Former Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek continues to accumulate union endorsements in her race for Oregon governor. Kotek faces Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read and former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in the May Democratic primary.
The latest union to endorse Kotek is the Northwest Carpenters, which represents approximately 9,000 workers in Oregon, the campaign announced Feb. 7. That follows an endorsement announcement from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Locals 503 and 49, totaling 87,000 workers in health care, home care, janitorial, and the public sector. The two locals announced their support of Kotek Jan. 26, after Local 503’s elected political action committee evaluated candidate questionnaires and a interview by members, in partnership with Local 49.
All told, 13 labor organizations are backing Kotek. The others are: Oregon State Building Trades Council; IBEW Local 48 and Local 280; Iron Workers Pacific NW District Council; Oregon & Southern Idaho District Council of Laborers; Oregon Nurses Association; Operating Engineers Local 701 United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290; Painters District Council 5; and Sheet Metal Workers Local 16.
Kristof is the only other candidate with a union endorsement so far, backed by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. On Feb. 8, his campaign announced that it had voluntarily recognized a union for its three staff members; they’ll be members of Painters Local 116. It’s not clear Kristof will be on the ballot. Oregon’s Constitution requires candidates for governor to have been Oregon residents for three years, but Kristof voted in New York in 2020, and the Oregon Secretary of State’s office has declared him ineligible, a ruling that’s under appeal. [UPDATE: The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Feb. 17 that Kristof is NOT eligible.]
The Oregon AFL-CIO, the federation that most of the state’s unions belong to, will consider the endorsement question at the March 3 meeting of its Committee on Political Education (COPE).
Tina Kotek already stole from my diminished retirement. There is no way she will get my vote. SEIU 503: sellouts. https://www.opb.org/news/article/pers-oregon-peter-courtney-tina-kotek-plan/?outputType=amp
If you think all members of SEIU LOCAL 503 endorse this woman, think again. SEIU LOCAL 503 is nothing more than a political action committee and dues collecting organization masquerading as a workers’ union.
As Oregon Speaker of the House in 2019 Tina Kotek not only voted for, but pushed for passage of Senate Bill 1049 which was passed by the Oregon House and Senate and signed by Governor Brown. This bill made changes to PERS retirements of many Oregon public sector workers who will receive lower retirement benefits due to the passage of this bill. Tina Kotek and any Democrats who voted for the bill were banned from speaking at the 2019 Labor Day Picnic due to their yes vote on SB 2019. How can SEIU 503 and other unions whose members enjoy PERS benefit pensions endorse Tina Kotek for Governor in 2022?