AFL-CIO to join business group for economic recovery summit Nov. 19

Responding to a growing sense of economic urgency, the Oregon AFL-ClO and Associated Oregon Industries (AOI) have scheduled a joint "economic recovery summit" of business and labor leaders to develop creative, innovative ideas that will assist Oregon's economy.

The summit, to be held at the University Club in Portland on Monday, Nov. 19, will be led by an economist and a facilitator and will involve 25 persons, including chief executive officers and representatives of business associations and consulting firms, as well as principal officers and economists from major unions in the state.

"We have shown what we can do when we work together. No one understands the issues affecting Oregon employers and employees more than management and labor," said Tim Nesbitt, president of the Oregon AFL-CIO.

"We believe we have a responsibility to come together, find meaningful solutions to stimulate our economy and lead our state's recovery," added Richard Butrick, president of AOI.

The main focus of the summit is not to reform the tax system nor balance the state's budget but to get companies up and running again and get workers back on the payroll, the groups said in a joint press release.

The Oregon AFL-CIO represents 170,000 union members. AOI is the state's largest business organization, representing more than 21,000 businesses.