PORTLAND, Ore. — Two labor-backed school bond measures approved by voters in the May 16 elections will add nearly $1 billion in construction work to the area over the next few years. That’s music to the ears of construction unions.
The biggie is a $790 million school bond at Portland Public Schools. Voters approved Measure 26-193 by a margin of 61 to 39 percent. The money raised will pay to rebuild Lincoln High School and Kellogg Middle School; to retrofit Benson and Madison high schools; to repair or replace deteriorating school roofs; replace old water pipes and fixtures; to remove or encapsulate exposed lead paint and asbestos; improve building foundations and ventilation to decrease radon exposure; upgrade fire alarm and sprinkler systems; and improve accessibility for people with disabilities at every school in the district.
In Lake Oswego, voters narrowly passed Measure 3-515. The measure will raise $187 million to rebuild Lakeridge Junior High, perform maintenance repairs, and implement safety and security upgrades on existing schools. It passed 50.72 to 49.28 percent.
The construction work will fall under the “little” Davis-Bacon Act, which means contractors will pay prevailing wages and benefits. That’s a plus for union-signatory contractors, who will be more likely to outcompete nonunion contractors and secure much of the work, since they already pay at or above the prevailing wage rates set by the state.
The projects are broad in scope, too, touching nearly every union craft, said Willy Myers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council (CPBTC).
A third bond measure backed by the building trades and other labor groups wasn’t as fortunate. A $75 million Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) bond was defeated 55 to 45 percent. MHCC hasn’t been able to pass a bond since 1974.
In other election results:
- Two candidates for Portland School Board endorsed by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council were victorious. Rita Moore won in Zone 4, and Scott Bailey won in Zone 5. Both candidates also had support of the Portland Association of Teachers and the Portland Federation of School Professionals Local 111. Another Portland School Board candidate — Julia Brim Edwards — also was elected. She was endorsed by the CPBTC.
- Rob Wagner ran unopposed for Lake Oswego School Board Position 2. Wagner, a former employee of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is associate vice president of college advancement at Portland Community College. He was endorsed by NOLC, Portland Community College Local 2277-AFT, and PCC Local 3922-AFT.
- Ana Del Rocio won a three-way race for David Douglas School Board, Position 1. She captured nearly 42 percent of the vote against incumbent Cheryl Scarcelli Ancheta, who finished with 27 percent. Del Rocio was endorsed by NOLC, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555, and the Oregon School Employees Association.
- Retired Oregon AFSCME Council 75 lobbyist Mary Botkin was re-elected to the Multnomah Education Special District, with strong support from organized labor. She captured nearly 90 percent of the vote against her opponent.
- Annette Mattson was elected to the Mt. Hood Community College Board of Directors, Zone 4, with broad support from organized labor. She captured nearly 80 percent of the vote.
- Moses Ross finished third in a three-way race for Portland Community College Board of Directors, Zone 5. He was supported by NOLC and CPBTC. The winner, Valdez Bravo, a Democratic Party activist, had endorsements from PCC Local 2277-AFT and PCC Local 3922-AFT. Bravo won with nearly 62 percent of the vote.
- In the Gresham-Barlow School District, labor-endorsed Jason Dugan, a member of IBEW Local 48, was unsuccessful in a three-way race for School Board, Position 4, at-large. Blake Petersen won with 50.5 percent of the vote.
- In Parkrose School District, NOLC-endorsed Kori Basquez lost her bid for School Board, Position 4.
Overall, voter turnout was low. In Multnomah County, only 31.34 percent of 503,345 eligible voters cast ballots. In Clackamas County, 19.55 percent of 271,779 registered voters voted. And in Washington County, 21 percent of 342,046 eligible voters turned in ballots.
