September 7, 2007 Volume 108 Number 17

Labor Democrats back Merkley for Senate

Oregon Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner and six state legislators who are labor union members announced their support for Jeff Merkley for the U.S. Senate in the May 2008 Democratic primary.

“Jeff Merkley’s leadership in the House has opened doors for workers all across Oregon,” said Gardner, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48. “He has been a real ally in protecting prevailing wage jobs and the minimum wage, expanding collective bargaining rights, protecting our firefighters and police officers and strengthening Oregon’s family leave laws. That’s the kind of leadership Oregon needs in the U.S. Senate, and Jeff’s the guy to get it done.”

The union members endorsing Merkley are: State Representatives Diane Rosenbaum, a member of Communications Workers Local 7901; Brad Witt, a business agent of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555; Paul Holvey, an organizer for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters; Jeff Barker, a former president and retired member of the Portland Police Association; Mike Schaufler, a former member of the Laborers Union; Larry Galizio of the American Federation of Teachers; and State Senator Lori Monnes Anderson, a member of the Oregon Nurses Association.

“Working families are the backbone of our economy, but clearly Gordon Smith doesn’t get that, or he just doesn’t care,” Merkley said. “Instead, he has made it his job to rubber-stamp every corporate tax give away George Bush puts in front of him. Multi-national corporations have plenty of friends in the Senate. Oregon’s working families need someone to stand with them.”