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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2019)
PAGE 10 | April 19, 2019 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS UNION DEMOCRACY Who’s on our side? By Tom Chamberlain Oregon AFL-CIO President Simplistic initiatives create complex problems Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Bill Size- more wreaked havoc in Oregon by putting simplistic initia- tives on the ballot to address complex issues. Sizemore’s suc- cess at the ballot box has left a lasting negative impact on our state, including property tax limitations that allow con- struction without building permits. These measures trans- ferred the bulk of school funding from local property taxes to Oregon’s general fund. Sizemore targeted workers, too, by requiring them to contribute 6 percent to their pensions (despite public employers pushing employees to pay pension costs to save money, at the expense of public worker raises). The Oregon Supreme Court overturned that measure. The initiative process is one of the pillars of Oregon’s democracy, but the initiative can be manipulated when Size- more-like drafters address complex problems with simplistic solutions at the ballot box. Championed by Tim Nesbitt and Ted Kulongoski, two PERS initiatives were recently filed that would reduce pension benefits for Oregon public work- ers to address the PERS unfunded liability by reducing pen- sion benefits for Oregon public workers. The problem with PERS isn’t that Oregon is providing overly generous benefits. The average PERS retiree receives approximately $29,500 per year, or about 44 percent of final average salary. And of the 175,997 active PERS members, 119,469 are in Tier 3. Tier 3 members are required to work longer and are paid a lesser benefit than Tiers 1 and 2. The PERS problem is the legacy costs of Tier 1 and Tier 2. Nesbitt’s proposal to move public workers from their cur- rent defined benefit plan to a 6 percent employer funded 401(k) is sponsored by the Oregon Business Council. Such changes are severe and unfair. For example, the average 35 year-old teacher would see a 57 percent cut in their retire- ment benefit. Nesbitt’s scheme would shift all the retirement risk from the employer to the worker and do little to nothing to reduce the PERS Tier 1 and 2’s unfunded liability. An- other smoke screen is Nesbitt’s requirement that all public workers pay 6 percent into PERS. Most public workers al- ready pay 6 percent of their wages into an individual ac- count, and those who don’t have negotiated it with their pub- lic employer instead of a pay raise. If the goal is to pay down Oregon’s PERS unfunded lia- bility, then that should be the focus — not reducing benefits for active Tier 3 employees whose costs are not associated with the unfunded liability. I am discouraged that many in corporate Oregon refuse to pay their fair share of taxes to fund Oregon services, but are quick on the draw to line up public worker pensions as targets. I find it troubling that Ku- longoski and Nesbitt enjoy PERS retirements that have con- tributed to the system’s unfunded liability, yet advocate for reducing benefits for workers who have a smaller pension benefit than what they enjoy. Polls say 57 percent of Oregon voters think that public workers’ benefits should not be cut to pay for PERS Tier 1 and 2 unfunded liability. Nesbitt and Kulongoski’s ill-con- ceived ballot measure is another Sizemore-ian attempt to address a complex problem with a simplistic ballot measure that is unlikely to pass and sidesteps the real issue of funding debt for Oregon. It’s time to stop scapegoating public work- ers and roll up our sleeves and find a solution by working together. Isn’t that the Oregon way of governing? Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO federation of labor unions. Trainor launches campaign to lead Oregon AFL-CIO aren’t seeking re-election. No vice president of Oregon AF- other candidates have declared. SCME. A native of Eagle Point, Trainor is currently Oregon Oregon, she went to work at AFL-CIO chief of staff. A native Head Start in 2007, and was elected president of her of Indiana, he Graham Trainor is union, AFSCME Local moved to Ore- seeking election as 2619, in 2013. She’s gon in 2006 president of the Oregon also a delegate to the and worked as AFL-CIO — together Southern Oregon Cen- Oregon state on a slate with Christy director of tral Labor Chapter. O’Neill for secretary- Wo r k i n g As of their public treasurer. The Oregon America, the campaign launch April AFL-CIO is the federa- A F L - C I O ’s 11, the two listed the tion that most of the program for endorsements of 30 la- state’s unions belong to; Graham Trainor workers who Christy O’Neill bor organizations. it coordinates their po- don’t have a union in their Trainor and O’Neill outline litical work and assists affiliates workplace. He went to work for their vision on a campaign web- with union organizing. the Oregon AFL-CIO in 2008, site, oregonlaborforward.org. The election will take place at first as field director and later as Among other things, they pro- the organization’s next biennial political director. He’s a mem- pose to maintain a focus on convention, September 19-22 in ber IBEW Local 48, which rep- strategic organizing, prioritize Seaside. Tom Chamberlain and resents Oregon AFL-CIO staff. racial and gender justice, and Barbara Byrd, the current presi- O’Neill is a teacher at South- continue to grow the political dent and secretary-treasurer, ern Oregon Head Start and first field program. The state federation’s current leader, Tom Chamberlain, isn’t seeking re-election. Two more shops vote to join Burgerville Workers Union Two union elections supervised by the National Labor Relations Board made official what the Burgerville Workers Union had already told the Burgerville fast food chain — that a majority of workers at the company’s Mon- tavilla and Convention Center locations in Portland want to be represented by the union, which is affiliated with Industrial Raymond Thomas Cynthia Newton Melissa Haggerty Workers of the World. The April 3 vote at the 8218 NE Glisan St. store was 15 to 9 in favor of the union, with 24 out of 28 crew members casting a ballot. The April 5 vote at the 1135 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. store was 14 to 7 for the union, with 21 of 37 crew mem- bers voting. That brings to five the num- ber of locations that are offi- cially unionized. The others are James Coon Chris Frost Sydney Montanaro If a defective product causes your work injury you may be able to sue the manufacturer for damages in a products liability claim 820 SW Second Ave., Suite 200, Portland, OR 97204 Scott Sell Chris Thomas www.tcnf.legal at 3504 SE 92nd Ave, Portland, 19119 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Gladstone, and 1122 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland. In bargaining, the union cele- brated a company concession April 11: The company will al- low tipping, and will set up a system to allow customers to tip in the next month or two. The union is asking the public to boycott the company until a contract is signed.
