Gene Klare, a veteran of the bitter Oregonian newspaper strike, was editor of the Labor Press from 1965 to 1986, and continued to write a column for the paper until January 2008.
His column, called “Let Me Say This About That,” spanned more than 40 years, and covered many subjects, particularly local labor history. From 1997 to 2003, the column was published online, and is available below.
Klare wrote frequently about the Oregonian strike. Before the strike began on Nov. 10, 1959, Klare was an investigative reporter at The Oregonian. Klare helped members of the striking unions establish the Portland Reporter newspaper, which ran from February 1960 to September 1964. He worked there as a reporter, advertising sales manager, and promotions manager until joining the Labor Press staff full time in November 1962. The strike ended April 5, 1965, with the destruction of the union.
Klare, born in 1926 on a farm in Indiana, was named after the famed unionist Eugene Debs, co-founder of the Industrial Workers of the World and five-time Socialist candidate for U.S. president. Klare died May 30, 2008 at the age of 81.
Let me say this about that
May 16, 2003
‘Sheriff of Parcheesi’
May 2, 2003
Fame for R.C. Henarie
April 18, 2003
146 deaths remembered
April 4, 2003
Hall greets Edgington
March 21, 2003
GOP’s DeLay debunked
March 7, 2003
Arlene Collins dies, 66
February 21, 2003
Fame for Gary Will
February 7, 2003
Jerry Bruce in spotlight
January 17, 2003
A song about Joe Hill
January 3, 2003
Justice scales tilted?
December 20, 2002
Dave Plant enters Hall
December 6, 2002
Mel Schoppert honored
November 15, 2002
Joe Hill, Wobbly hero
November 1, 2002
Forty-three years ago
October 18, 2002
Stan the slots man
October 4, 2002
Leo Larsen enters Hall
September 20, 2002
A doctored document
September 6, 2002
Jean Nordmark’s Day
August 16, 2002
Plaudits to Roy Coles
August 2, 2002
Alex Edenhofer saluted
July 19, 2002
Tom Worley in Hall
July 5, 2002
Fame for Bob Hall
June 21, 2002
Tom Drew enters Hall
June 7, 2002
Dean Mickels in Hall
May 17, 2002
Ball’s recollections
May 3, 2002
Ed Barnes in spotlight
April 19, 2002
Awards given Faheys
April 5, 2002
Kudos for Keith Jons
March 15, 2002
McNannay enters Hall
March 1, 2002
Fred Goetz dies at 83
February 15, 2002
A daughter’s memoir
February 1, 2002
Hugh Norby in Hall
January 18, 2002
Santa Ed remembered
January 4, 2002
Noel Johnson chosen
December 21, 2001
Bob Scarrioffini saluted
December 7, 2001
Doris Buck honored
November 16, 2001
Kudos for Kaufman
November 2, 2001
Yesteryear’s legends
October 19, 2001
Inauguration recalled
October 5, 2001
Labor legends of past
September 21, 2001
Plaudits for Al Panek
September 7, 2001
IAM’s Miller in Hall
August 24, 2001
101st for Labor Press
August 3, 2001
Sid Stoddard saluted
July 20, 2001
‘Early foot’ for Ted
July 6, 2001
Sam Rutledge hailed
June 15, 2001
The same circus …
June 1, 2001
Bravo, Cunningham
May 18, 2001
Stanfill garners Fame
May 4, 2001
Hail, General Strike
April 20, 2001
Hulen in Hall of Fame
April 6, 2001
Randall enters Hall
March 16, 2001
Derry in Hall of Fame
March 2, 2001
Accolade for Ashbaugh
February 16, 2001
Arlene Blackwell dies
February 2, 2001
Caroline Miller in Hall
January 19, 2001
Who shot Newhouse?
January 5, 2001
Rebuttal to Oregonian
December 15, 2000
Bushwhacked!
December 1, 2000
Labor’s martyr, Joe Hill
November 17, 2000
Marty Blake saluted
November 3, 2000
VanHoomissen retires
October 20, 2000
Jobe in Hall of Fame
October 6, 2000
Tom Malloy in Hall
September 15, 2000
It’s Hall for Goodsell
September 1, 2000
Kudos for Dean Killion
August 18, 2000
#29’s O’Halloran dies
August 4, 2000
Collins in Hall of Fame
July 21, 2000
VIPs of Labor Press
July 7, 2000
Peeling the Onian
June 16, 2000
Teeple tapped for Hall
June 2, 2000
NW Labor Press celebrates first century, looks to second
May 19, 2000
Yoo-hoo, Alice!
May 5, 2000
Blast from the past
April 21, 2000
Job Corps a success
April 7, 2000
Swan Nelson in Hall
March 17, 2000
Chuck Moss dies at 73
March 3, 2000
Ellis in Hall of Fame
February 18, 2000
Election Day off
February 4, 2000
Pat Hargrave chosen
January 21, 2000
Bob Bothwell saluted
January 7, 2000
Tony Mongelli honored
December 17, 1999
Ron’s good fortune
December 3, 1999
Oregonian Lite
November 19, 1999
Fortieth anniversary
November 5, 1999
Kelso in Hall of Fame
October 15, 1999
Remembering Cookie
October 1, 1999
Lon Imel spotlighted
September 17, 1999
Women’s history
September 3, 1999
Presidents on labor
August 20, 1999
Portland’s Nancy Drew
August 6, 1999
Schiewe selected
July 16, 1999
Blue Book blues
July 2, 1999
Bob Kennedy saluted
June 18, 1999
King treated royally
June 4, 1999
Dateline Vladivostok
May 21, 1999
Prison mercenaries
May 7, 1999
The nose-thumbers
April 16, 1999
Lifted from poverty
April 2, 1999
Plaudits for Sue Pisha
March 19, 1999
Privatizing schemers
March 5, 1999
Our 100th year
February 19, 1999
Labor dictionary
February 5, 1999
Valerie Taylor honored
January 15, 1999
Tom Drew retires
January 1, 1999
Retirees salute Whelan
December 18, 1998
Joe Hill, labor martyr
December 4, 1998
Lantto lionized
November 20, 1998
Yesteryear recalled
November 6, 1998
The Beyers honored
October 16, 1998
Jan Wyers for judge
September 18, 1998
Busting the state troopers union
June 5, 1998
1934 strike analyzed
May 15, 1998
Tiernan’s late filing
May 1, 1998
A trust betrayed
April 17, 1998
Oregonian’s future
April 3, 1998
Plaudits for Sweetland
March 20, 1998
Three stalwarts depart
March 6, 1998
Fame for Bill Beaty
Feb. 20, 1998
George Starr honored
Feb. 6, 1998
Hands across border
Jan. 16, 1998
O’Halloran acclaimed
Jan. 2, 1998
A tale of two cities
Dec. 19, 1997
Need law with teeth
Dec. 5, 1997
Crash changed history
Nov. 21, 1997
A new voice on taxes
Nov. 7, 1997
Governor Bill Sizeless
Oct. 17, 1997
Keiko unlisted by state
Oct. 3, 1997
Keith Johnson honored
Sept. 19, 1997
Social Security at risk
Sept. 5, 1997
Retirees fete Farrell
Aug. 15, 1997
Stranahans acclaimed
Aug. 1, 1997
Republicans fixated
July 18, 1997
Retirees discover gold
July 4, 1997
Can’t run the Salem store
June 20, 1997
Retirees salute Bill Perrin
June 6, 1997
35-year ‘comp’ outrage
May 16, 1997
Labor Hall of Fame
May 2, 1997
CEOs $212, workers $1
April 18, 1997
Back to dark days
April 4, 1997
Salem (ob)scene