Wu trumpets opposition to Cascade Locks casino, irks construction unions


Construction trades unions are furious with First District Congressman David Wu after he announced opposition to a proposed Indian casino in Cascade Locks that, if approved by the federal government, will be built under an all-union project labor agreement.

Last month, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation to build a $135 million casino, hotel and convention center on non-tribal industrial land in Cascade Locks, located 40 miles east of Portland in the Columbia Gorge. The compact includes a project labor agreement with general contractor Anderson Construction and the Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council.

It is anticipated that the 500,000-square-foot complex will provide 1.7 million work-hours for roughly 400 union construction workers. But in order for it to go forward, the state must get site approval from the federal government. The deadline for approval is May 22.

On April 28, Wu’s office hand-delivered a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, and on May 3 the Democratic congressman read a statement on the House floor opposing the casino.

“Cascade Locks isn’t even in his (Wu’s) district. I don’t know why he’s getting involved in this,” said Bruce Temple, business manager of Cement Masons Local 555.

Cascade Locks is in Oregon’s Second District, represented by Republican Greg Walden. Walden supports the casino. He and a number of elected officials in the area sent a letter of their own to Norton asking her to approve the site.

Wu says an environmental impact statement and “consultation and finding” process are required before Norton can issue a ruling. However, under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Norton is provided only 45 days to review the compact (with the deadline being May 22).

“Because 45 days is not a sufficient length of time to fully study the effects of the Indian gaming casino, Congressman Wu believes Secretary Norton must exercise her authority and reject the compact in order to allow a full environmental assessment,” said Wu spokeswoman Jillian Schoene.

Wu also cited Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which prohibits off-reservation gaming absent consultation with local governments, other tribes, and a finding of no detriment to local communities.

Wu says the compact is so specific in its siting that it precludes that process from occurring.

Wu’s district borders a casino run by the competing Grand Ronde tribe.

Walden said if Norton does nix the deal, the tribe has every right to build a casino on environmentally-sensitive tribal land in Hood River. “They could return to that site tomorrow if they wanted,” he said.

It was complaints from citizens of Hood River that led to the negotiations for a land-swap that resulted in the casino being located on non-tribal land in Cascade Locks.

Wu rejects that argument outright, saying the Hood River casino site “is a red herring — neither physically buildable nor legally available for gambling purposes.”

The argument that unless a casino is permitted in Cascade Locks (where residents do want it) it inevitably will be built in Hood River (where residents don’t want it) “is a smokescreen used to hide other appropriate, non-Gorge sites,” Wu wrote in his letter to Norton.

Not all of labor is happy with the compact, either. UNITE-HERE Local 9, which represents hotel, restaurant and textile employees, doesn’t like a provision in the pact that forces it to wait eight months before attempting to organize the more than 1,000 employees — even though the tribe agreed to voluntary “card-check recognition,” which means that if a simple majority of 50 percent plus one signs a card for representation, contract negotiations would begin immediately.

Additionally, on May 5, more opponents of the casino filed a lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court challenging Kulongoski’s authority to allow casinos on non-tribal land. The lawsuit asks the court to void the deal.

The lawsuit was filed by Portland attorney Kelly Clark.


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