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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2006)
What’s Happening Building Trades’ Mohlis a finalist for PDC post John Mohlis, executive secretary- treasurer of the Columbia-Pacific Building Trades Council, is one of two finalists for a vacant seat on the Portland Development Commission, according to a report in Willamette Week. The other finalist is architect Don Stastny. Organized labor has been lobbying Portland Mayor Tom Potter since his election last year for a seat on the five-person commission, which is the quasi-independent economic develop- ment arm of the Portland City Coun- cil. The post is appointed by the mayor, but must be confirmed by the City Council. According to Willamette Week, Mohlis has the support of three com- missioners — Randy Leonard, Erik Sten and Sam Adams. Potter aide Austin Raglione told the newspaper that the mayor’s deci- sion will come sometime after Oct. 20. The PDC seat has been vacant nearly three months. Cathy Callahan leaves top job at local NLRB office Cathy Callahan, the top official at the Portland office of the National La- bor Relations Board (NLRB), is leav- ing to take a job as head of the Wash- ington State Public Employment Relations Commission. Callahan, 57, has spent 24 years at the NLRB, and for the last eight years, she’s been officer-in-charge at NLRB Subregion 36, responsible for protect- ing the labor rights of workers in Ore- gon and Southwest Washington. The NLRB is the federal agency that oversees workplace elections that determine whether workers want a union or not. It also investigates “un- fair labor practices,” as violations of the National Labor Relations Act are known. Callahan will take early retirement from the NLRB, leaving Nov. 3, and will begin as executive director of PERC Nov. 6. In her new job, she will oversee a staff of 40 enforcing 11 state statutes, and resolving disputes between public employers and workers and their unions. She’ll take a cut in pay, but Callahan said the appeal of the job, plus the chance to live to Olympia, PAGE 4 L ABOR AND P OLITICAL NEWS FR OM AR OUND THE P A C I F I C N O R T H W E S T were more important factors. Olympia is Callahan’s home town, and though she left in 1967, she’s maintained con- nections to old friends over the years, and never missed a class reunion. Her replacement at the NLRB has not yet been named; a nationwide search is under way. Nominations are sought for awards in labor relations The Oregon Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Associa- tion (LERA) is soliciting nominations to honor individuals in labor relations, including union leaders, managers, ac- ademics and others devoted to excel- lence in labor-management relations. The awards will be presented at a reception following LERA’s confer- ence “Crisis in Health Care: What Are We Doing About?”to be held Wednes- day, Nov. 15, at the Oregon Conven- tion Center in Portland. Individuals honored will have demonstrated commitment to the col- lective bargaining process, integrity, and involvement in the labor relations community. Two awards are open for union members, one for an officer, business agent or attorney and one for a steward who administers a collective bargaining agreement. For nomination forms, e-mail Ore- gonLERA@aol.com . The deadline to submit nominations is Thursday, Oct. 26. For more information, call Burton White at 503-590-3535. PDC sessions explore prevailing work wage issues Union officials talked about the benefits of paying prevailing wages on publicly-financed construction Vancouver GATE House dedication After five years in the making, the Vancouver School District’s GATE House center opened for class Sept. 3, and is now the first official home to the Gateway to Adult Transition Education (GATE) program. Members of Electrical Workers Local 48 and the Carpenters Union (pictured above) attended a dedication dinner held Oct. 5 at the facility located at 3100 E. 18th Street,Vancouver, Wash. The union members were among some 150 community volunteers too donate time to the project. Local 48 electricians, many retired, collectively donated 540 hours — the equivalent of $31,000 — to light up the new house. The GATE program benefits young adults throughout Southwest Washington ages 18-21 who have special needs due to significant mental and physical disabilities. Union volunteers included John Aschim, Bruce Washburn and Jim Sevier from the Carpenters and Lee Duncan, Gene Fletcher and Don Evan from Local 48. projects at an Oct. 18 workshop of the Portland Development Commission. PDC is holding a series of work- shops to determine whether or not it should set wage and benefit require- ments on projects that aren’t clearly subject to state prevailing wage laws. The quasi-independent development arm of the Portland City Council has been under fire from city commis- sioners, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and building trades NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS unions for allegedly circumventing state prevailing wage laws on some of its development projects. Representing labor was Bob Shiprack, executive secretary-treas- urer of the Oregon Building and Con- struction Trades Council, Nelda Wil- son of Operating Engineers Local 701, Pete Savage, regional manager of the Pacific Northwest Regional Coun- cil of Carpenters, and John Mohlis, executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbia-Pacific Building Trades Council. Also on the work session agenda Oct. 18, was a panel of nonunion con- tractors and representatives speaking against prevailing wage laws. They in- cluded Jim Posey of Work Horse Construction, Dan O’Brien of Current Electric, Jeff Deane of Associated Builders and Contractors, and Shawn Miller of Miller Public Affairs. The meeting was video-taped and will be replayed on Cable Access Channel 30 on Friday, Oct. 20, at 9:30 p.m.; on Friday, Oct. 27, at 6 a.m.; and on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. A third work session is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9, from 4 to 9 p.m. in the PDC conference room at 222 NW Fifth Ave., Portland. The first work session held Sept. 20 attracted about 45 people and fea- tured little discussion, but lots of his- tory on how state prevailing wage laws work. Oregon Labor Commis- sioner Dan Gardner and his staff gave a 90-minute presentation on wage laws, how surveys are conducted and the importance of apprenticeship training. Labor groups seek donated holiday gifts for children Labor’s Community Service Agency and the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO, are holding their 10th annual Presents from Part- ners Holiday Toy Drive for underprivi- leged children. Bring unwrapped gifts to the of- fices of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, Suite 100-D at 1125 SE Madison, Portland, no later than Fri- day, Dec. 15. OCTOBER 20, 2006
