The Senate General Government Committee chaired by Sen. Chip Shields (D-Portland) heard testimony on two bills that would affect the collective bargaining relationship between labor and management in counties. HB 2418, sponsored by Rep. Greg Matthews (D-Gresham) would require that a public safety employee have the authority to impose "economic discipline" to be considered a supervisor for collective bargaining purposes. AOC testified in opposition to the bill on the grounds that this would either put certain mid-and potentially upper-level supervisors into the bargaining or require the county to grant new levels of authority to current supervisors. 

HB 2448, sponsored by Rep. Margaret Doherty (D-Tigard), would require the use of binding, interest arbitration when addressing mid-term bargaining issues with bargaining units currently authorized to strike. Binding arbitration requires parties to submit their final offers to arbitrators and is currently required only for employees prohibited from going on strike, generally public safety employees. AOC also testified in opposition to this bill, on the grounds that it would slow the resolution of issues needing quick resolution and change the current balance between management's ability to implement their final offer and labor's ability to go out on strike.

The Senate General Government, Consumer and Small Business Committee heard testimony on HB 3159 which would require counties and large cities to regulate "predatory towing." The bill is aimed at setting rates that are charged when towing companies haul away vehicles that are parked in private parking areas without the approval of the vehicle's owner. 

Proponents urged lawmakers to require local governments to regulate rates when an owner's vehicle is involuntarily towed and then charged high rates to retrieve the vehicle from an impoundment lot. With the approval of the bill's major supporters, Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) and Sen. Chip Shields (D-Portland), AOC submitted an amendment that would make it permissive rather than mandatory for counties to set rates. Large cities (over 15,000) would still be required to set rates if the bill is approved. Since there are many counties, particularly rural counties, where involuntary towing is not an issue, we noted that it makes sense not to mandate that all counties establish maximum towing rates.   

Towing companies argued that the bill would harm towing companies and many do not understand the reason for their pricing structure, especially since they said only half of the vehicles that are towed without the owner's consent are claimed. Chair Shields expressed his displeasure with the proponents since they submitted an amendment that would make major changes to the bill with little notice to the Committee. The bill is scheduled for work session on May 29.