OTA Dispatch Issue 1, 2019

4 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch FROM THE PRESIDENT Jana Jarvis OTA President/CEO A merican author Henry Miller once penned, “Chaos is the score upon which reality is written,” an apt description of the 80th Legislative session! Two months in, as I write this column, we have seen statewide rent control become law; carbon policy proposals touted in hearings around the state; threats to raid SAIF; movement on establishing paid family leave; and proposed changes to Oregon’s independent contractor law. Just to name a few. What I had previously predicted to be the most difficult legislative session for business in years is proving true, and we haven’t even seen the full range of legislative proposals yet. In addition, Oregon’s Secretary of State, Dennis Richardson, died on February 26 leaving a key vacancy in Oregon’s governing structure. The rumors of his replacement continue to circulate with no clear candidate or strategy in place. And then, amid all the chaos, Senate President Peter Courtney took an unexpected medical leave amidst the controversy surrounding his handling of workplace harassment issues as far back as twenty years ago. Chaos theory at its best. The questions of who will replace Secretary Richardson and will President Courtney survive the charges will likely be answered by the time you read this column; however, the uncertainty surrounding them amidst the tenor of this difficult session make it next to impossible to predict outcomes. OTA is continuing to work productively on a variety of issues, but you should stay alert to our weekly correspondence as we utilize your assistance to accomplishing our agenda. Such was the case with the Carbon Committee’s statewide tour over the past few weeks. A number of trucking company representatives turned out to emphasize our industry’s concerns over increased costs and to remind legislators that trucking doesn’t currently have viable energy options other than fossil fuels. We want to thank those of you that showed up for the hearings to testify or provided written testimony. Hundreds of individuals showed up to testify—both for and against—and many on the committee were surprised to hear that there are concerns about moving this proposal forward. Your time was invaluable to your industry—it really makes a difference! As an association, we have been working on building our grassroots strength, but it is difficult for business groups to compete against philosophical organizations, particularly those in Oregon’s environmental community. These are complicated issues that are difficult to address in a two-minute hearing, and it is obvious that many don’t understand the business issues that drive our industry’s concerns. As a result, we have begun establishing Key Contacts, connecting each elected state representative or senator with OTA members who live or work in their districts. These Key Contacts are charged with helping to educate legislators about the trucking industry by touring their terminal, meeting for coffee, or attending the legislator’s in-district meetings. If you are willing to serve in this capacity, please let us know. We provide training and support, and it will be well worth your time to participate! Of course, there are lots of ways to get involved with your industry and your association. We are continuing to expand our training opportunities at OTA. We are wrapping up our third year of the NW Fleet Safety Certification program and will recognize these graduates at our Safety Conference, April 17–19 in Salem, Oregon. This premier training opportunity is an OTA branded, year-long course that increases the professionalism of your safety staff and is an investment in your company’s safety culture. The Year Four class has a few openings remaining and will begin this coming May—so contact us as soon as possible if you have staff that would benefit from this course. We are also graduating our first class of NW Fleet Maintenance Professionals at our Maintenance & Education Fair on March 29. Another specialty OTA training program, the NW Fleet Maintenance Certification program offers technicians advanced training in topics relevant to their role as a The Capitol, The Classroom, and Your Commitment