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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2006)
L ABOR What’s Happening Single-payer health care plan backed by Washington AFL-CIO WENATCHEE, Wash. — Dele- gates representing affiliated unions of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, voted at its convention last month to endorse U.S. House Resolu- tion 676, “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All,” which would insti- tute a single-payer health care system in the United States by expanding an improved Medicare system to every resident. The WSLC joins six other AFL- CIO state federations (Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio, Delaware and North Dakota) and 39 central labor councils in endorsing the legislation. Introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), HR 676 would cover every person in the United States for all nec- essary medical care including pre- scription drugs, hospital, surgical, out- patient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation, vision care, chiropractic and long-term care. HR 676 would end deductibles and co-payments and, according to sup- porters, would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. Under the resolution, the Washing- ton state labor federation “will work with their affiliates and community groups to support action for a single- payer universal health care plan and HR 676 until we make what is morally right for our nation into what is also politically possible... (and) en- courage other members of the House to sign on as co-sponsors, and to en- courage Senators to introduce a com- panion bill in the Senate.” HR 676 has 75 congressional co- sponsors, including Rep. Jim McDer- mott (D-Wash.). AND NEWS FR OM AR OUND THE P A C I F I C N O R T H W E S T PDC workshop Sept. 20 will look at construction wages Machinists, Teamos end ULP strike at Cummins NW The Portland Development Com- mission has scheduled three work ses- sions over the next three months to discuss wages on construction projects that it helps finance. The meetings will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the PDC conference room at 222 NW Fifth Ave., Portland, on Wednesday, Sept. 20; Wednesday, Oct. 18. and Tuesday, Nov. 7. The purpose of the Sept. 20 session will be to provide the PDC Board and the public with an understanding of the rules and regulations of the federal Davis-Bacon Act and the Oregon pre- vailing wage rate law. The agenda will include presentations by PDC staff and state Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner. There will be no public testi- mony. The format for the following two workshops will involve panel discus- sions with invited representatives of large and small and minority contract- ing firms, commercial and residential developers, labor and other jurisdic- tions. “Our intention is for these sessions to put the PDC Board in the position of making an informed decision on whether and what types of require- ments PDC should consider for proj- ects which are not clearly subject to federal or local wage laws,” said Board chairman Mark Rosenbaum. The quasi-independent develop- ment arm of the Portland City Council has been under fire from city commis- sioners, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and building trades unions for circumventing state prevail- ing wage laws on some of its public- private development projects. Machinists and Teamsters at Cum- mins NW plants in Portland, Pendle- ton, Renton, Wash., and Spokane, Wash., ended an unfair labor practice strike Aug. 28. Cummins NW employs 23 Ma- chinists, members of Lodge 1005, at the Portland facility on Swan Island. Workers at all the unionized plants walked out July 7 after the new owner voided all contracts with the Machin- ists and Teamsters unions. Before ne- gotiations even began on a successor contract, the new owner quit paying into the workers’ union pension fund. Unfair labor practice charges were filed and workers from both unions struck a short time later. At the bargaining table, the new owner has not moved off demands for open-shop language and implementa- tion of a 401(k) pension plan to re- place the union plan. The company had asked the unions to sign a strike settlement proposal that would have voided the charges at their last bargaining session Aug. 28. “We would not do that as a condi- tion of the contract,” said Scott Lucy, a business representative of Portland Machinists District Lodge 24. “The ULP charges are still being investigated. We’re going to see that through the process,” he said. If the ULP charges are upheld by the National Labor Relations Board, striking union members could receive back pay for the time they were out on strike. No future bargaining has been scheduled, but Lucy said his union is ready to talk at any time. Labor relations group slates Oct. 6 diversity workshop The Oregon Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Associa- tion (LERA) will hold a workshop on diversity on Friday, Oct. 6, from 7:30 Zachary Zabinsky • Social Security • SSI - Disability Claims Personal Attention To Every Case Working For Disability Rights Since 1983 Wal-Mart tour bus rolls into Oregon The “Change Wal-Mart, Change America” tour bus rolled into North Portland Sept. 2 for a rally and barbecue. Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams (above) was among a group of 75 people adding their names to the “Better America” pledge, which asks Wal-Mart to be a better corporate citizen. The bus was on the last leg of a 35-day, 19-state campaign that started Aug. 1 in New York. The colorful red, white and blue “Smiley” bus stopped at the Oregon State Fair in Salem on Sept. 1, where in a few hours several hundred Oregonians signed the pledge card. According to its own reports, Wal-Mart covers only 43 percent of its 1.39 million U.S. employees with health insurance. “It is the taxpayer who has to pick up the tab (for the others), and therefore is subsidizing Wal-Mart,” said Chris Kufinis of Wake Up Wal-Mart, sponsor of the bus tour. It’s estimated that taxpayers last year subsidized Wal- Mart — which had a net income of $10.5 billion — more than $8 million in Oregon and more than $18 million in Washington. The retail giant says that its average full-time (30 hours a week) “associate” earns $10.11 an hour. Kufinis says it’s closer to $7.90. Either way, it’s not enough for a family of two to meet basic living needs. He added that Wal-Mart’s business practices and growing trade with China also have forced American manufacturing jobs to shut down and move overseas. After Portland, the bus motored to its final destination in Seattle for a Labor Day event with U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray that drew a crowd of 400. Along the way, it stopped in Vancouver to meet with a local group fighting to keep a Wal-Mart out of their community. During the tour, more than 25,000 citizens signed Wake Up Wal-Mart pledge cards. a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Century Hotel, 8185 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, Tualatin. “The Diversity Movement and La- bor Relations: What’s the Connection” will look at multiculturalism and how it relates to the changing workforce and labor relations. Registration is $20 for LERA members and $30 for non-members. Annual membership to the group is $25. For more information, contact Bill Greer at 503-957-2255 or e-mail him at wmgreer@msn.com. Korean War Veterans organization is looking for new members. The group meets the 4th Tuesday each month (September 26), at noon at Milwaukie Elks Lodge, 13121 SE McLoughlin Blvd. For more information, call Max Loucks at 503-286-1464 K ramers/metro mailing service 3201 N.W. YEON PORTLAND, OREGON 97210 (503) 274-1638 FAX (503) 227-1245 THE ONLY UNION MAILER NO FEE WITHOUT RECOVERY IN OREGON 621 SW Morrison, Portland Visit our Web site at www.kramersmailing.com 223-8517 PAGE 4 P OLITICAL MEMBERS OF TEAMSTERS LOCAL 223 — Eric Brending, Owner — NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
