Labor rules under scrutiny

PORTLAND – Farmers are examining what rules should govern farm-labor organizing in Oregon.

The Oregon Farm Bureau recently began circulating a position paper about legislation it plans to seek in January, the group’s general council, Tim Bernasek, told The Oregonian newspaper.

Among the key points are forming a commission to resolve disputes, allowing workers a simple-majority vote by secret ballot when deciding whether to organize, and voluntary arbitration when disputes arise.

The position paper comes as Oregon worker groups are demanding binding arbitration similar to that provided by California law. A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski said the governor supports that change.

“The governor’s trying to get the parties together to pound something out,” said Tom Chamberlain, a senior policy adviser. “Without them reaching some kind of compromise, nothing’s going to happen.”

Farm workers in Oregon are specifically exempt from union organizing rights given to other workers.

For decades, farmers argued that such an exemption was necessary so they would not face harvest-time strikes that could put them out of business.