District 4 candidate Mitch Green urged the Portland City Council to include strong labor protections in the proposed renovation or replacement of the Keller Auditorium. Green submitted testimony ahead of the council’s vote on August 14 to collaborate with Portland State University and the Halprin Landscape Conservancy to explore the project.
In his testimony, Green expressed the concerns of labor unions, including PSU-AAUP (Portland State University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors), SEIU 503 (Service Employees International Union, representing public sector employees), and IATSE Local 28 (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, representing theater workers). He called on the city to ensure that unionized labor would be utilized during both the construction and operation of the facility.
“It’s critical that the city ensures these commitments for our working families. Union jobs are vital to the recovery of downtown and to the broader economic health of the city,” concluded Green, who is backed by the Working Families Party, the Democratic Socialists of America, and multiple trade unions.
