When Oregon unions flex, candidates win races

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121220432776690.xml&coll=7&thispage=1

Labor muscle scored a total victory May 20, when all of its endorsements won

Sunday, June 01, 2008
HARRY ESTEVE
The Oregonian Staff

Organized labor -- public employee unions in particular -- spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and uncounted volunteer hours on Oregon's May 20 primary elections.

It all paid off.

Most candidates with union backing won. Candidates in union doghouses lost.

The net result was a monster victory for labor groups that helped solidify their role as one of the state's top power brokers.

Unions played key roles in statewide victories for secretary of state candidate Kate Brown, attorney general candidate John Kroger and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley. But they also got involved locally, helping Sam Adams win the Portland mayoral contest, Democrat Michael Dembrow win the House District 45 primary in Northeast Portland, and Dennis Doyle oust Beaverton Mayor Rob Drake.

The outcome left Republicans grumbling about the increasing influence of unions in state government. And it left little doubt that labor's agenda will get red-carpet treatment when the 2009 Legislature meets in January.

"They've been extremely successful," said state Sen. Rick Metsger of Welches, who came in second in the three-way Democratic secretary of state race. The winner of the race, Brown, a state senator from Portland, got heavy backing from the two biggest public employee unions, Oregon Education Association and Service Employees International Union.

So what do the unions want for their investment?

FULL 3 page story at link.

[Beregond2]

1. This is the real face of the Northwest,

the one the media doesn't want you to see. They are too busy painting us as latte-drinking, Volvo-driving elitists.