Big Endorsment Email

BIG ENDORSMENT EMAIL: PROCESS REMINDER FOR SEIU ENDORSEMENT 1.
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Come to an education event regarding union organizing Fill out an SEIU Questionnaire -­‐ if you are not a voting incumbent Come to an interview or a meeting with SEIU members PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL-­‐ SEIU 49 ENDORSEES MARY NOLAN FOR PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL. Mary Nolan –has been endorsed by every other city union, has a 100% voting record with SEIU, and has outreached very heavily to Planned Parenthood regarding the organizing and contract campaign. Although Amanda Fritz has been a supporter of SEIU in the past she does not seem to be running a winning campaign. In fact she is negative $8,000 in the bank. She has also had serious labor disputes with other unions like AFSCME over issues regarding overtime. SEIU 49 MEMBERS TO ENDORSE STEVE NOVICK FOR PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL-­‐ Steve has been a leader on economic fairness issues and access to health care for Oregonians for over a decade. PORTLAND MAYORS RACE – NO ENDORSEMENT UNTIL MARCH After interviewing and spending significant time with all three candidates SEIU 49 officers are recommending no endorsement in the Portland Mayors race at this time. WASHINGTON COUNTY – DICK SCHOUTEN SEIU 49 & 503 members endorsing Dick Schouten for Washington County Commission. Dick is currently the incumbent county commissioner. His father was a janitor and he believes in the dignity of all work. Dick has helped to protect union jobs at Washington County by fighting for the union janitors contract there. CITY OF BEAVERTON – DENNY DOYLE MAYOR, MARK FAGIN CITY COUNCIL, CATHERINE ARNOLD CITY COUNCIL SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMMENDING DENNY DOYLE FOR HIS SECOND TERM AS MAYOR OF BEAVERTON. SEIU has had a fantastic relationship with Denny as the mayor of Beaverton and he has recently protected the jobs of SEIU 49 Janitors as well as been a problem solver with the city of Beaverton workers. SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMMENDING MARK FAGIN FOR BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL SEIU members have endorsed Mark in his first run for Beaverton City Council and he lost by only 78 votes. Over the last 4 years he has stepped up in further as an activist and volunteer in the community, by sitting on the planning commission, the Beaverton Visioning Committee at the same time as running his own business. SEIU 503 & 49 MEMBERS ARE RECOMMENDING CATHERINE ARNOLD FOR BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL Catherine has been on the Beaverton City Council for one term and has had a good relationship with SEIU members at the city of Beaverton. Recently she joined other commissioners in expressing her concern regarding using a non-­‐union contractor at the city and recently voted to maintain a union janitorial company. LANE COUNTY COMMISSION AND CITY OF EUGENE Commissioner Rob Handy was a critical ally in the Mckenzie Willamette strike, info picket and vigil. Not only did commissioner Handy walk the line with McKenzie members. Commissioner Pete Sorenson has been a long time labor activist in Eugene, he is one of the two county commissioners who voted to decrease wages of managers making over $100,000 per year to fund public services. Mayor Kitty Piercy was very critical standing up for McKenzie Willamette Workers when they tried to move their hospital to Eugene. She also weighed in this round of bargaining for workers at the hospital. She’s been a progressive mayor and a pro-­‐labor mayor who is very accessible. Opponents: All three candidates are running against conservatives who were not interested in our endorsement. Rob Handy’s race will be the most difficult. CLACKAMAS COUNTY COMMISSION Currently in Clackamas County the Tea Party has decided to make a stand to make Clackamas County a jumping point for anti-­‐worker and anti-­‐ tax agenda. Jamie Damon for Clackamas county commission re-­‐election. She has been serving on appointed position in Clackamas County. Jamie is a mediator and really believes in the power of working families. She was a champion for passing responsible contractor policy at Clackamas County. The recommendation from the SEIU 49 member who was there was that we do not make an endorsement in the other races. SEIU Local 503 will be doing a dual endorsement for Dave Hunt and Charlotte Lehan for Chair & Martha Schraeder. STATE WIDE ENDORSEMENTS – SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMENDING BRAD AVAKIAN FOR LABOR COMMISSIONER Brad has a long time 100% voting record with SEIU when he was a state senator. As Labor Commissioner Brad has done a great job of working issues that are important to SEIU members including wage theft of low wage workers, shutting down illegal janitorial franchises that threaten union jobs, and expanding Oregon’s family leave program. SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMMENDING TED WHEELER FOR STATE TREASURER Ted Wheeler has been a great supporter of SEIU and an innovator on using the office of the treasurer to hold big banks and corporations accountable. Recently Ted took on US Bank and renegotiated the reliacard agreement to be more favorable to working families, he used his shareholder votes in New York to vote against the anti-­‐union Community Health Systems were SEIU 49 members had to strike last year, and he has passed a responsible investing policy at the Oregon Investment Council that helps build buildings that will later be cleaned by union janitors. SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMMENDING KATE BROWN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE Kate Brown is the incumbent secretary of state; she currently conducts state audits and oversees state elections. This seat really is applicable to the ballot measure work and the audit work of SEIU Local 503’s state workers. They are supportive of endorsing Kate Brown. SEIU 49 & 503 MEMBERS ARE RECOMENDING DWIGHT HOLTON FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL Dwight Holton has a background in labor and social justice he in grew up in Virginia, and moved to Oregon 1997 when he became a United State Federal Prosecutor based in Oregon. He sees the attorney general’s office as a post for advocacy on issues of civil rights, drug and alcohol prevention, and consumer enforcement. Dwight is running against Ellen Rosenblaum, a former judge. She is a good candidate for the position but sees the role of AG much differently. LEGISLATIVE PRIMARY ENDORSEMENTS HOUSE DISTRICT 29 – HILLSBORO, FOREST GROVE & CORNELLIUS – BEN UNGER SEIU 49 & 503 members are recommending Ben Unger for endorsement in HD 29 Primary and General Election. Ben Unger left his job at the attorney general’s office to be the field coordinator running the doors and phones in support of Measure 66 & 67. He grew up in Cornelius and has been a supporter of labor, education and environmental issues in his work across the noted states. Ben is running in a primary against Katie Riley who is also running to take the incumbent candidate Katie Eyre-­‐
Brewer in the November election. Katie Eyre-­‐Brewer has a very low voting record with SEIU and has signed on to Wisconsin like bills threatening the collective bargaining rights and pensions of state workers. LEGISLATIVE ENDORSEMENTS – Senate Alan C Bates (D) A+ Lee Beyer (D) A+ Peter Courtney (D) A Chris Edwards (D) A Mark Hass (D) A Betsy Johnson (D) A Rod Monroe (D) A Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D) A Arnie Roblan (D) Ginny Burdick (D) A A Richard Devlin (D) A+ Jackie Dingfelder (D) A+ Floyd Prozanski (D) A+ Diane Rosenbaum (D) A+ Chip Shields (D) A+ House Peter Buckley (D) Phil Barnhart (D) Brian Clem (D) Nancy Nathanson (D) Jeff Barker (D) Deborah Boone (D) Open Seat -­‐ No Primary Endorsemen
t -­‐ 47 Chris Harker (D) A House Location Medford/Ashland A+ Open A Betty Komp (D) A Springfield/Cottag
e Grove Salem/Woodburn A+ Val Hoyle (D) A+ Eugene A+ Tobias Read (D) A A Brad Witt (D) A North Coast No Endorsement -­‐ 48 Outter SE Portland, Lents, Happy Valley A Mitch Greenlick (D) A+ Open Margaret Doherty (D) Chris Garret -­‐ 38 Michael Dembrow (D) Paul Holvey (D) A Open Open NW Portland, Beaverton, Cedar Hills South Coast SW Portland B Open Lake Oswego A+ Alissa Keny-­‐Guyer (D) A A+ No Endorsement -­‐ 7 Jules Bailey (D) Tina Kotek (D) Sara Gelser (D) A+ Carolyn Tomei (D) A Coburg, South Springfield, Roseburg A+ A+ North and NE Portland Corvallis SAM CHASE FOR METRO Sam is a long time affordable housing advocate and has been active with SEIU 49 members in fighting for affordable housing near OHSU. He is clear that Metro makes choices about workers lives and he has committed not to hide behind staff decisions when it comes to using union janitorial contractor.