A couple weeks back, a conglomeration representing dozens of Oregon trades unions sat down with Mayor Charlie Hales and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, to figure out which man deserved the nod in next year’s mayor’s race.
Hales came in with something of a disadvantage. When the mayor reversed course in early May, forestalling efforts to put a mammoth propane terminal in North Portland, he angered trade unions that supported the deal. The Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council didn’t outright ask Hales about the matter in endorsement interviews, Executive Secretary-Treasurer Willy Myers tells the Mercury, but it hadn’t forgotten it.
“We did respectfully disagree with him on denying the process,” Myers says. “I think that a lot of people did.”
So it was hardly a surprise when Wheeler announced earlier today he’d gotten the nod from the trades council (along with two additional unions and the Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens). The announcement is another significant get for the Wheeler campaign as it looks to establish momentum—Myers alone says he represents about 15,000 laborers. But it also comes with an interesting question.
The mayor’s race looks completely different today than it did when Myers’ group tapped Wheeler as its candidate weeks back. That’s because of another surprise reversal from Hales—this time an announcement he’s not running for re-election after all. With the mayor out of the race, it’s entirely possible that a fresh candidate will step in to challenge Wheeler; perhaps even one who’s stronger on labor issues.
Myers acknowledges this. He’s even got high praise for two of the women said to be considering entering the race: state House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson and Multnomah County Chief Operating Officer Marissa Madrigal.
So is it possible the complexion of the race will change in the building trades council’s eyes? “I don’t know what to say to that,” Myers says. “It’s a very interesting question.”
Right now, he’s sticking with his horse. “We have worked very closely with Ted,” Myers says. “We have every faith that he would make a great mayor.”
Well, I for one, wholeheartedly support Trades Unions, just not Public Employee Unions.
The argument that Charlie Hales denied Pembina a process is a load of bull. The fact is that neither Pembina or the Port intended to have any public process at all—it was only when they realized that they needed a zone change that they were forced to have public hearings. They mad a joke out out the Planning commission process, refusing to provide information on some issues and providing misinformation on others and they only got through that process by a one vote margin. After the hearing, they announced that they had no intention on meeting the mitigation requirements place on the project by the Planning Commission as condition of approval. The project also triggered unprecedented opposition from the community. There was plenty for Mayor Hales or any other politician to make an informed decision that they no longer wanted to support this project. Notably, any of the other four members of city council could have stepped in at that point and requested a council hearing on the project—none of them did. They basically voted with their decision not to ask for a hearing. Pembina never intended to have a real public process and it blew process it was given.