In those two decades, voters have elected Republicans statewide only twice.
One was Gordon Smith, who won a second term in the U.S. Senate in 2002 but lost six years later. He became president of the National Association of Broadcasters. He maintains a home in Pendleton, but has said he will not seek public office again.
The other was Dennis Richardson, a former state representative who lost to Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber in 2014, but was elected secretary of state two years later. Richardson died of cancer in 2019.
One of Richardson s early endorsers for governor in 2013 was Atiyeh, who knew about second chances. He was elected governor on his second try in 1978 (he lost four years earlier) and was re-elected in 1982.
Workers at a Springfield memory care facility who are seeking to unionize announced that they gave a 10-day strike notice after the management refused to recognize their union and request expedited contract negotiations.
The employees at The Rawlin at Riverbend Memory Care first demanded immediate recognition of the union on Monday, Feb. 1, in response to an active COVID-19 outbreak among residents with 47 cases and six deaths. Employees then delivered a petition to the management detailing the danger facing workers and residents from understaffing, insufficient training and a low-wage induced high turnover rate.
According to a press release sent by union SEIU 503 on Feb. 5, The Rawlin management refused to recognize the union and “take steps to protect residents.” Staff at The Rawlin then delivered pledges to go on strike.
Joseph Haddad is an employment attorney for JJH Law in Portland. He said many employers will likely face a dilemma as more people return to work during vaccine rollout.
Updated February 1 Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler will now have a security detail with him nearly every time he goes out in public following the Jan. 24 incident where the mayor pepper-sprayed a lawyer outside a McMenamins pub. The mayor has enhanced security measures, and we believe they will be effective in protecting the mayor s safety, said Jim Middaugh, a spokesman for the mayor. The city contracts with a private security firm called G4S Secure Solutions, Middaugh added. Wheeler has always had the personal discretion to call for the security detail, Middaugh said, as have previous Portland mayors dating back decades. Now, however, Wheeler will use the security team nearly every time he s out in public.
January 28 2021
Brittney Jeffries, an employee in the city s IT department, seeks $5 million in damages amid allegations of sexual discrimination, retaliation, harassment and violation of her First Amendment rights
A city of Newberg employee has filed a lawsuit against her employer and a long list of former department heads.
Brittney Jeffries filed the lawsuit through her counsel, Portland attorney Dan Thenell. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 15 in Yamhill County Circuit Court, alleges sexual discrimination, retaliation for whistleblowing, harassment and workplace violations of her First Amendment rights. The lawsuit claims that city officials were made aware of the hostile work environment in which Jeffries found herself but did not take substantive action to stop it.