Page 4 | October 16, 2020 | noRthWeSt LaboR PReSS
novembeR 2020 geneRaL eLection
OREGON
STATEWIDE
BALLOT
MEASURES
FEDERAL OFFICE
u.S. Senate
Jeff merkley (d) is seeking a third six-year
term. It would be challenging to find a
stronger labor ally in the U.S. Senate than
Merkley. He also works harder than any other
Oregon member of Congress to stay in touch
with Oregon’s labor movement. The national
AFL-CIO gives him a 99% lifetime voting
record in Congress. AFL-CIO, OBTC, IAFF, UFCW
JeffMerkley.com
u.S. houSe
Congressional District 1
(Portland/NW Oregon)
Suzanne bonamici (d) has been a reliably
pro-labor Democrat. The AFL-CIO gives her a
95% lifetime rating over her five terms in the
House. AFL-CIO, IAFF, IUPAT, OEA, ONA, UFCW,
WFP Bonamiciforcongress.com
Congressional District 3
(Portland/E.Multnomah Co.)
earl blumenauer (d) has been a reliably
pro-labor Democrat. The national AFL-CIO
gives him a 93% lifetime rating over his seven
terms in the House. AFL-CIO, AFSCME, IAFF, IBT,
IUPAT, OEA, SEIU, UFCW
EarlBlumenauer.com
Congressional District 4
(Eugene/ SW Oregon)
Peter deFazio (d), in Congress since 1987,
voted against NAFTA and has remained a
fierce critic of NAFTA-style deals. He’s also a
big proponent of infrastructure investment,
and serves as the chair of the House Trans-
portation Committee. This year he faces a
challenge from Alek Skarlatos, a 27-year-old
Army National Guard veteran who became fa-
mous for stopping a terrorist on a train in
France in 2015. Skarlatos wrote a book about
the experience and later played himself in a
Clint Eastwood movie about it. Though he’s
never held public office before, he’s raised
$1.3 million as of July 1; almost two-thirds of
his contributions are coming from outside
Oregon, including from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-
Texas). DeFazio has defeated well-funded
challenges before, but organized labor
doesn’t want to risk losing him in the House,
and considers his re-election a priority. AFL-
CIO, AFT, CWA, IAFF, IBT, IUPAT, LiUNA, OEA, UA
290, UFCW, WFP DefazioForCongress.org
Congressional District 5
(Salem/Clackamas/Coast)
Kurt Schrader (d), a five-term incumbent,
has one of the worst labor records of any De-
mocrat in the House. It’s not just that Schrader
has voted for every NAFTA-style trade treaty.
He also voted to restrict workers’ right to
unionize on Indian reservations, sponsored a
bill to ban slowdown job actions by longshore
workers, and this February was one of only
seven Democrats to vote against the PRO Act,
a bill to eliminate anti-union “right to work”
laws and make it easier for workers to union-
ize. Only one union appears to be endorsing
him this election. With a $2.6 million cam-
paign war chest mostly from moneyed inter-
ests, there’s little doubt Schrader will beat the
Republican nominee — former Keizer city
councilor Amy Ryan Courser. Courser, who had
less than $4,000 on hand as of July, calls
Schrader a “antifa-loving radical Democrat”
and says Joe Biden and Kate Brown represent
Satan and socialism. OEA KurtSchrader.com
about thiS guide
Ballots can be confusing and crowded. To help union members make an informed decision, this guide lists all candidates who have at
least one union endorsement, except candidates who are unopposed. Each entry ends with a web site where you can find out more.
Legend
Labor organization acronyms refer to a union’s
statewide or regional body unless a local number is
listed. In each entry, AFL-CIO, NOLC, OBTC, and CP-
BCTC appear first because they’re coordinating
bodies made up of multiple labor unions.
AFL-CIO state federation most unions belong to
AFSCME State, County, and Municipal Employees
AFT American Federation of Teachers-Oregon or lo-
cal affiliate
ATU Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
CPBCTC Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council
CWA Communications Workers of America Local
7901
IAFF Fire Fighters or local affiliate
IBEW Electrical Workers
48 Portland
280Tangent
IBTTeamsters
ILWU Longshore/warehouse
Insulators - Insulators Local 36
IUOE Operating Engineers Local 701
IUPAT Painters District Council 5
IW Ironworkers Local 29
LCCLC Lane County Central Labor Chapter
LiUNA Ore. and S. Idaho District Council of Laborers
NOLC NW Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO
OBTC Oregon State Building Trades Council
OEA Oregon Education Association or local affiliate
OFNHP Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health
Professionals
ONA Oregon Nurses Association
OSEA Oregon School Employees Assoc.
PAT Portland Association of Teachers
PCCFFAP/PCCFCE faculty and classified locals of
AFT at Portland Community College
PROTEC 17 Professional & Technical Employees at
City of Portland
SMART Sheet Metal Local 16
UA 290 Plumbers and Fitters
UFCW United Food & Commercial Workers Local
555
UBC Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters
WFP Oregon Working Families Party, a union-
backed minor party
measure 107
(Limit campaign
contributions)
yeS Oregon ranks #1 in the country
in corporate political donations to
candidates, thanks to how the Ore-
gon Supreme Court has interpreted
the free speech provisions of the state
Constitution. Measure 107 would
amend the Oregon Constitution to al-
low laws that limit political cam-
paign contributions and require dis-
closure of those contributions. It was
referred to voters by an overwhelm-
ing bipartisan vote of the Oregon
Legislature. AFL-CIO, AFSCME, OEA
FairAndHonestElections.org
measure 108
(Tobacco Tax)
yeS Measure 108 taxes e-cigarettes
and vaping products for the first
time, and increases the existing
$1.33 per pack cigarette tax by $2 per
pack. That brings Oregon cigarette
taxes in line with those in Washing-
ton and California. Revenues will
fund health care coverage for low-in-
come families and public health pro-
grams including tobacco prevention.
The measure was referred to voters
by a two-to-one majority of the Ore-
gon Legislature. AFL-CIO, AFSCME,
OFNHP, ONA, SEIU 503 YesOn108.org
measure 110
(Drug treatment)
yeS Addiction is a serious crisis in
Oregon, which ranks nearly last
among states in access to drug treat-
ment. Measure 110 is meant to make
drug treatment and recovery avail-
able to any Oregon resident who re-
quests it. It would increase funding
for drug treatment by about $60 mil-
lion a year by diverting marijuana tax
revenue over what was forecast
when voters first passed marijuana
legalization and dedicated the tax
revenue to schools. Currently over
8,000 people are arrested in Oregon
each year for simple drug possession.
Convicting them criminally costs
$15,000 per case, more than drug
treatment. Measure 110 decriminal-
izes simple possession of illegal drugs
like heroin, cocaine, and metham-
phetamine and devotes the money
saved from the criminal justice sys-
tem toward drug treatment. Manu-
facture and distribution would still be
criminal, but possession would be-
come a Class E violation, subject to ei-
ther a $100 fine or a required sub-
stance use disorder screening by a
certified alcohol and drug counselor.
AFL-CIO, CWA 7901, IAM, IBEW 48, ONA,
SEIU 503, SEIU 49, UFCW, WFP
VoteYesOn110.org