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Take Action Tell your friends and neighbors about the January election, get involved and get the word out. This week the campaign against tax fairness turned in many more signatures than they needed to send two tax-fairness measures to the ballot. It's crucial that we get the word out now - Oregon's schools, healthcare providers, and first responders are depending on these tax fairness measurers to continue to provide the services Oregonians depend on every day. See what the campaign is doing, and look for more information from your union soon! Oregon AFL-CIO Convention Details, Please! The Oregon AFL-CIO Convention will be in Bend at the end of October. "What is the Convention," you new-members ask? Well, the Oregon AFL-CIO has board meetings to decide on policies, political endorsements, and the organization's agenda most of the time, but every other year we have a state-wide convention to set the Federation's path. Each local union sends delegates to the convention. In the coming weeks we'll have information about some of the new programs and great speakers delegates can look forward to. Youth Caucus - Bring the Next Generation of Union Leaders Together The election of Liz Shuler as National AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer marked the beginning of the handing over of the reigns of the union movement to a new group of leaders. Here in Oregon many of our affiliates have brought together their younger members to talk about how to get young people more interested in joining a union, and young union members more interested in being involved. We'll kick off a new statewide push to get young people more involved with a Youth Caucus meeting at our convention. Following the convention we hope to get younger union members more involved both in their unions and in the Oregon AFL-CIO, including through a possible Youth Convention some time next year. It's worth noting that although the group is current being called a youth caucus it is open to all delegates ages 35 and under. Senate Finance Votes Down a Public Option - What Now? The Senate Finance Committee, yesterday, voted twice on amendments to include a public option in their healthcare reform bills. Both votes failed. Senator Wyden was among the minority of Senators who voted in favor of a public option. We hope he continues to support a public option on the Senate Floor. Wait - there's another chance? Yes, there is. Five committees have written healthcare reform bills, and four of them include a public option. Eventually the healthcare reform bills will be voted on by the full House and Senate, where more amendments can be made, so there's still a chance that the final bill will include a public option. It?s crucial, however, that Oregon's elected officials and all the Senators who have supported a public option so far maintain their strong support for reform that will offer real cost savings to middle class Americans through a public option. The Weekly Update is created by the Oregon AFL-CIO. President: Tom Chamberlain |
