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May 5, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
AT THE OREGON LEGISLATURE:
The big drama in this year’s Legislative session is about what to do about a massive budget shortfall, and whether
to heed calls by business groups to cut public employee retirement costs. Both are unlikely to be decided until near
the end of the session in June. But Oregon labor has been busy moving other priorities.
Labor’s Agenda
Which side are they on?
UFCW’s top priority:
Will the Oregon Legislature ban anti-union ‘right-to-work’ ordinances?
There’s no greater litmus test
than “right to work” to separate
union friends from union foes.
Right-to-work is the confusing
name for a law that outlaws any
contract between union and em-
ployer that requires the union-
represented workers to pay
union dues or fees. Its sole pur-
pose is to weaken unions finan-
cially and organizationally. Un-
til recently, only states (in the
South and Plains regions)
passed such laws. But anti-
union groups decided to test if
federal courts would let local ju-
risdictions like counties and
cities pass right-to-work laws
too. Last November, in a case
called UAW vs. Hardin County,
the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled that local bodies
can pass right-to-work laws.
Technically, the decision only
applies to Kentucky and part of
Ohio, but it opens the door for
attempts elsewhere.
Oregon’s labor movement
wants to shut that door, and shut
it now. If small rural counties
and towns start passing right-to-
work ordinances, it would
weaken unions in areas where
workers already have the least
power. Senate Bill 1040 would
WE ARE WATCHING: Union members pack a hearing on SB 1040, a bill to
prevent local jurisdictions from passing anti-union “right-to-work” laws.
prevent local bodies from pass-
ing such ordinances. It’s pretty
straighforward: “An employer
or labor organization anywhere
in this state may execute and ap-
ply an agreement requiring
membership in a labor organiza-
tion as a condition of employ-
ment to the full extent allowed
by federal law.”
On April 25, the bill went to
the Senate floor, and labor found
out who its real friends and foes
are. It passed 17-12, with every
single Democrat voting for it,
and every single Republican
votig against it (except Herman
Baertschiger Jr. of Grants Pass,
who was absent).
The Senate Republican Of-
fice even issued a press release
blasting the vote on the bill.
“Oregonians should be upset
with politicians trying to get in
the way of local job opportuni-
ties by getting in the way of pri-
vate sector labor relations,” said
Senate Republican Leader Ted
Ferrioli in the release. [That
takes the cake: Getting in the
way of private sector labor rela-
tions is exactly what right-to-
work laws do. Simply put, the
laws prohibit employers from
signing “union security” clauses
— whether they want to or not.]
SB 1040 is now under con-
sideration in the Oregon House.
Clean Engines, Clean Air
On public works, 10 percent apprentices?
SB 1008, sponsored by State Sen. Michael Dembrow, is backed by
Oregon AFSCME and the
Oregon Nurses Association.
As amended, it would use
$72 million from a legal
settlement with Volkswa-
gen to reduce emissions
from school buses and start
to retrofit or replace high-
polluting trucks. It would also direct an inventory of nonroad diesel
engines. It passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resources
Committee April 24.
HB 2162 would mandate that state construction contracts over $5
million require contractors to employ apprentices to perform 10 per-
cent of work hours. It passed the House 53-3 April 24 and is now in
the Senate Workforce Committee. It’s supported by the Carpenters,
Oregon Tradeswomen Inc., and Associated General Contractors, but
Oregon State Building Trades Council and IBEW 48 are opposing it in
its current form. Oregon State Building Trades head Tim Frew says
they want to add “responsible bidder” language to the bill.
A big sloppy kiss for Uber? No thanks.
HB 3246, sponsored by Salem Democrat Brian Clem, would have
barred local governments from
regulating and improving condi-
tions for Uber and Lyft drivers, and
could have declared that drivers are
legally independent contractors.
The Oregon AFL-CIO fought against
it, and President Tom Chamberlain
and a group of Uber/Lyft drivers
assembled by the Oregon AFL-CIO testified against it. It died in the
House Business and Labor Committee without a vote.
Rent control and no-cause eviction
HB 2004 as amended, would relax a statewide preemption on local
rent control ordinances: Cities or counties woudl be allowed to limit
rent increases on rental properties that are more than five years old,
so long as landlords are guaranteed a fair rate of return, and a hardship
appeal process is established. The bill would also bar “no-cause” evic-
tion after 6 months of occupancy. And it would require landlords
with 5 units or more to pay tenants relocation expenses equivalent
to one month’s rent for a “good cause” eviction, such as significant
renovation or sale. The bill is backed by a coalition that includes SEIU
Local 49 and the Portland Association of Teachers. It passed the House
31-27 April 4, largely along party lines, with all Republicans and De-
mocrats Caddy McKeown and Brad Witt voting against it. [Salem De-
mocrat Brian Clem wasn’t going to vote for it, but he was absent;
Aloha Democrat Jeff Barker was also planning to vote against it, but
agreed to vote for it as a favor to Cannon Beach Democrat Deborah
Boone, who couldn’t be there in person.] The bill is now in the Senate
Human Services Committee.
Winning a Fair Work Week
SB 828would require large retail, hospital-
ity, and food services employers to provide
new employees with an esti-
mated work schedule, and cur-
rent employees with two
weeks' notice of employee work
schedule, compensation for
last-minute employer-re-
quested schedule changes, and extra com-
pensation when fewer than 10 hours sepa-
rate shifts. They would also have
to offer additional hours to ex-
isting employees before hiring
new employees or subcontrac-
tors. It passed the Senate Work-
force Committee on April 20.
“Far too often workers in Oregon — especially those in the retail, food service, and hos-
pitality industries — are being scheduled in a way that gives them little to no control
over their lives. Many receive work schedules with very little notice, often less than a
week, and sometimes as little as the same day. They have no say in their own work
schedules. They do not know from week to week how many hours they will work or
when those work hours will be. They do not know what their weekly paycheck will
amount to. … These inconsistent schedules are wreaking havoc on family lives and
economic security.”
— UFCW Local 555 Legislative Director Kevin Billman at a April 3 hearing
How
to
make
a
Better
Oregon
Hint: Make Corporations pay their share
Canvasses will knock on 2,000
doors May 6 and May 19
Things are getting real in Salem.
A $1.6 billion budget deficit
looms at the state level and Ore-
gon has the lowest corporate
taxes in the nation. Instead of
making corporations pay more,
legislators have drawn up a list
of billions in cuts to critical
services.
That’s why the union-com-
munity coalition A Better Ore-
gon is organizing canvasses to
send a message to legislators:
Cuts to critical services are un-
acceptable as long as Oregon is
50th in corporate taxes; so it’s
time to raise taxes on corpora-
tions and ask them to pay their
fair share.
Our Oregon will provide
snacks and a full training and
script. For more information,
call Kevin at 971-241-690 or
email him at sullivan@ourore-
gon.org
On Saturday, May 6, the
coalition will be knocking doors
in Portland to make sure legisla-
tors hear from their neighbors
and constituents. In one day, the
plan is to knock on 2,000 doors.
■ Meeting time: Saturday, May 6, 10-2
■ Meeting place: SEIU Local 49 hall,
3536 SE 26th Ave, Portland
Another canvass is scheduled
May 13. Sign up online at
http://bit.ly/2pCceS3.
All hands on deck!
Over the course of this year’s session of the Oregon Legislature,
many labor organizations are bringing members to Salem to talk
to representatives. Next up is an all-union lobby day organized by
the Oregon AFL-CIO. If you haven't met with your legislator
before, don't worry - the state labor federation will provide
training, and staff will be available to meet with legislators.
Oregon AFL-CIO Lobby day:
■ When: Wednesday, May 24, 9:30 a.m
■ Where: Room 350, Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St NE, Salem, Oregon
■ RSVP required: Visit oraflcio.org/lobbyday by May 15 to register.
Join union members from across Oregon to meet with legislators, advocate for working
people, and make your voice heard in Salem. Visit http://bit.ly/2oUHMVZ to download
a flier to help recruit for this important event.