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Building Trades Council says no to Measures 92 & 98FLORENCE - Building trades unions in Oregon are recommending to their members to "just say no" to a slew of measures that will appear on the November ballot. The construction crafts don't necessarily oppose every one of the 26 measures that have qualified for the ballot, but because 19 of them are constitutional amendments that would have tremendous impact on the state's general fund, council officers said it might be safer to simply cast no votes down the ballot. "These are major policy questions and voters are going to get a Voters' Pamphlet the size of a phone book," Bob Shiprack, executive secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (OSBCTC), told about 90 delegates and guests attending the 39th annual convention here. "How are we or other voters supposed to make a reasonable decision on these ballot measures when even the experts are having trouble deciphering what they mean?" Shiprack said many of the measures are simply meant "to throw sand in the wheels of government." Several others, he cautioned, are direct attacks on unions. Two in particular are Measures 92 and 98 sponsored by Bill Sizemore, director of the anti-union Oregon Taxpayers United. Measures 92 and 98 would change the Constitution to disallow dues checkoff for collecting union dues if any part of those dues is used for political activity. "The measures are nothing more than a gag rule for unions," said Tim Nesbitt, president of the Oregon AFL-CIO and co-chair with Shiprack of the Labor 2000 coalition. "Measures 92 and 98 will prevent our unions from lobbying the Legislature, school boards, commissions, county and local councils, or any other public official on behalf of issues that affect all of us," he told delegates. Measures 92 and 98 are so heinous that delegates voted unanimously to recommend that each affiliate assess its membership $2 a member a month to Oregonians To Maintain Community Standards, a political action committee that tracks building trades issues. The assessment is expected to raise more than $250,000 for the opposition campaigns. Additionally, the building trades assigned Pat Quigley, a member of Asbestos Workers Local 36, as their full-time labor liaison for the campaign. He will be on staff through Election Day Nov. 7. Officially, OSBCTC opposed Measures 2, 6, 8, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96 and 98. Briefly, Measure 2 would create a process for requiring the Legislature to review all administrative rules; Measure 6 would provide public funding to candidates who limit spending private contributions; Measure 8 would limit state appropriations to a percentage of the state's prior personal income; Measure 88 would increase the maximum deductible in Oregon for federal income taxes paid; Measure 91 would make federal income taxes fully deductible on Oregon tax returns; Measure 93 would require voters to approve new taxes and fees by a certain percentage of voters; Measure 94 would repeal the mandatory minimum sentencing for certain felonies and requires resentencing; and Measure 96 prohibits making the initiative process harder, except through the initiative process. In other political activity the building trades council issued endorsements in many statewide and legislative races. The council endorsed Democrats Hardy Myers for attorney general and Randall Edwards for state treasurer. They issued a dual endorsement for Democrat Bill Bradbury and Republican Lynn Snodgrass in the race for secretary of state. Paul DeMuniz was endorsed for the non-partisan race for Oregon Supreme Court justice. In congressional races the council supported re-election of David Wu in the First District; Greg Walden in the Second District; Earl Blumenauer in the Third District; Peter DeFazio in the Fourth District; and Darlene Hooley in the Fifth District. All but Walden are Democrats. The building trades council endorsed several union members for re-election, including incumbent State Representatives Dan Gardner of Electrical Workers Local 48, Diane Rosenbaum of Communications Workers Local 7901, Gary Hansen of Plumbers and Fitters Local 290, and Randy Leonard of Fire Fighters Local 43. All four are Democrats running unopposed in November. [See the list below for other legislative endorsements.] In other convention action, Mark Holliday, business manager of Operating Engineers Local 701, was re-elected president of the Oregon State Building Trades Council. Matt Walters, business manager of Plumbers and Fitters Local 290, was re-elected vice president; Keith Edwards, business manager of Electrical Workers Local 48, was elected guard, and Don McKinnon, business manager of Plasterers Local 82, was re-elected conductor. Re-elected trustees were Paddy Barry, business manager of Iron Workers Local 29; Stan Danielson, business manager of Asbestos Workers Local 36; John Mohlis, business manager of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1; Bruce Temple, business manager of Cement Masons Local 555; Mike Thompson, business manager of Roofers Local 49; and George Gritz, business manager of Laborers Local 121. Bob Ronspiess, business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 16, was also elected a trustee. Re-elected to the Executive Board were Mike Carmickle, Larry Harshbarger, Wally Mehrens, and Alan Mills, all members of Local 290; Steve Rose of Electrical Workers Local 280, and Bob Vandecar of Electrical Workers Local 112. All are executive secretaries of their respective building trades councils in Oregon. The state council handed out two $750 college scholarships. One went to Mindy McArthur of Eugene and the other to Stacia Carter of Longview. Mindy is the daughter of Ray McArthur, a member of Operating Engineers Local 701, and Stacia is the daughter of Local 701 member Mike Carter. The students applied through the state scholarship program, with winners selected by Governor John Kitzhaber. The scholarships are funded by trust fund managers Oppenheimer and Company Inc., and Ferguson, Wellman, Rudd, Purdy & Van Winkle Inc. Checks were presented by Jon Bettendorf and Scott Gardner, respectively. The Center For Worker Rights headed by Norman Malbin, in-house attorney for Electrical Workers Local 48, distributed booklets to delegates entitled, "Your Rights Under Wage and Hour Law." The pamphlets, which provide basic information on the most common abuses of wage and hour laws, will be distributed to union representatives who, in turn, will hand them out to non-union construction workers in Oregon.
Democrats endorsed were Betsy Johnson in District 1; Elaine Hopson in District 2; Mark Haas in District 8; Mike Smith in District 10; Mary Nolan in District 11; Chris Beck in District 12; Steve March in District 15; Jeff Merkley in District 16; Deborah Kafoury in District 18; Jo Ann Bowman in District 19; Laurie Monnes Anderson in District 22; Kurt Schrader in District 23; Richard Devlin in District 24; Carolyn Tomei in District 25; Kathy Lowe in District 26; George Bell in District 32; Kelley Wirth in District 35; Robert Ackerman in District 39; Phil Barnhart in District 40; Vicki Walker in District 41; Bill Morrisette in District 42; Al King in District 44; Joanne Verger in District 47; and Lon Holston in District 51. Republicans endorsed were Bruce Starr in District 3; Jim Hill in District 5; John Scruggs in District 6; Bill Witt in District 7; Max Williams in District 9; Karen Minnis in District 20; Donna Nelson in District 29; Dan Doyle in District 30; Jackie Winters in District 31; Vic Backlund in District 33; Lane Shetterly in District 34; Betsy Close in District 36; Jeff Kropf in District 37; Jeff Kruse in District 45; Susan Morgan in District 46; Carl Wilson in District 49; Rob Patridge in District 50; Tim Knopp in District 54; Ben Westlund in District 55; Bob Jenson in District 57; Mark Simmons in District 58; Greg Smith in District 59, and Tom Butler in District 60.
Democrats endorsed for the Senate were Terry Thompson in District 2; Ginny Burdick in District 6; Kate Brown in District 7; Margaret Carter in District 8; and Avel Gordly in District 10. Republicans endorsed for the Senate were Eileen Qutub in District 4; John Minnis in District 11; Bill Fisher in District 23; Ken Messerly in District 24; Jason Atkinson in District 25; Bev Clarno in District 27; Ted Ferrioli in District 28, and David Nelson in District 29.
© Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc.
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