City Hall Notebook
Health care addressed
Thursday, August 30, 2007 The Oregonian
Andy Dworkin: 503-221-8564
A committee will start studying ways Portland can help contract workers get more health care after the City Council voted 3-0 Wednesday night for a resolution creating the group.
The vote followed more than an hour of passionate testimony, much from construction workers and others who have worked without insurance and seen health problems wreck their fortunes and lives. But many contractors said the city's move could unfairly burden construction workers and force small, minority and nonunion companies in particular to subsidize health care for all of Portland's uninsured.
The new committee will focus on contract workers, not all the uninsured, said Commissioner Sam Adams, who sponsored the resolution. The committee will gather data for six months, then recommend to the council options on expanding health coverage.
No sweatshop deals
The council also voted 3-0 to curb purchases of clothes made in factories that violate workers' rights and labor laws.
The Sweatshop Free Procurement Policy pledges Portland's support to a developing State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium, which aims to unite governments that collectively buy $100 million in clothing a year. The consortium would consolidate that buying power into a limited number of factories, then influence those shops to follow local labor laws, pay "nonpoverty" wages and give workers some freedom to organize. Portland would pay $20,000 a year to be in the group.
The resolution also asks Portland's current clothing suppliers to list their factory names and locations. It forms a committee to advise the council on adopting a code of conduct for clothes purchases next year.
The resolution says the nine-person committee should include city, labor, and footwear and textile industry representatives. Some labor groups opposed clothing suppliers being on the committee. Adams, who sponsored the resolution, said he will nominate a broadly acceptable roster that includes some business perspective but no one who might bid on city contracts.
How much city-bought clothing comes from sweatshops is unclear. Most of the city's $2 million clothing budget goes to police and fire uniforms made in U.S. factories, said Bureau of Purchases director Jeff Baer. But some clothes come from foreign factories, he said, and the city hasn't audited working conditions at any factories, which the consortium should do.
Limits on spray paint
The council also voted 3-0 Wednesday for an anti-graffiti ordinance that requires businesses to keep spray paint and paint markers secure from the public and to check the ID of anyone buying them. Purchasers also would have to sign a log. Some businesses had complained the law is too costly and burdensome.
Commissioner Randy Leonard said he would start a group to work out details of putting the ordinance into effect Nov. 1 and deal with business complaints.
Adams, Leonard and Commissioner Erik Sten voted for the ordinance. Mayor Tom Potter and Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who had opposed it, were on vacation. Andy Dworkin: 503-221-8564 andydworkin@ news.oregonian.com
