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At Labor Day Picnic, Oregon Democrats Offer a Show of Unity--Except in the Portland City Council
At Labor Day Picnic, Oregon Democrats Offer a Show of Unity—Except in the Portland City Council ContestEvery Labor Day, Democratic elected officials and candidates gather at Oaks Amusement Park for barbecue, beers and a bevy of stump speeches to the members of public employee and building trade unions.
The event this year marked the unofficial kickoff of the fall election season and gave Democrats a chance to acknowledge the most influential and generous interest group in their party.
The picnic took place at a pivotal moment for both Democrats and their allies in organized labor. Both enjoy tremendous power in Oregon, and have a chance to increase that grip in November. But both groups feel threatened by larger right-wing forces. Unions have been weakened by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows members to stop paying dues, while Gov. Kate Brown is fending off a serious challenger and a slew of conservative ballot measures.
Here's what her remarks—and those of other Democrats—say about Oregon's political winds.
Read more: https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/09/05/at-labor-day-picnic-oregon-democrats-offer-a-show-of-unity-except-in-the-portland-city-council-contest/