Portland, Ore. –Tomorrow the Oregon AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations) will submit over 1,500 sponsorship signatures to move The Grocery Store Service and Community Protection Act forward to appearing on the 2020 Oregon Ballot. Oregon AFL-CIO President and chief petitioner of The Grocery Store Service and Community Protection Act Tom Chamberlain explained why Oregon’s unions are taking on this important issue:
“The widescale use of self-checkout machines in our state’s grocery stores is part of a deliberate corporate strategy that relies on automation to reduce labor costs and eliminate jobs. It disproportionately impacts workers of color.[i] It disadvantages and inconveniences customers, especially the elderly and people with disabilities.[ii] That is why we are putting this issue on the ballot, to send a message to corporate America and to let Oregon’s voters have their voice heard on how we shop for the goods and commodities that our families rely on.”
Oregon’s Secretary of State requires 1,000 sponsorship signatures to be gathered before a prospective petition will be moved to the attorney general for a draft ballot title. Once the ballot title process is complete, the Oregon AFL-CIO will begin to gather the required 112,020 signatures to qualify The Grocery Store Service and Community Protection Act for the November 2020 ballot.