For the past three months, Oregon drivers have enjoyed the convenience of pumping their own gas. However, a major labor union in the state is now seeking to overturn this change and return to full-service fueling stations. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 has submitted an initiative to reinstate the ban on self-service fueling, triggering a spirited debate about the safety, accessibility, and employment implications of operating gas pumps.

If UFCW can gather 117,173 valid signatures by July, the fate of Oregon's gas pumps will be in the hands of voters come November 2024. The union argues that self-service gas pumping has not benefited anyone but the oil companies. Michael Selvaggio, the political director for UFCW Local 555, claims that the practice has led to job losses, reduced accessibility to fuel, and increased safety risks at gas stations.

Joining UFCW as the chief petitioners of the proposed measure are union president Dan Clay and former Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick. Novick has expressed opposition to self-service fueling, citing concerns about job loss and a desire to preserve Oregon's uniqueness.

Until August 4, Oregon was one of only two states, alongside New Jersey, that restricted motorists from operating gas pumps themselves. While some rural areas permitted self-serve fueling, densely populated regions required the presence of attendants. However, this year, a bipartisan bill successfully eliminated the restriction, allowing all gas stations to assign at least some of their pumps for self-service. However, in more populated counties, fuel attendants must still be available for at least half of the pumps.

UFCW Local 555 has a direct stake in the matter, representing employees of grocery stores that offer fuel services such as Safeway and Fred Meyer. While the union did not initially involve itself in the legislative process, it claims that promises made regarding the facilitation of union organizing in other industries were not kept. As a result, UFCW spent over $300,000 on a failed attempt to recall Eugene Democratic Rep. Paul Holvey, who was presumably linked to the failed promises.

Should UFCW's initiative succeed, the ban on self-service fueling would be reinstated statewide, eliminating the previous system that allowed self-serve in rural areas. However, the practice of motorcyclists pumping their own gas with the assistance of an attendant handing them the fuel nozzle would continue.

Opponents of the union's initiative, such as state Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, view it as a misguided power grab and a misuse of worker dues. UFCW Local 555 has also filed five other proposals alongside this gas measure, including plans to tighten political contribution regulations, impose stricter penalties for lawmakers who break ethics rules, and limit private meetings among legislators. Additionally, the union is considering asking voters to pass the failed policy on unionizing cannabis workers.

The success of UFCW's proposals and their subsequent appearance on the ballot in 2024 is yet to be determined. Time will tell if the union can gather the necessary signatures for any of these measures, but for now, the debate over the future of self-service gas stations in Oregon rages on.