Bill Text: OR SCR10 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Withdrawn

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-28 - Withdrawn from the President's desk and from further consideration by unanimous consent on motion of Boquist. [SCR10 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-SCR10-Introduced.html


     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
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 LC 3209

                 Senate Concurrent Resolution 10

Sponsored by Senator BOQUIST (at the request of Joyce Hamilton)

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  In memoriam: Ruben Contreras, 1921-2010.

                      CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
  Whereas Ruben Contreras was born to a prominent family in
Mexico City, Mexico, on December 12, 1921; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras came to the United States in 1944 with
the Bracero Program and spent several seasons working as a
seasonal contract laborer, learning English and making friends
from all walks of life; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras settled in McMinnville, Oregon, after
his marriage to Alberta Schmauder in 1948, and is believed to
have been the only permanent resident of Latino heritage in
Yamhill County at that time; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras found work as a refrigeration
technician and began advocacy work on behalf of farm workers
after years of familiarizing himself with the many hazards and
inequities they faced; and
  Whereas in 1954, Ruben Contreras began working with the Oregon
Council of Churches and Migrant Ministry, visiting migrant camps
to document the harrowing conditions of the camps and providing
material and emotional support to workers living in the camps;
and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras was instrumental in compiling and
organizing information to report on the serious housing, health,
employment security, education and discrimination issues facing
migrant workers to the Oregon Legislative Assembly; and
  Whereas as a result of this report, farm labor reform and
regulation legislation was passed into law in 1959, before most
Americans outside of agricultural communities were aware of
problems faced by migrant workers; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras, recognizing the continuing battle that
still needed to be fought to improve working and living
conditions for migrant workers in the United States, joined state
Senator Carl Francis and future governor Tom McCall in efforts to
continue farm labor reform; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras took a position with the Valley Migrant
League in 1965 to translate for and advocate on behalf of migrant
workers, making himself available day and night to help workers
and their families find employment, pass driver tests, resolve
conflicts with growers and find proper health care; and

  Whereas after becoming a United States citizen himself in 1958,
Ruben Contreras helped thousands of migrant workers to obtain
legal status in the United States; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras worked tirelessly to secure and protect
the rights of migrant workers as a group but also took care and
time with many individuals who came to him for help and guidance;
and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras served on the federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration's Standards Advisory Committee
on Agriculture and became the Hispanic Liaison Officer for the
Yamhill Community Action Partnership; and
  Whereas Ruben Contreras passed away on September 30, 2010, and
is survived by his wife, Alberta, two daughters, Maria Elena and
Marietta, and three sons, Carl, Albert Rene and Ruben Jr.; now,
therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:
  That we, the members of the Seventy-seventh Legislative
Assembly, honor Ruben Contreras for his pioneering work at both
the local and national level to improve working and living
conditions of migrant workers, and for his tireless efforts to
bridge social and cultural differences in his community and in
this state.
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