Over 100 leaders from MACG institutions assembled in Portland City Council Chambers to support the health care resolution we started working on over one year ago. Storytellers and leaders from IUOE 701, Central City Concern, Recovery Association Project. St, Andrew Church, NW Carpenters, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Redeemer Lutheran, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 48, and Old Town Clinic addressed the council in support of the resolution. We are encouraged that the resolution passed 3-0 with Commissioners Sten, Adams and Leonard all voting "yes." (Mayor Potter and Commissioner Saltzman are both on vacation.) MACG was recognized by Commissioner Adams as the driving force behind the resolution and all of our member institutions were recognized individually and congratulated for their commitment to common good.

The resolution begins a process for the City to hire a consultant to study the options on providing health coverage to construction workers on publicly funded jobs and forms a committee to work on the options for what can be done. MACG will have spots on the committee, and we are strategizing on ways to involve more leaders from our institutions in the process to ensure we keep it moving towards real change.   

MACG leaders were mostly encouraged that the process has now formally begun, and were also disappointed that proposed amendments we made during the hearing to strengthen the resolution were not brought up for a vote.

Leaders from the Oregon chapter of NAMCO, the National Association of Minority Contractors, gave testimony about numerous challenges facing small and minority contractors and called on City Commissioners to help resolve these issues as well as make sure the resolution itself does not end up in an ordinance that unjustly hinders small business owners. MACG leaders are working to build relationships with NAMCO leaders to find where we have common ground and to gain a better understanding of existing issues.