Accomplishments

Recent Accomplishments

MACG has made substantial contributions to the metropolitan area over the last couple of years through the following accomplishments:

• Training Leaders. Twelve MACG leaders attended one-week intensive regional training institutes conducted by the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) Northwest.  Another one hundred fifty nine participated in local leadership institutes.  In addition, six leaders were trainers and twenty six were reflection group leaders in those institutes.

• Tackling New Action Areas. In December, 2011, MACG’s leaders authorized four new Action Teams to respond to pressures felt and values held in MACG institutions: Local Economy, Education Organizing, Food Security, and Prison and Community.

• Campaigning for Health Care Reform.  In December 2011 MACG leaders planned and executed a Health Care Reform Assembly which drew over 250 attendees.  Capitalizing on this momentum for the 2012 legislative season, leaders successfully advocated for greater consumer representation in governance bodies of statewide health care entities. During the 2011 legislative season, MACG leaders were a strong voice for health care reform, with special focus on supporting a pro-consumer health insurance exchange.  To this end, MACG turned out 70 people to advocate at Health Care Action Day in Salem.

• Creating Housing for Survivors. Clackamas leaders raised over $53,000 to complete a three house pilot, showcasing an effective model of self sustaining post-emergency houses for survivors of domestic violence and addressing a critical housing shortage for this population.  Leaders oversaw the purchase and remodeling of the homes which are currently providing housing for twenty women and children.  At least six more houses are now currently in the planning stages, following the pilot’s model.

• Advocating for Workforce Standards. MACG leaders continue to participate in overseeing current and advocating for new workforce agreements that ensure family wage and benefit standards, plus participation of disadvantaged populations in training and job opportunities in publically-sponsored sustainability projects.

• Fighting for Criminal Justice. In 2011, MACG leaders started investigating issues of criminal justice that impact people in prison and in the community, beginning with a focus on mandatory minimum sentencing reform in Oregon. Three leaders testified at the Oregon Commission on Public Safety’s Sentencing Commission in November.

• Joining Contractors, Community, and Labor. Contractors, community and labor partners that MACG recruited for its successful 2010 community-based outreach project decided to continue to work together and form the High Road Contractors and Community Alliance. Working together, Alliance members have so far generated 160 applications for energy efficiency projects in Clean Energy Works Oregon, the fourth highest application rate in the program. Connections have further been built as contractors have participated in MACG leadership training and MACG leaders have orchestrated facilitated sessions with workers, labor, and contractors.   In addition, all Alliance member contractors have entered a project labor agreement with LiUNA.
  
  

• Retrofitting a Neighborhood. In 2010, MACG formed an outstanding team of contractors, labor unions and community-based organizations to successfully propose and implement a program to bring energy efficiency improvements to the NE Portland Cully neighborhood.  Due to MACG’s community-based outreach efforts, 222 homeowners signed up for the program (one in nine eligible in the neighborhood).  Seventy-five homeowners have completed the improvements, saving 202 metric tons of carbon. In addition, 12 new union jobs with benefits were created.

Past Accomplishments

Click here to read the highlights of MACG's accomplishments in its first seven years.