Oregon
Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner and six state legislators who are labor
union members announced their support for Jeff Merkley for the U.S.
Senate in the May 2008 Democratic primary.
“Jeff Merkley’s leadership in the House has opened doors
for workers all across Oregon,” said Gardner, a member of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48. “He
has been a real ally in protecting prevailing wage jobs and the minimum
wage, expanding collective bargaining rights, protecting our firefighters
and police officers and strengthening Oregon’s family leave
laws. That’s the kind of leadership Oregon needs in the U.S.
Senate, and Jeff’s the guy to get it done.”
The union members endorsing Merkley are: State Representatives Diane
Rosenbaum, a member of Communications Workers Local 7901; Brad Witt,
a business agent of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555;
Paul Holvey, an organizer for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council
of Carpenters; Jeff Barker, a former president and retired member
of the Portland Police Association; Mike Schaufler, a former member
of the Laborers Union; Larry Galizio of the American Federation of
Teachers; and State Senator Lori Monnes Anderson, a member of the
Oregon Nurses Association.
“Working families are the backbone of our economy, but clearly
Gordon Smith doesn’t get that, or he just doesn’t care,”
Merkley said. “Instead, he has made it his job to rubber-stamp
every corporate tax give away George Bush puts in front of him.
Multi-national corporations have plenty of friends in the Senate.
Oregon’s working families need someone to stand with them.”
