endorsed candidates and ballot measures throughout the election campaign. “It feels great,” Larrison said, knowing that their volunteer efforts helped make a difference. chusetts after the death of Sen. Edward cratic senators-elect are filibuster re- U.S. HOUSE Kennedy. Tim Kaine beat George formers. “I have great hope that we And though Democrats strength- Allen in Virginia; Rep. Tammy Bald- took a great step toward reforming the ened their hold on the Senate, they win overcame Tommy Thompson in filibuster,” Merkley said. “Thanks to failed to recapture the majority in the Wisconsin; Sen. Jon Tester defeated your huge effort, we have a stronger House of Representatives, which they challenger Rep. Denny Rehberg in team fighting for a more fair, inclusive, lost two years ago. Seven races were Montana; Sen. Sherrod Brown won tolerant, forward-looking society, still undecided at press time, with De- over Josh Mandel in Ohio; and Maria where everyone has a shot to go as far mocrats leading in six. If those hold, as their talents and hard work take Democrats will pick up 11 seats, put- Cantwell won easily in Washington. Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, them.” ting the House total for next term at whose term expires in two years, 201 Democrats and 234 Republicans. pointed out that seven of the Demo- Oregon returned all its incumbent Democrats by wide margins. They are Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, and Peter DeFazio. Re- publican Greg Walden, who was en- dorsed by the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, also was re-elected. Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) President Jeff Johnson said his state’s Congressional delegation got stronger with the addition of three new “labor champions”: Suzan Del- Bene, Derek Kilmer, and Denny Heck. “Labor’s good friends Jim McDermott, Rick Larsen, and Adam Smith also won handily,” he said. OREGON In Oregon, all AFL-CIO-endorsed candidates in statewide races won by wide margins, including incumbent la- bor commissioner Brad Avakian, treas- urer Ted Wheeler, secretary of state Kate Brown, and attorney general Ellen Rosenblum. Jim Egan was elected to the Court of Appeals and Richard Baldwin defeated Nena Cook for Oregon Supreme Court. On statewide ballot measures, la- bor-backed Measure 85, a reform of Oregon’s corporate kicker tax, passed by a wide margin. Labor also helped reject Measure 84, an attempt by Re- publicans to phase out inheritance taxes on large estates, and all taxes on intra-family property transfers. Less than 3 percent of estates are affected by NOVEMBER 16, 2012 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS the estate tax, which applies only to es- tates worth more than $1 million. Democrats held onto their 16-14 majority in the Oregon Senate, with all of the AFL-CIO’s endorsed candi- dates — several of them union mem- bers — victorious. Winners were Arnie Roblan in Dist. 5; Mark Hass in Dist. 14; Elizabeth Stemer Hayward in Dist.17, Diane Rosenbaum in Dist. 21; Chip Shields in Dist. 22; Jackie Dingfelder in Dist. 23; and Laurie Monnes Anderson in Dist. 25. Rosen- baum has been a longtime active mem- ber of Communications Workers of America Local 7901; Roblan is a for- mer teacher and member of the Oregon Education Association (OEA); Hass was a long-time member of the Amer- ican Federation of Television & Radio Artists; Monnes Anderson is a retired member of the Oregon Nurses Associ- ation; and Shields is a member of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). In the Oregon House, AFL-CIO- backed candidates won 87 percent of the races in unofficial results. If all the numbers hold, Democrats will carry a 34-26 majority into the 2013 legisla- tive session. (In the last session the House was split 30-30.) Winners were Peter Buckley in Dist. 5; union Carpenter Paul Holvey in Dist. 8; Caddy McKeown in Dist. 9; David Gomberg in Dist. 10; Phil Barn- hart in Dist. 11; John Lively in Dist. 12; former Service Employees Interna- tional Union member Nancy Nathanson in Dist. 13; Val Hoyle in Dist. 14; Sara Gelser in Dist. 16; Brian Clem in Dist. 21; former OEA member Betty Komp in Dist. 22; Tobias Read in Dist. 27; former Portland Police As- sociation (PPA) president Jeff Barker in Dist. 28; Ben Unger in Dist. 29; Joe Gallegos in Dist. 30; United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 rep Brad Witt in Dist. 31; Chris Harker in Dist. 34 ; former OEA mem- ber Margaret Doherty in Dist. 35; Jen- nifer Wil-liamson in Dist. 36; Chris Garrett in Dist. 38; Brent Barton in Dist. 40; Carolyn Tomei, a one-time member of AFT, in Dist. 41; Jules Bai- ley in Dist. 42; Lew Frederick in Dist. 43; Tina Kotek in Dist. 44; former AFT Local 2277 president Michael Dem- brow in Dist. 45; Alissa Keny-Guyer in Dist. 46; Jessica Vega Pederson in Dist. 47; retired OEA member Jeff Reardon in Dist. 48; Chris Gorsek, a member of the OEA and a past mem- ber of the PPA and UFCW Local 555, in Dist. 49; Fire Fighters union mem- ber Greg Matthews in Dist. 50; Shemia Fagan in Dist. 51; and Bob Jenson in Dist. 58. The Oregon AFL-CIO’s election program turned out union members to knock on over 115,000 doors, make over 315,000 phone calls, and hand out thousands of fliers to co-workers at jobsites. Additionally, thousands of water cooler conversations helped spread information about candidates’ records on the economy, and over (Turn to Page 8) PAGE 5
