Drive to Unionize Oregon Campaign Workers Stalls Among Democrats

Organized labor blames FuturePAC, the House Democrats’ campaign committee.

Labor Day Picnic (Justion Katigbak)
By Nigel Jaquiss and Anamika Vaughan

In Oregon, Democrats draw much of their people power and contributions from labor unions. But an effort by the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Workers Guild to unionize Democratic campaign workers is off to a rocky start.

The CWG thought it had a deal to organize workers for the re-election campaign of state Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon (D-Woodburn), which would have marked the first unionized campaign in Oregon.

Although three campaign staffers voted to unionize and Alonso Leon agreed to recognize the union, after four bargaining sessions, they still don't have a contract.

Sydney Scout, a spokeswoman for the CWG, blames FuturePAC, the House Democrats' campaign committee.

"We have been very disappointed in FuturePAC's anti-union actions," Scout says. "There's some disconnect in the values they espouse and the values they are willing to live."

FuturePAC spokesman Aaron Fiedler calls that criticism "misinformation."

He says FuturePAC is providing Alonso Leon professional advice but notes campaign workers are not FuturePAC employees. "We support the rights of workers to organize," Fielder says.

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