School Employees Back Kulongoski

Governor Ted Kulongoski Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - In an about face, a union representing school classified workers has endorsed Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski over Republican Ron Saxton for the fall governor's race.

The Oregon School Employees Association had backed Kulongoski's Democratic primary challenger, Jim Hill, only a few months ago, saying that Oregon's schools were worse off now than they were when Kulongoski took office.

With the primary season over, the school employees union has decided to back Kulongoski for the general election largely because of his advocacy for boosting state school funding to $6 billion in 2007-2009, a union spokeswoman said Tuesday.

"Clearly, our members have had difficulties with Gov. Kulongoski in the past," Tricia Smith said. "But they think he is the only candidate now who has a specific plan to improve our education system."

Public employee unions were crucial in helping Kulongoski win his first governor race in 2002, with union volunteers going door-to-door and contributing money to his campaign.

This year, the unions snubbed Kulongoski in the primary election to show their displeasure with his reforms to the public employee retirement system that reduced worker benefits.

However, it appears the unions now are getting ready to rally around Kulongoski in his race against Saxton, the Republican nominee who's stirred up the unions with talk of downsizing government and further reducing retirement benefits.

Two weeks ago, the Oregon Education Association - the state's largest teachers union - dropped its neutrality and threw its support to Kulongoski.

Kulongoski campaign spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor said the governor has been meeting recently with representatives of two other big unions - the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

"Clearly, we don't take any votes for granted," Richter Taylor said. "But in the end, the governor feels hopeful he will be able to win their support, because he shares common values with them."