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HOW MUCH?
$50,000
WHO GAVE IT?
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48
WHO GOT IT?
Christina Stephenson, a civil rights lawyer running for labor commissioner
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Three serious candidates are running to be commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, a statewide elected position that often flies under voters’ radar. It’s an important post: The commissioner polices workplace issues, namely wages and civil rights, as well as supports apprenticeship programs.
Labor really cares about both the agency’s work policing the workplace and its job-creation role. Although the position is nonpartisan, two of the leading candidates—Stephenson and Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla—are Democrats, while former state Rep. Cheri Helt (R-Bend), a restaurant owner, will seek to corral GOP voters. With IBEW’s contribution, Stephenson has now raised $378,000, the vast majority of it from unions. That’s more than her two opponents combined. In a three-way race in which voters are likely to be unfamiliar with all the candidates, IBEW’s support could make a difference.
WHAT DOES THE UNION SAY?
“For IBEW Local 48, the two most important political positions in the state are governor and labor commissioner,” says IBEW political director Marshall McGrady. “The labor commissioner oversees registered apprenticeship programs throughout the state and ensures that employers provide a discrimination-free workplace that enforces all workplace laws.”
McGrady adds that IBEW thinks Stephenson is right for the job: “Christina has shown she has the skills and determination to take on employers and developers that refuse to play by the rules.”