Governor endorsement on AFL-CIO's docket

An expanded Oregon AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE) Board will meet on Friday, Dec. 14, to act on endorsements in two of the most critical contests in next year's elections - the races for governor and U.S. Senate.

An endorsement for the May 2002 primary requires a two-thirds majority vote of COPE delegates.

Last September delegates to the Oregon AFL-CIO convention overwhelmingly approved a resolution that expands COPE to include representatives of all international unions affiliated with the Oregon AFL-CIO - in addition to the Executive Board and one representative from each central labor council. Each international union without representation on the Executive Board is entitled to appoint one voting delegate to the COPE meeting.

"The new COPE board structure allows all of our affiliates to participate in the decisions affecting endorsements and political program plans," said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tim Nesbitt. "It sets the table for a more inclusive and more representative decision-making process that is essential to building and main- taining a unified labor movement in the political arena."

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongoski will come into the meeting with the most momentum, having received backing from some of the state's largest locals and councils, including Oregon Council 75 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555; the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council; the Northwest Oregon Labor Council; and Teamsters Joint Council 37. (The Teamsters are not affiliated with the Oregon AFL-CIO and do not have representation on the COPE Board.)

Kulongoski is up against two other prominent Democrats - Bev Stein and Jim Hill. All three candidates are considered friends of labor and all three have compiled high COPE ratings while serving in the Legislature.

Hill is a former state treasurer and Stein is a former Multnomah County chairperson. Kulongoski stepped down from the Oregon Supreme Court to run for governor. He is a former attorney general and insurance commissioner.

All three candidates are actively seeking the AFL-CIO's endorsement. Whether Kulongoski can capture two-thirds of the vote remains to be seen.

On the Republican side, the building trades council endorsed Jack Roberts in the primary. The state labor commissioner is in a three-way race for that party's nomination against Kevin Mannix and Ron Saxton.

Also on the agenda for the Dec. 14 COPE meeting are endorsements in the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate, and reports on polling and other assessments of potential state labor federation initiatives for the 2002 election cycle.

Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a Democrat, has filed to run against Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Gordon Smith. Bradbury entered the race after Governor John Kitzhaber decided not to challenge Smith. Kitzhaber is prevented from seeking a third term as governor because of term limits.

While serving in the Legislature from 1981 to 1995 Bradbury compiled a 93 percent COPE voting record as tracked by the AFL-CIO. Smith earned a 26 percent rating during two terms in the State Senate and has a 3 percent COPE record over the first four years of his tenure in the U.S. Senate.

To find out more about all of the gubernatorial and senatorial candidates, including where they stand on work-related issues, go to the Oregon AFL-CIO Website:

oraflcio.unions-america.com

The COPE meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. following the regular quarterly meeting of the state labor federation's Executive Board. The meetings are at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16's hall, 2379 NE 178th Ave., Portland.