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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2014)
At Oregon AFL-CIO Political activity kicks into high gear Oregon voters may not be paying close attention to the November 2014 election yet, but for labor’s political ac- tivists it’s already high political season: A handful of ballot measures are up for consideration, and competitive candidate races are heating up. Ballots will be mailed out Oct. 15 and are due back Nov. 4. Oregon AFL- CIO Legislative and Commu- nications Director Elana Guiney walked the Labor Press through the state labor federation’s positions on the measures, and priority candi- date races. “but it limits our options coming out of the primary. And in states that have top- two primaries, it has drastically in- creased the cost of elections, and drawn Ballot Measure 88 (Drivers card) VOTE YES. Ballot Measure 88 is a law passed by the Oregon Legislature that opponents in the group Oregonians for Immigration Reform collected sig- natures in order to overturn. A yes vote upholds the law, which was passed in response to a new federal rule that says state drivers licenses can only be issued to those who can produce a birth certifi- cate or passport. Oregon and a handful of other states passed laws allowing the issuance of temporary driver’s cards as an alternative: They can’t be used as identification, but they can be used as a driver’s license and to obtain automo- bile insurance. Guiney said from labor’s perspective, the measure is about ensur- ing that people are able to get to work safely. Besides the Oregon AFL-CIO, the measure is backed by Oregon AF- SCME, the Carpenters, SEIU, and UFCW Local 555. out the process, making it harder for working people to run for office.” Ore- gon voters rejected a similar measure in 2008. PRIORITY CANDIDATE RACES Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senator. One of America’s most pro-worker senators is up for re-election, and his name is Jeff Merkley. In his first term, Merkley pushed to rein in Wall Street abuses, and to reform the filibuster — the minority veto that has slowed the Senate’s work to a trickle. It’s thanks to Merkley’s fil- ibuster reform efforts that the Senate confirmed a new labor secretary and re- turned the National Labor Relations Board to working order. Returning him to office is a prime concern for both lo- cal and national unions. John Kitzhaber for Governor. Guiney acknowledges that Kitzhaber has made some decisions that upset union members, but says when it comes down to it, he’s the type of elected leader who asks how legislation is going to affect working people. Though unsuccessful, he fought hard for a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River. Meanwhile, challenger Dennis Richardson had a fairly anti-union voting record in the Legislature: He voted against bills to expand the pre- vailing wage and efforts to make it eas- ier for workers to unionize, and op- posed a proposal to strengthen state enforcement against wage theft. Alan Bates for Oregon Senate (Dis- trict 3-Medford) Sarah Gelser for Oregon Senate (District 8-Albany) Jamie Damon for Oregon Senate (District 20-Canby) Joe Gallegos for Oregon House (District 30-Hillsboro) Brent Barton for Oregon House (District 40-Clackamas County) Shemia Fagan for Oregon House (District 51-Clackamas) U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685. 1. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press. 2. Publication No.: ISSN 0894-444X. 3. Filing Date: Sept. 16, 2014. 4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly basis on first and third Fridays of each month. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $13.75. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of Publisher: 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co., Inc., 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Managing Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 10. Owner: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Company, Inc., (a non-profit corporation) 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Shareholders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of shares are: Musicians Mutual Association No. 99 (Bruce Fife, trustee); IBEW Local 125 (Travis Eri, trustee); Oregon AFL-CIO (Tom Chamberlain, trustee); United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 (Jeff Anderson, vice president); Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett, vice pres- ident); Label Trades Section, Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett); Oregon School Employees Association (Everice Moro, trustee); Iron Workers Local 29 (Kevin Jensen, trustee); Iron Workers Shopmen’s Local 516 (Aden J. “AJ” Blair, trustee); Machinists District W 24 (Bob Petroff, chair); Machinists Lodge 63 (John Hall, trustee); United Association Local 290 (Al Shropshire, trustee); Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 (John Candioto, trustee); IBEW Local 48 (Ed Barnes, vice president); Office & Professional Employees Local 11 (Mike Richards, trustee); Communications Workers Local 7901 (Madelyn Elder, trustee); Auto Mechanics Lodge 1005 (Gene McGlothlin, trustee); Columbia-Pacific Building and Construction Trades Coun- cil, (Willy Myers, trustee); Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (John Mohlis, treasurer). 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status (For completion by non-profit organizations authorized to mail at non-profit rates): The purpose, function, and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 5, 2014 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date A. Total No. Copies (net press run).............................................................. 48,845 B. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail): 1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 .....47,534 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales........460 C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4).............................47,994 D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution......................................................................... 1. Outside-county copies included on PS form 3541 ..........................................0 2. In-county copies included on PS Form 3541 ..................................................0 3. Mailed at other classes through the USPS .....................................................0 4. Outside the mail (carriers and other means)...............................................125 E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution .........................................................125 F. Total Distribution......................................................................................48,119 G. Copies not Distributed ..................................................................................726 H. TOTAL ....................................................................................................48,845 I. Percent Paid 99.7% 62,598 60,912 571 61,483 0 0 0 125 125 61,608 990 62,598 99.7% 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership.................................................Oct. 3, 2014 17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Michael Gutwig, Editor Measure 89 (Equal rights amend- ment) VOTE YES. The measure may have been authored and financed by corporate lobbyist John DiLorenzo and his wife, but it’s a pretty straightforward amendment to the Oregon Constitution: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the State of Oregon or by any political subdivi- sion in this state on account of sex.” Guiney said the measure is largely sym- bolic since an Oregon Supreme Court ruling already establishes equal rights for women, but the Oregon AFL-CIO is recommending a “yes” vote on the amendment, which would be a good start to an effort next year to pass a pay equity law. Measure 90 (Top-two primary) VOTE NO. Placed on the ballot by a coalition of centrist millionaires and business groups, Measure 90 would end the use of the primary as the way Dem- ocratic and Republican voters choose their party’s candidates; instead, all can- didates regardless of party preference would compete against each other in the primary, and the top two vote-getters would face off in the general election, even if they were from the same party. “We’ve seen in states that have top-two that people are hardly any more likely to vote in the primary,” Guiney says, PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 3, 2014