LEGISLATIVE

TOPICS ON THIS PAGE:
Action Alerts
Summary of PCUN's legislative concerns
Bills PCUN is following
For more information


Action Alerts: as of March 20, 2003

1. ACTION! On March 26, a hearing will be held on the anti-farmworker
collective bargaining bill! Join PCUN at the capitol and show your support
for farmworkers!
2. Report from March 19 minimum wage hearing on HB 2624
3. Other upcoming hearings and events
4. Contact information for Senators and Representatives

1. Join PCUN on March 26 to support farmworkers rights!
What: Hearing on anti-farmworker legislation HB 2351
Where: State Capitol in Salem, Hearing Room E
When: Wed, March 26, 8:30 AM
Why: To show the Oregon Farm Bureau that you join with farmworkers in
refusing to accept their anti-farmworker legislation.
Background: The Oregon Farm Bureau wrote and introduced HB 2351 on March 17 in yet another attempt to establish a "collective bargaining" law for
farmworkers and thus control PCUN's organizing activities. This
anti-farmworker bill would severely limit the ability of farmworkers to
organize or defend their rights. It includes such provisions as an
anti-strike clause, outlaws secondary boycotts, and requires a mandatory
waiting period before a union election, which, in agriculture, could mean
that the harvest ends before an election is held. It also calls for the
election of a "volunteer" Agricultural Labor Relations Board, making what
should be a neutral body open to political manipulation.

2. PCUN representatives joined other labor and social justice
organizations in opposing HB 2624, which calls for the removal of the
voter-approved indexing to Oregon's minimum wage, which was approved in
November's elections. Under this new law, Oregon's minimum wage rose to
$6.90 an hour as of January 2003 from $6.50 an hour, and is now linked to
the Consumer Price Index, meaning that it will rise in connection with the
rise in cost of living. Although an indexed minimum wage would mean that
increases would be gradual and more predictable than the forty cent rise
this year, small business owners, restaurant owners, and farmers were out in
force to support the removal of indexing, resorting to their
all-too-familiar cry that it would bring down their businesses.
PCUN and allies such as the Oregon AFL-CIO and members of the legislature
such as Diane Rosenbaum and Tony Corcoran, pointed out that rising minimum
wages have not been linked to the downfall of business or to increased
unemployment, and that minimum wage even now is insufficient to live on,
pointing out that many of Oregon's "working poor," are full-time minimum
wage earners who often must turn to food stamps or other forms of public
assistance due to the inadequacy of their wages. A child care provider and
single mother, as well as a farmworker, testified to the difficulty of
surviving on minimum wage and stressed the necessity of a fair minimum wage
that is adjusted as the cost of living rises.

3. Other upcoming hearings and events:
SB 742 is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, March 24 at 8:00 a.m. in Senate
Judiciary, Room 343. This bill creates the crime of "terrorism" and defines
it so broadly that individuals would be subject to life in prison if any
other participant intended to disrupt commerce, transportation, educational,
or governmental institutions (such as strikes, protests, student food
fights). While there will be amendments to limit the definition of
terrorism, it will not change Section 2 which allows state and local law
enforcement to ignore both ORS 181.575 (prohibits police from political or
religious spying) & ORS 181.850 (prohibits local law enforcement from acting
as INS agents) if investigating "terrorism." This provision unravels the
protections that these two "181" laws provide! Come to the hearing and
contact the Senate Judiciary Committee and tell them you strongly oppose SB
742.

HB 2783 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on
Thursday, March 27 at 1 p.m. This bill would require state agencies that
issue licenses to ask for Social Security numbers (to comply with federal
child support law). Come to the hearing and contact members of the House
Judiciary committee to encourage them to amend the bill so people without
SSNs can sign an unnotarized affidavit to get a license. It is necessary to
have an expedient process that will not lead to the abuse of the SSN
information. Driver's licenses are meant to ensure capable drivers, not
enforce immigration policy.


For Minimum Wage:

House Labor Committee:
Betsy Close, Chair
Phone: (503)-986-1415
E-mail: rep.betsyclose@state.or.us

Derrick Kitts, Vice-chair
Phone: (503)-986-1430
Email: rep.derrickkitts@state.or.us

Mary Gallegos
Phone: (503)-986-1429
rep.marygallegos@state.or.us

Bill Garrard
Phone: (503)-986-1456
rep.billgarrard@state.or.us

For SB 742:
Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator John Minnis, Chair
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1725
Email Address: sen.johnminnis@state.or.us

Senator Ginny Burdick, Vice-Chair
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1718
Email Address: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us

Senator Ted Ferrioli
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1730
Email Address: sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us

Senator Charlie Ringo
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1717
Email Address: sen.charlieringo@state.or.us

Senator Charles Starr
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1713
Email Address: sen.charlesstarr@state.or.us

For driver's license (HB 2783):

House Judiciary Committee
Max Williams, Chair
Phone: (503)-986-1435
E-mail: rep.maxwilliams@state.or.us

Robert Ackerman, Vice-Chair
Phone: (503)-986-1413
E-mail: rep.robertackerman@state.or.us

Gordon Anderson, Vice-Chair
Phone: (503)-986-1403
E-mail: rep.gordonanderson@state.or.us

Bob Jenson
Phone: (503)-986-1458
E-mail: rep.bobjenson@state.or.us

Jerry Krummel
Phone: (503)-986-1426
E-mail: rep.jerrykrummel@state.or.us

Floyd Prozanski
Phone: (503)-986-1408
E-mail: rep.floydprozanski@state.or.us

Lane Shetterly
Phone: (503)-986-1423
E-mail: rep.laneshetterly@state.or.us

Summary of PCUN's legislative concerns:

Minimum Wage
A bill (HB 2624) has been introduced that would repeal the annual cost of living increase (called indexing) to the minimum wage. If this bill passed, the minimum wage would stay at $6.90/hr even though the cost of things like food, rent, and utilities goes up each year. Another bill, (HB 2720) would allow employers to pay employees under 18 less than the minimum wage and sets a minimum wage for tipped employees. PCUN is collecting testimonies from people so when hearings on these bills are scheduled we can defend the minimum wage.

Immigrant Rights
There is a law called ORS 181.850 that was passed in 1987 in response to INS raids and roadblocks. It is important to the immigrant community because it prohibits local law enforcement from acting as INS agents and prevents people from being targeted based on if they “look” like they are an immigrant. This law also supports community policing and trust in the police in immigrant communities, and helps ensure that people report crimes or domestic violence rather than choose not to out of fear. So far this legislative session 3 bills (HB 2051, HB 2539, HB 2554) have been introduced that would repeal ORS 181.850. PCUN is working with a large coalition of organizations to preserve 181.850.

Driver’s License
A bill (HB 2578) was introduced that states you have to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident to get or renew a driver’s license. This is identical to a bill that was defeated in 1995 that the Latino community said would punish people for “driving while Hispanic”. Besides that it is discriminatory, PCUN’s arguments to oppose this bill are that people have to be able to drive in order to get to their jobs, and that it is a public safety issue because it would result in many uninsured, unlicensed drivers on the road. PCUN is also collecting testimonies on this.

Another bill (HB 2112) was introduced would require people to provide a Social Security number when applying or renewing any kind of license (driver’s license, fishing license, teacher’s certification, etc). To many, this bill is seemingly harmless because it was introduced to track down “dead-beat-dads” to pay their child support payments. We are concerned that it is a back door to the first bill and that if people don’t have a SS# or use a fake one that they will be handed over to the INS.

Collective Bargaining
There isn’t a bill for collective bargaining yet, but we know that the Farm Bureau and the Oregon Association of Nurserymen are going to introduce one. Their bill will include things like banning secondary boycotts, picketing, and strikes during harvest, as well as limit the union’s access to farmworkers. Any bill has to have the following principles: not erode farmworker rights by allowing workers to strike and picket, have a fast election process, fair enforcement, be independent from political manipulation, and have enough funding to support it. The Governor will play an important role in this issue (we anticipate that the Farm Bureau’s bill will pass in the House, and the Senate is equally split between Democrats and Republicans this year, so it will be up to the Governor). PCUN is also collecting testimonies from people explaining why it is important that farmworkers have a union to represent them.

Bills PCUN is tracking
As of March 20, 2003

For more information, choose the following links:

Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs

Oregon State Legislature Committee Schedules



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