Oregon loses skilled trade workers to neighboring states as high unemployment persists

 

The backlash against new data centers pits GOP and Democratic voters against union members and hoped-for new jobs.

By Khushboo Rathore

Oregon Journalism Project

Last week, Robert Camarillo had an urgent message for Oregon lawmakers: His union members are fleeing the state because there’s no work.

“We’re losing a lot of our members to projects out of state—to Idaho, Nevada, California,” Camarillo, executive secretary of the Oregon Building Trades Unions, told the House…