Some candidates seek union endorsements. Some don’t. But it’s historically rare for candidates to pledge publicly not to seek a union endorsement. Lately, an exception to that has been police unions.
After the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, some activists targeted police unions in particular as an obstacle to police accountability. The Portland Police Association had its headquarters attacked in July and August 2020; rioters spray-painted graffiti and tried to set the office on fire. The union has since relocated its offices to Clackamas County.
In the last several years, a Portland advocacy group called Imagine Black has promoted a “No police money in politics” pledge for candidates to sign. It says: “I pledge not to take contributions from police unions or associations, not to seek their endorsement and to publicly reject their independent expenditures. I will instead prioritize the wellbeing and safety of every member of our community.”
At least 14 candidates running for Portland City Council this year signed the pledge, including at least eight that sought and won endorsements from other unions: Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, Timur Ender, Chris Flanary, Sameer Kanal, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo, and Steph Routh.
“The bottom line is that at the core of what we do, it’s the same core issues, like pay, benefits. and working conditions,” PPA president Aaron Schmautz told the Labor Press. “It should be chilling to other unions that groups would take a position that singles out a union, because what is to say that the issue du jour in the future won’t be yours?”
