Click The Picture Above to Watch Jeff's Victory Speech

YOU DID IT!  WFP endorsed candidate, Jeff Reardon defeated incumbent Mike Schaufler in HD48 with 66% of the vote!

Taking on an incumbent politician is hard.  Taking on an incumbent politician who has raised $240,000—the vast majority of which comes from big business—is even harder.

Those odds did not stop the WFP from taking on the challenge of endorsing progressive Democrat Jeff Reardon, and helping him to victory.

Here’s what the WFP did to make this victory possible.

In five weeks the WFP knocked on over 14,000 doors and made over 9,000 phone calls – making over 5,000 voter contacts for Jeff Reardon.  In an election where just over 3,600 4,000 people voted, this made all the difference.

The WFP staff worked day and night.  Gaby, our field manager got our canvass on the doors everyday.  Sami, our organizer got volunteers on the phones.  And, Dan, our communications coordinator got our story in the press.  We could not have won this election without their determined hard work and professionalism.

But, we weren’t the only ones working hard to elect Jeff Reardon.  Partner organizations, including the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn.org, MotherPAC, CAUSA, the Oregon School Employees Association, AFSCME, the Carpenters union, the Communications Workers or America, and Progressive Kick mobilized a mini-army of volunteers that sometimes had the office so packed with people making phone calls you couldn’t move.

Finally, we’d like to give a particular shout out to the unions on the WFP state committee who took a risk by being early supporters of Jeff Reardon’s campaign.  The United Food and Commercial Workers, the Operating Engineers, and the District Council of Laborers stood up and said it is not enough for a candidate to proclaim he is a “labor candidate”—you have to show it with your actions and your votes.

And, of course, thanks to all of you.  Whether you sent a contribution, volunteered, or said a little prayer for us, we appreciate it all.  This was truly a team effort and we’re proud to have worked with all of you to deliver a victory for Jeff Reardon.

Let Jeff know you’re proud of his victory and the WFP’s hard work.

Endorsing Jeff Reardon proved to be the easy part of this election.  Winning has been the hard part.  Below is an update on what we have done to that end. We won’t know the outcome until tomorrow, but win or lose, we want to thank everyone who hit the doors, worked the phones, made a contribution, or just offered moral support to what we think has been an important campaign.

Coalition Building:
Over the past two months we have organized community and labor groups in support of Reardon. We did pretty well, getting both WFP affiliated unions and others to endorse Jeff Reardon.  Here’s the list:

•    United Food and Commercial Workers (WFP Affiliate)
•    Operating Engineers (WFP Affiliate)
•    District Council of Carpenters
•    District Council of Laborers* (WFP Affiliate)
•    Oregon School Employees Association
•    AFSCME

* (This endorsement is of particular significance because it’s the union of which Mike Schaufler claims to have been a member.)

Another endorsement that really shook things up was that of MoveOn.org. They have only recently started to get deeper into non-Congressional races, and we were able to persuade them that this was a very important one. MoveOn launched an aggressive fundraising and volunteer operation and were great allies throughout the race.

We also want to recognize our partners at MotherPAC, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, CAUSA, Progressive Kick, and the Communication Workers of America for their strong support of our work on behalf of Jeff Reardon.

Field and Volunteer Operations:
This is where the rubber meets the road in an election like this.  There’s nothing fancy here, just one-on-one conversations with voters – at work, on the doors, on the phones.

With the crucial support of the Oregon League of Conversation Voters, we ran a terrific field program that ended up being the heart of the overall Reardon campaign’s field efforts.

Three main pieces here: (1) Canvassing teams that went door-ro-door; (2) phone banks; and (3) volunteer mobilization.

Here are some numbers that we hope will help get Reardon over the finish line:

WFP field program to date:
Doors knocked: 13,514
Phone dials: 8,302
Overall contacts: 4928
1s & 2s:  3506  (1s are solid for Reardon, 2s are less solid but lean our way)

Campaign Rapid Response:
When it was discovered that Mike Schaufler had accepted a $3000 contribution from Koch Industries, a notorious enemy of unions and environmental causes, the WFP led the push-back which forced Schaufler to return the contribution within 24 hours.  We launched on-line petitions, led press outreach, and organized a press call for labor leaders to speak about the issue with reporters.

Media Clips:
Normally, a State House Primary wouldn’t garner much attention from the press.  However, the Oregon WFP worked hard to raise the profile of this race locally, statewide, and even nationally:

“Is Oregon Rep. Mike Schaufler, the Happy Valley Democrat who faces what could be a serious primary challenge, starting to see the loss of his once-solid union support? That question came in the wake of the decision Wednesday by the Working Families Party — which is largely run by officials from several unions — to endorse Schaufler’s opponent, teacher Jeff Reardon.” ~Jeff Mapes, the Oregonian – 3/21/12

“Schaufler has represented himself as a champion of the working class, and he’s supported by the Oregon AFL-CIO. However, the pro-labor Working Families Party announced its support of Reardon last week, along with Local 555 of United Food and Commercial Workers and Local 701 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.” ~Peter Wong, the Statesman Journal – 3/25/12

“Schaufler has raised about $240,000 for his reelection campaign, with nearly two-thirds coming from business interests. Reardon raised nearly $150,000 and is getting key help from the OLCV and the Working Families Party.” ~Jeff Mapes, the Oregonian – 5/9/12

“Progressive frustrations boiled over when Schaufler accepted a $3,000 contribution from the Koch Brothers, the first time the Republican magnates gave money to a Democratic legislator west of Texas. The Working Families Party and its allies, including 800 people who signed a petition within a day criticizing the gift, forced him to return it.” ~Steven Rosenield, AlterNet – 5/10/12

“Schaufler touched another nerve with Democratic critics when he reported receiving $3,000 from Koch Industries, the first time the group had given money to a Democratic candidate for office west of the Mississippi. (He later announced he was returning the money, following pressure from Working Families Party and allied groups.)” ~ Lucia Graves, Huffington Post – 5/14/12

Summary:
It’s never easy to unseat an incumbent legislator – especially one who is as well funded as Mike Schaufler.  But the chance to elect someone as decent and progressive as Jeff Reardon made it worth trying. The WFP doesn’t have the resources of the major parties, but we focused where we thought we could make a difference: intensive face-to-face organizing that would introduce voters to a new candidate, win their support, and get our voters to return their ballots.

So, keep your fingers crossed. If Reardon does win, of course, then the real work begins! We need to work with him on all sorts of issues in Salem.

But for now, we want to again say thanks to the leaders, members, staff, volunteers and allies who helped on this campaign.

We’ve got video proof.

Watch here and then vote for the best mayoral candidate dance moves.

We also put on quite an event last Thursday evening at Holocene in Portland:

• We set a goal of $10,000, but with your help, we blew that goal away and raised over $14,000!!!
• Over 250 people joined in the fun.
• The State Labor Commissioner, Brad Avakian gave an impassioned fundraising pitch.
• Multiple state legislators attended and donated to the WFP.
• The mayoral candidates took a swing at our Piñata.

Bottom line, it was an evening we’ll never forget.

Well maybe the mayoral candidates might want to – but in just one night, 20,000 people watched this video, proving yet again that the internet never forgets!

(Note: This vote does not constitute an official endorsement of any candidate.  The Oregon Working Families Party endorses candidates by evaluating them on the issues we care about most: family wage jobs, quality health care, and sensible economic policy that benefits Oregon’s working families.)

Have you ever had the chance to take a swing at a Pinata at political fundraiser? How about mingle with the candidates running for Portland mayor, local elected officials, and Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian? You just might at the Oregon WFP’s “Major Party for the Minor Party”!

And we want you to be there.

We hope you’ll join us as we give away some awards, we dance, we party, and then we leave ready to hit the ground running towards November.

Tonight, April 5, 2012 – 6:00pm to late

Holocene
1001 SE Morrison St.
Portland, OR 97214

Yesterday, the Oregon WFP’s State Committee made a bold move, endorsing candidate Jeff Reardon (D) in his primary challenge against incumbent State Representative Mike Schaufler (D-Happy Valley) in House District 48.

Working people in this state are in crisis, and like you, we’re sick and tired of the inaction coming out of Salem where legislators hide behind the 30-30 split in the House of Representatives as an excuse to play it safe in order to “get work done”.  The truth is, our legislature is stuck, and sometimes just one legislator can hold up forward progress on important issues to advance their own bad policy.

But, why did our board decide to go after Schaufler?  Well, he’s forgotten who he represents during his 10-year tenure in Salem and he’s been standing out for all the wrong reasons:

• He was the lone Democratic vote against the legislation that would eventually become measures 66 & 67 – raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy in order to pay for vital public services. [2]
• He was the only Democrat to side with the Republican caucus blocking and almost killing health care exchange legislation – a program aimed at lowering health care costs for individuals and small businesses. [3]
• Last year he was stripped of his leadership positions in the legislature because of outside-of-the-building personal behavior. [4]

Jeff Reardon is a candidate that will remember who pays his salary in Salem.  The WFP leadership was impressed with Jeff’s willingness to listen and his working class values.  He is a former David Douglas school board member and is currently an Industrial Arts teacher at David Douglas High School.  He comes from a family of millworkers in Kelso, WA, and was the first in his family to complete college.  He will be a true champion for working families that will fight for family wage jobs, affordable health, the financial stability of the state, and in general, improving the lives of Oregon’s 99%.

If we want to see a true progressive shift in Oregon, it has to start at the local level.  Our leadership feels it starts with this primary in House District 48. But, it’s about more than one house primary race – it’s about creating a wave that will push the state legislature towards true progressive change – much like the Tea Party was able to accomplish in Congress and in State Houses across the county – pushing legislators further and further to the right.  2012 is the year that we fight back in the name of working families.

We need your help to make this happen.

This race will be hard fought, but we promise to use your money where it counts to get Jeff Reardon elected – at the doors; on the phones, talking to real people and spreading the WFP’s message of smart government and working-class, middle-class values. Every dollar we bring in will help us talk to another voter.

Let’s kick off the 2012 election with a win for Oregon’s working families by helping Jeff win on May 15th.

Donate today to help the Oregon WFP put boots on the ground for Jeff Reardon.

To find out more about Jeff Reardon and his campaign for State Representative, visit: http://reardonfororegon.com/

1) Working Families Party endorses Jeff Reardon’s challenge to Rep. Mike Schaufler

2) Working Families Party endorses Jeff Reardon’s challenge to Rep. Mike Schaufler

3) A Democrat defects in the Oregon House, stalls insurance bill

4) Rep. Mike Schaufler stripped of committee duties

- Foreclosure Reform: Oregon homeowners facing foreclosure can breath a sigh of relief as new protections that will require lenders to meet face to face with borrowers before initiating foreclosure were passed during the legislature’s final hours.  While this legislation won’t end foreclosures for some, it will allow them to sit down and speak with their lender in a mediated session at the borrowers request – bringing a sense of humanity to a process that has impacted so many hard working Oregonians.  The bill will also end the “dual track” foreclosures while negotiating a loan modification, a practice blindsided by a foreclosure notice while they thought they were nearing an agreement with their bank.

This is a victory for Oregon’s working families against the Wall Street giants that caused this economic mess, but it doesn’t mean we can let them off the hook.

The (not so) Bad –

- Oregon Investment Act: While we didn’t introduce a state bank bill this session, we tracked legislation that took some steps towards helping get loans to Oregon small businesses – a key piece of our state bank legislation in 2011.  The bill wasn’t all good, for example, we feel it overly focused on attracting “venture capital” to the state.  However, we were able to make some amendments to the bill that shifted focus back to bread and butter lending that would benefit main street businesses.

That said, we applaud the legislature’s efforts to focus the State’s investment practices towards helping small businesses, and will continue to track this issue at it moves forward.

The Ugly –

- Paper Mill Closures: Behind closed doors, away from the hearing rooms, a good jobs bill was scuttled without a public vote.  HB4142, a bill that would have helped protect Oregon paper mill jobs was killed by deep pocketed lobbyists who didn’t speak one word at a hearing.  This back room dealing had the power to overshadow historic support from Oregon’s environmental community and pulp and paper workers after decades of tension.  It’s truly a shame when you do everything right to get a bill passed, to see it killed by powerful out-of-state forces thinking only of their bottom line.

We deserve better from our government and that’s why the Oregon WFP is fighting to hold candidates and elected officials accountable.

Help us accomplish this in 2012 by donating today.

2012 is going to be a big year for the Oregon WFP and your help will go a long way to make it even bigger.

Yes, those Koch brothers.

We certainly didn’t go out without a fight, as folks from around the state loudly and clearly voiced support for this bill over the past two weeks.  All told, almost 1,500 Oregonians signed a petition to the House Business and Labor Committee urging them to support HB4142 for jobs and the environment.

Despite overwhelming support from the public; five of the eight members of the House Business and Labor Committee – including both committee Co-Chairs; the Co-Speaker of the House; Oregon’s environmental community and pulp and paper workers — multi-national corporate interests prevailed in killing this legislation with behind closed door pressure.  In fact, the bill never saw a public vote.

We are truly dissapointed that family wage jobs fell victim to pressure from out-of-state corporations who care more about their bottom line than Oregon’s working families.  But, this issue doesn’t die along with this bill.  We’ll keep you updated as we plan our next steps to protect family wage green jobs and fight for sensible recycling policies in Oregon.

In the meantime, take a moment to look at the press were able to get regarding this issue:

• Portland Tribune: Pressing the Paper Industry
• The Oregonian Op-Ed: Paper mills in peril: Powerful forces sink plan to help save Oregon jobs
• The Oregonian: Oregon’s 2012 Legislature approaches its halfway mark: What bills are dead, which have a chance?
• Newberg Graphic: Bill would have been boon to flagging paper industry (Subscription needed – PDF version)
• Jefferson Exchange Radio: Green Jobs Legislation
• The Oregonian LTE: Jobs Legislation
• NW Labor Press: Oregon Legislature closes 2012 session after small-scale reforms

Oregon Investment Act (OIA) – HB4040:

Submitted by State Treasurer, Ted Wheeler, along with a bi-partisan list of co-sponsors, the OIA has language aimed at helping get loans to Oregon small businesses, the bill also places a strong focus on incentives for so-called “venture capital” expansion, going so far as to create tax advantages for venture capital firms should they bring their money to Oregon.  The OIA is not a State Bank bill.  However, it can be an opportunity to focus the State’s investment practices towards helping small businesses and family farms. Click here for our legislative critique of this bill.

Saving Oregon’s Paper Mills (and Jobs!) – HB4142:

The export of America’s paper waste to China is negatively impacting Oregon’s paper mills – causing them to struggle with high prices and dwindling supply.  These struggles have contributed to mill closures and bankruptcies and hundreds of jobs lost throughout the state — with more on the brink.

HB4142, sponsored by Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan, the Republican and Democratic chairs of the Business and Labor Committee, and many other Representatives, will begin to address this problem by expanding the state’s preference for procurement of recycled products which is already written into law*, to include a preference for paper manufactured at paper mills located in the state. as long as the cost of that paper does not exceed the cost of non-recycled paper or paper manufactured outside Oregon by more than 10%.

This is not the full solution to the closure of our paper mills, but coupled with federal action it could help to save thousands of family wage green jobs in our State.

For a full analysis of the issue, CLICK HERE.
For a fact sheet regarding this issue, CLICK HERE.

Stay tuned to our website as the 2012 legislative session moves along for more updates on these and other pieces of legislation that will have an impact on Oregon’s working families.
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*(ORS 279A.125)

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT

There’s a movement sweeping across Oregon – a movement that is questioning where the state puts its money.

It’s a movement that is asking how we can build a more self sufficient economy independent from the power of Wall Street.  It is a movement demanding that we use our common financial resources to support small Oregon businesses and family farmers–not out-of-state mega banks.

Last legislative session, a proposal to create a State Bank just barely missed a chance for a floor vote.  However, the fight didn’t stop there.

Join the Oregon Working Families Party at a forum to discuss these critical issues.

Date: February 1st, 2012
Time:  6:00 – 7:30pm
Location: Auditorium of the Salem Public Library

Note: A membership meeting of the Mid-Valley chapter of the WFP will follow directly after this forum.  Those who wish to attend this meeting may do so, but decision making will be reserved for WFP members.

Yesterday, Oregon Senator Wyden teamed up with the leader of the Tea Party Caucus, Congressman Ryan to release their bi-partisan “agreement” that they claim is only a push to “modify” Medicare and lower costs.  However, this “compromise” would actually eliminate Medicare all together by driving program beneficiaries into private insurance plans.

This proposal is so bad, that the Gray Panthers–the organization that Ron Wyden led in Oregon for 6 years –had this to say about it:

“If this plan were implemented, retired, elderly persons would be responsible for health care cost inflation caused by a grossly inefficient and corrupt medical-industrial complex, over which they have absolutely no control.”

Sorry, but this deal is hardly our idea of finding a sensible middle ground.  Oregonians don’t believe in undermining Medicare by giving in to the unfettered market ideology of the Tea Party.

Working Oregonians deserve better, and Senator Wyden needs to know.  Take a moment to sign our petition to Senator Wyden today:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1306/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5185