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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2014)
EE R F Who’s On Our Side? By Tom Chamberlain G rover Norquist set the tone for the Conservative Political Ac- tion Conference (CPAC) with the battle cry “[unions] are not dead yet — but they’re in decline.” Good ol’ boy Grover then laid out a plan to destroy unions once and for all: Gain control of governors’ mansions and state legislatures and pass right-to-work laws. Getting right-to-work on the Oregon ballot was part of their plan for 2014, but thanks to Gov. John Kitzhaber, leaders in the busi- ness community, and strong, com- mitted union leaders who put the good of the Oregon labor move- ment ahead of their individual agendas, we are not dead yet. Understand, I believe that we could have defeated this Groverian agenda that was designed to si- lence the voice of working Orego- nians. But workers and their allies would have spent over $10 million and thousands of hours knocking on doors and phone calling. The Koch brothers would have invested millions to destroy the Oregon workers’ movement be- cause they know that if they had passed these anti-worker initiatives in Oregon, they could pass them anywhere. We have too many other battles to pick a $10 million fight where we’re sure to be outspent, even when we know we can win. Unions have been under intensi- fying attack for the last four decades — since Ronald Regan broke the Air Traffic Controllers Union. These attacks do not target just unions. They target any organ- ization that builds people power. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was a community- based organization that worked in local neighborhoods throughout the United States advocating for low- to moderate-income families, increasing voter registration, fight- ing for affordable housing and supporting other social issues. At its peak, ACORN had a member- ship of over 500,000 people in 1,200 neighborhoods. Their 2008 voter registration program regis- tered 1.3 million voters. ACORN’s internal audits revealed that ap- proximately 400,000 were dupli- cates. Most states require voter registration programs to turn in all completed registration forms — including duplicates — to protect voters’ information. ACORN helped get millions of Americans into the voting booth, building power for working families. They were so successful that they be- came a target for the Grover Norquists of the world. In 2009, two conservative ac- tivists released a selectively edited video that falsely suggested that ACORN staff members were a part of illegal activities. While ACORN was later cleared of any wrongdoing, funding by then had already dried up. That funding was used to register low-income Amer- icans to vote. It was used to help communities advocate for their fu- tures. It was a threat to Norquist’s agenda. We could have won right-to- work in Oregon. This time, our lo- cal union and business leaders found a common interest — find- ing a better path forward for The Beaver State. But as Gov. Kitzhaber leads us down that path, we must make sure that the outcome really is a good deal for working people. And we must be ready for Norquist’s next attack on working people. We don’t plan on dying off, but we know the Grover Norquists of the world will keep trying. Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. Blues Festival April 5 to benefit Health Care for All For the third year, Health Care for All-Oregon is throwing a party that will benefit its work to get simple, fair, affordable, high quality health care for all Oregonians. The Inner City Blues Festival — “Healing the Healthcare Blues,” will be held Saturday, April 5, at the Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder, Port- land. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Inner City Blues Festival stars Norman Sylvester and a host of North- west musicians. Masters of Cere- monies are Paul Knauls, a NE Portland businessman and former owner of leg- endary blues/jazz clubs Geneva’s and the Cotton Club, and Renee Mitchell, former columnist for the Oregonian and renowned poet and author. The evening will include Commu- nity Village information tables, a raffle prize drawing and silent auction. Tickets are $15 in advance at www.tickettomato.com or at Music Millennium, Geneva’s Shear Perfec- tion, Musicians Union Local 99, or $20 at the door. BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published A UTOMOTIVE 4-Mercedes Benz tires, rims, and hub- caps, like new, P225/60r16, $150. 503- 799-1715 (Gresham) ’04 GMc sIerrA sLT 2500, gas, ex- tended cab, 4wd, loaded, low miles, one owner, $16,500. 971-201-8238 1938 FOrd PIcKUP parts, 2 fenders, 2 grills, 3 side panels, 1 tailgate, 1 dash panel. 503-887-3388 ’00 TIOGA 24’ motorhome, 48K, rear kitchen, front hitch, extra demco II tow dolly available, $15,000. 360-892-6244 H OUSING rOcKAWAY BeAcH rental, 3 bed, 2 bth, sleeps 10, Jacuzzi, 5 min to beach/ shops.Vacationhomerentals.com/43026 rOcKAWAY ocean front, 503-777-5076, 5 bdrms/2ba, huge home on the beach! http://rockawaybeachfrontrental.com 100 Acres, trees, wildlife, will carry con- tract, spray Oregon, $750 per acre OBO. 541-468-2961 W ANTED OLd WOOdWOrKInG tools, planes, lev- els, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, folding rulers, axes, hatchets, leather tools, tool chests. 503-659-0009 BUYInG Us & world coins to add to col- lection, paying fairly, any amount wel- come. 503-939-8835 cOLLecTOr, cash paid, old fishing tackle, wood plugs, reels, creels, salmon fishing photos, etc. 503-775-4166 cOLLecTOr PAYs cash for older toys, oil paintings, American art pottery, and costume jewelry. 503 703-5952 1947 FrAnKLIn High school yearbook. 503-522-6542 M ISCELLANEOUS BrIGGs & sTrATTOn motors, vert shaft, elec start, single cyl, 16HP & 18HP twin, $150 ea.503-780-0374 (colton) WHeeLcHAIr, new full size, $75; walker w/seat and basket, $50; plain walker, new, $20. 503-771-5000 e-z-HOe cultivator, serial Hc522126, $100. 503-775-7457 FOrneY WeLder, model OB, new leads carbon arc, $75 OBO. 503-244- 4986 F OR THE H OME sOLId OAK table w/4 upholstered chairs, good condition, $125 OBO. 503-761-1106 AnGLe IrOn bed frame, 65” long, width adjustable to 60”, come with 40” head- board, $40 OBO.503-964-9048 S PORTING G OODS 24’ MArLIn 1989 240hp with 15hp Merc kicker, fresh water cooler, many electron- ics, runs fine, $7,500. 503-505-4622 cOLT 1873 sAA, colt custom shop .45 colt nib. $1,200; colt 1862 navy pocket colt .36 cal nib,$600, OBO. 503-701-2307 reAL deAL, companion 5th wheel w/hitch,’94, 27.5’, well maintained, road ready, $4,500. 503-667-1093 Free tax preparation available Labor’s Community Service Agency is spreading the word that low- to mod- erate-income Oregonians can have their income tax returns prepared free by trained volunteers statewide. CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Oregon, a non-profit group in partner- ship with AARP Tax-Aide, supports free tax preparation in 32 counties in Oregon at more than 140 tax sites. Many people who earn very little may be eligible for a refund. Tax credits that many could qualify for are the Fed- eral and Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit, the Federal Child Tax Credit, and the Oregon Working Family Child Care Credit. Trained volunteers will help taxpayers sort through their ques- PAGE 6 tions and provide assistance. For more information or to find a lo- cation nearest you, call 2-1-1, or visit www.cashoregon.org. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS MARCH 21, 2014
