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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2015)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | November 6, 2015 | PAGE 5 ONE OF THESE THREE WILL LIKELY BE OREGON’S NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE. Brad Avakian, Richard Devlin, and Val Hoyle await the call to take the stage for a debate over who should have labor’s endorsement. Debate, but no endorsement SEASIDE — Democrats Brad Avakian, Richard Devlin, and Val Hoyle took the stage for an hour of good-natured debate Oct. 24 at the Oregon AFL-CIO convention. They’re running for Oregon Secretary of State (SOS), the office responsible for elections and state audits. Devlin, a state senator from Tualatin, presented himself as a dedicated public servant who gets the details right, and em- phasized the SOS’ role as “auditor in chief,” making sure state government works. Hoyle, a Eugene state rep and former House majority leader, told the story of her firefighter dad, a union leader, who stood with locked-out factory workers even when mounted police made the picket line too risky for his daughter. Avakian touted his record as Oregon labor commissioner, saying his entire career has been dedicated to working families. SOS sits on the state land use board, and candidates were asked about the proposed Jordan Cove LNG project in Coos Bay. Devlin and Avakian said they wouldn’t stand in the way; Hoyle said she absolutely supports it. The primary is still six months away, and most large af- filiates haven’t yet interviewed the candidates — all three of whom have had solid ties to la- bor over the years. In the end, delegates took no action, and in- stead referred the question of endorsement to the first AFL- CIO E-Board meeting of 2016. Senator Jeff Merkley won’t be voting for the Trans-Pacific deal SEASIDE—Before U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) even got to the stage at the Oregon AFL-CIO conven- tion, delegates gave him a standing ovation. Merkley is one of labor’s top allies in op- posing further NAFTA-style trade deals like the Trans-Pa- cific Partnership (TPP), which faces a ratification vote in Congress. At the convention, he ex- plained why he opposes it: American workers used to benefit from a “virtuous cy- cle” in which rising wages fu- eled greater consumer buying power, which added jobs and led to rising wages. “In the mid-’70s, that fell apart,” Merkley said, “and it started with an explosion in imports from overseas.” Since then, Merkley said, U.S. trade deficits rose after virtually every trade agree- ment. The agreements make it easier for U.S. companies to invest overseas, but do nothing to improve labor standards in those countries. — Don McIntosh Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call Even if an employer fails to buy workers’ comp coverage, an injured worker has the right to obtain benefits. Learn about your rights before you give up on obtaining help when you are hurt on the job. 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland 140 Low Prices! Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6
