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