The Oregon AFL-CIO is the Oregon state affiliate of the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the United States. The union promotes left of center political causes and organizes and campaigns for workplace unionization, pro-union legislation, and favored candidates. ¹

Founding and History

The AFL-CIO was formed in 1955 by the merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The Oregon AFL-CIO is the state affiliate chapter of the parent organization and received tax-exempt status in 1958. ²

Activities and Policy Positions

The Oregon AFL-CIO works to organize workplaces into recognized labor unions and mobilizes members to phone bank, canvas, and campaign on behalf of favored candidates. The union also engages in legislative lobbying at the state level, taking generally left-of-center positions. ³

Immigration

In 2019, the Oregon AFL-CIO unanimously passed a resolution to stand in solidarity with immigrant and refugee union members. The union provides a “defend and resist” toolkit to respond to potential Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids on workplaces. It also provides resources on resisting ICE workplace subpoenas and encourages unions to insert language in labor contracts protecting immigrants and refugees. ⁴

Racial Politics

The Oregon AFL-CIO website maintains that the systems, institutions, and norms of the United States are “built upon a racist foundation rooted in our history of colonialism.” The union encourages the labor movement to be a center of intersectional struggle. It lists a variety of recommended “racial justice” material including the film The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and two books by controversial authors aligned with critical race theory: How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and White Fragility: Why It Is so hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. ⁵

PRO Act

The Oregon AFL-CIO mobilized its members in support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act or PRO Act. The union claims that this legislation would be the most significant labor legislation since the Great Depression and lauds its purported worker protection and labor benefits. It has described the PRO Act as being the equivalent of civil rights law, economic stimulus, and increased protections for women, immigrants, racial minorities, and LGBTQ workers all rolled into one. ⁶ The PRO-Act has been criticized for forcing unwilling workers into unions, damaging the “gig” economy, and undermining the rule of law by promoting numerous exemptions and carve out for favored special interest groups. ^{7 8 9}

Finances

In 2019, the Oregon AFL-CIO had $2,198,898 in revenue, of which $2,076,623 was derived from contributions and grants and $74,110 was derived from program service revenue. The union had $1,933,975 in expenses, of which $1,383,617 was allocated towards salaries, compensation, and employee benefits. It ended the year with $2,120,268 in net assets. ¹⁰

Leadership

Graham Trainor is the president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. He comes from a family with organized labor roots and began working for the Oregon AFL-CIO as a field director in 2011. He went on to become political director and eventually chief of staff before being named president in September 2019. ¹¹

1. Oregon AFL-CIO. “Our Work.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://oraflcio.org/our-four-pillars.
2. Oregon AFL-CIO, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990O), 2019, Box L
3. Oregon AFL-CIO. “Our Work.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://oraflcio.org/our-four-pillars.
4. Oregon AFL-CIO. “Immigration Resources.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://oraflcio.org/immigration.
5. Oregon AFL-CIO. “Racial Justice.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://oraflcio.org/racial-justice.
6. Oregon AFL-CIO. “Pass the PRO Act.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://oraflcio.org/proact.
7. Hughes, Michael. “Union Friendly PRO Act Reintroduced In Congress: Seeks To Revolutionize Labor Law Throughout The U.S.” JDSupra.com. February 9, 2021. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/union-friendly-pro-act-reintroduced-in-5383245/.
8. St. Onge, Peter. “Opinion: Legislation Should Help Rather than Hinder the Gig Economy.” The Globe and Mail. February 13, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-legislation-should-help-rather-than-hinder-the-gig-economy/.
9. Yost, Zachary. “The PRO Act Is Not Just a Union Handout—It’s an Assault on the Freedom of Association Itself.” Mises Wire. February 17, 2021. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://mises.org/wire/pro-act-not-just-union-handout-its-assault-freedom-association-itself.
10. Oregon AFL-CIO, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990O), 2019, Part I
11. ^[1] Linkedin.com. “Graham Trainor | LinkedIn.” Accessed October 25, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-trainor-9875014/.