While people across the country kissed the summer of 2008 goodbye, Charles celebrated Labor Day by attending the picnic at Oaks Park, hosted by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council/AFL-CIO. The Northwest Oregon Labor Council, which represents a number of AFL-CIO member unions and thousands of working families and individuals in the Portland area, has endorsed Charles in his race for Portland City Council. At the picnic, Charles met with members of dozens of unions and talked about issues important to working people in Portland, such as creating and protecting family wage jobs with quality, affordable health care and supporting local schools.
For Charles, Labor Day is a special holiday. Like millions of Americans, Charles grew up in a union family. His father was a member of Teamsters Local 959 in Anchorage, Alaska and Charles paid his way through the University of Portland working summers as a union construction surveyor. When his father passed away, union benefits helped his family survive. Charles acknowledges that he owes a tremendous debt to the organized labor movement and will work tirelessly on the City Council to ensure that all Portlanders are given the same opportunities he has enjoyed.
