Labor bills continue to move in Oregon Legislature
Attention OUS: No more
prevailing wage loopholes
A bill that is a priority for building
trades unions passed the Oregon House
March 21 and is headed to the Senate.
The bill says that regardless of where
funds come from, if construction work
is done on property that Oregon Uni-
versity System (OUS) owns, will use,
occupy, or will ultimately own, the re-
quirement to pay prevailing wage ap-
plies. The bill is a response to the con-
struction of several buildings in recent
years on public university land, but
done with private funds to avoid the re-
quirement to pay the prevailing wage.
HB 2646, sponsored by state repre-
sentatives Margaret Doherty and
Michael Dembrow, passed the Oregon
House 47-10.
The day before the vote, Nike lob-
byist Julia Brim-Edwards texted state
representatives asking that they post-
pone the vote. They declined.
As of press time, she was said to be
working on “modest changes,” to be
proposed in the Senate.
It was before the Senate Business
and Transportation committee as of
press time.
John Mohlis, executive secretaryof
the Oregon State Building and Con-
struction Trades Council, said the gov-
ernor has assured building trades
APRIL 5, 2013
unions he would sign it if it gets to his
desk.
Mohlis said the bill is not about re-
stricting donations; it’s about fairness.
“When an owner goes out with a
project, they sign an agreement with an
architect that says how much they’ll be
paid to design a building, and with an
engineer that says how much they’ll be
paid, and with a general contractor that
says how much they’ll be paid, and
they in turn sign agreements with sub-
contractors that say how much they’ll
be paid, who sign agreements with ma-
terial providers as to how much they’ll
be paid. The only one that’s not in the
equation is the worker. All we’re trying
to do with the prevailing wage is make
sure the worker gets paid a fair wage
and benefits.”
No public money
for union-busting
The Oregon AFL-CIO is optimistic
about a long-sought reform to stop gov-
ernment managers from spending tax
dollars to fight employees attempts to
unionize. HB 3342, a bill to do that, got
a March 27 hearing at the House Busi-
ness and Labor Committee.
One example of conduct that would
be barred: When faculty at University
of Oregon began organizing a union,
the university paid $25,000 to a $300-
an-hour California anti-union consult-
ant to oppose it, and later, brought in
two law firms with expertise in oppos-
ing union drives.
nians; at the very least, tax breaks and
loopholes should be reviewed before
retirees and middle class families are
targeted.
PERS fight
College tuition equity
Oregon AFSCME is attempting to
rally opposition to SB 822, which
would apply a new formula to retirees’
cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in-
creases. Under SB 822, retirees would
receive the current 2 percent increase
on their first $20,000 of retirement in-
come, but the COLA would gradually
decrease above that: Retirees would
then receive 1.5 percent on any retire-
ment income up to $40,000, 1 percent
up to $60,000, and 0.25 percent above
that.
The bill passed out of the Senate
Rules Committee March 28, and was
scheduled for an April 3 vote in the
Joint Ways and Means Committee as
of press time.
AFSCME’s argument is that retired
public employees held up their end of
the bargain: They did their jobs and
were told at retirement what they’d be
receiving. SB 822 changes the state’s
end of the bargain. AFSCME also says
it’s wrong for the state to seek sacrifices
from retired public employees when
it’s not asking any new sacrifice from
corporations and the wealthiest Orego-
Gov. Kitzhaber signed House Bill
2787, the Tuition Equity bill, April 2.
The bill allows in-state tuition to stu-
dents who have attended school in Ore-
gon for at least three years and gradu-
ated from an Oregon high school,
regardless of their immigration status.
“Telling Oregon kids who have
grown up in our state that once it’s time
for college they don’t have the same
opportunities as their peers has been a
losing game,” said Tom Chamberlain,
president of the Oregon AFL-CIO,
which supported the legislation. “When
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
students want to become well-prepared
for our changing economy, we should
never discourage them or make their
goals financially unachievable.”
The legislation passed the Senate
19-11, with all 16 Democrats and three
Republicans in favor.
The bill was passed by the House on
a 38-18 vote, with five Republicans
joining 33 Democrats in favor.
State Rep. Michael Dembrow (D-
Portland), a former president of Amer-
ican Federation of Teachers-Oregon,
Portland Community College Faculty
Federation, led the House effort. He
was invited to join Kitzhaber, Senate
President Peter Courtney, Oregon stu-
dents affected by the legislation, and
legislative, education, and community
leaders, at the signing ceremony.
Free tax preparation available for low income
Low- to moderate-income Oregoni-
ans will be able to have their income tax
returns prepared free by trained volun-
teers statewide. CASH Oregon, a non-
profit group in partnership with AARP
Tax-Aide, supports free tax preparation
and tax credit outreach in 32 counties in
Oregon at more than 140 tax sites.
Many people who earn very little
may be eligible for a refund, too. Tax
credits that many could qualify for are
the Federal and Oregon Earned Income
Tax Credit, the Federal Child Tax
Credit, and the Oregon Working Family
Child Care Credit.
Trained volunteers will help taxpay-
ers sort through their questions and pro-
vide assistance.
Free tax preparation sites are avail-
able statewide. For more information
call 2-1-1, or visit www.cashoregon.
org.
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