Northwest labor press., April 18, 2014, Page 14, Image 14

Unions say ‘No’ to proposed Water District ballot measure
By JEFF KLATKE
The proposed Portland Water Dis-
trict Measure 26-156 that will appear
on the May ballot has so many flaws
that it is hard to list them all. The main
concerns, however, are quite simple,
especially to union members. Please
keep in mind these few things when
you talk to your co-workers, friends
and family about it.
This ballot measure was written by a
lobbyist for known corporate polluters.
These large, industrial water users and
polluters don’t want to pay to clean up
our rivers or to use our water. Siltronic,
Portland Bottling Company, American
Property Management, and others want
you to pay for it.
As of this writing, those industrial
water users and polluters, and the law
firm that represents some of them, have
contributed over $165,000 to this cam-
paign — 79 percent of the total contri-
butions received. Why, one might ask,
would these large, industrial water
users and polluters and their lawyers be
willing to spend so much money to
change the oversight of our water and
environmental services infrastructure?
Is it for the benefit of the public and res-
idential rate-payers? Of course not.
The Portland Fire Fighters Associa-
tion, the Portland Police Association,
and the Portland Association of Teach-
ers urge you to vote no on Measure 26-
156. According to estimates by the
City of Portland auditor, the City
would lose about $20 million out of its
general fund, most likely causing cuts
to police, fire, schools and parks,
among other things.
The Portland League of Women
Voters urges you to vote no on Meas-
ure 26-156. About 20 percent of all
Portland residential water users, those
living in east Portland, would be ex-
cluded from any voice in the oversight
of this proposed water district. Accord-
ing to Multnomah County Judge Leslie
Roberts, all Portland residents in the
David Douglas, Parkrose, Centennial
and Reynolds school districts would be
barred from voting for or serving on the
board of this proposed water district,
and would not have representation.
This is an affront to democracy itself.
Laborers Local 483, Professional
and Technical Employees (PTE) Local
OSHA website offers information
on how to protect hospital workers
WASHINGTON – A website with
information on how to help hospitals
prevent worker injuries, assess work-
place safety needs, enhance safe patient
handling programs, and implement
safety and health management systems
is available through the U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor’s Occupational Safety
and Health Administration. The materi-
als at http://www.osha.gov/hospitals in-
clude fact books, self-assessments and
best practice guides.
“At the heart of these materials are
the lessons from high-performing hos-
pitals that have implemented best prac-
tices to reduce workplace injuries while
also improving patient safety,” said Dr.
David Michaels, assistant secretary of
labor for occupational safety and health.
Hospital workers face serious haz-
ards, including: lifting and moving pa-
tients, workplace violence, slips and
falls, exposure to chemicals and haz-
ardous drugs, exposures to infectious
2014
diseases and needlesticks. In 2012, U.S.
hospitals recorded 250,000 work-re-
lated injuries and illnesses, almost
60,000 of which caused employees to
miss work. Nationwide, workers’ com-
pensation losses result in a total annual
expense of $2 billion for hospitals.
17 and AFSCME Local 189, urge you
to vote no on Measure 26-156. The jobs
of nearly 900 union employees of the
City who work in the Water Bureau and
Bureau of Environmental Services —
members of Local 483, PTE 17, Oper-
ating Engineers Local 701 and AF-
SCME Local 189 — would be up in
the air. The new structure has yet to be
plausibly explained by proponents,
which means there is no job security in
the measure.
For these and so many other rea-
sons, the Columbia Pacific Building
Trades Council, the District Council of
Trade Unions, the Northwest Oregon
Labor Council, and the Oregon AFL-
CIO strongly encourage you to vote
NO on Measure 26-156.
(Editor’s Note: Jeff Klatke is presi-
dent of Oregon AFSCME Council 75.)
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PAGE 14
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NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
APRIL 18, 2014