Inside
MEETING NOTICES
See
Page 6
Volume 107
Number 23
December 1, 2006
Portland
Union Shopping
Guide F or T he
Holida ys
Consumers will spend upwards of
$60 billion for holiday gifts this year and
much of that money is earmarked for
apparel, computer equipment, consumer
electronics and books, according to gov-
ernment sources and commercial
polling firms. There are union-made,
competitively priced sources for all of
the items on the typical shopper’s wish
list.
“Yes, it gets harder every day to seek
out union products and services. It’s a
moving target with some goods that
were produced here last month bearing a
‘Made in China’ label this month,” says
Charles Mercer, president of the AFL-
CIO Union Label and Service Trades
Department. However, he added, “It
does make a difference when union
families tell merchants they want to see
a union label before they buy.”
Last year, the national AFL-CIO con-
vention designated the 10 days follow-
ing Thanksgiving as “Buy Union Week”
as a means of harnessing the consider-
able buying power of union wages.
The Northwest Labor Press has com-
piled a union shopping guide. It is by no
means an all-inclusive list, but it does in-
clude products made by members of
both the AFL-CIO and the Change to
Win labor federations.
Maybe the best-known union com-
panies in Oregon are Powell’s Books,
represented by International Longshore
and Warehouse Union Local 5; Pendle-
ton Woolen Mills, where you can buy
blankets and housewares made by mem-
bers of UNITE HERE; Harley-David-
son motorcycles, made by members of
the Machinists Union and United Steel-
workers; and Cingular Wireless, repre-
sented by Communications Workers of
America. All of those companies’ prod-
ucts would make great union-made or
serviced holiday gifts.
There are others. Teamsters represent
workers at Boyd Coffee in Northeast
Portland. The Machinists Union rep-
resents workers at Gerber Leg-
endary Blades, who make outdoor
knives and multipurpose tools in
Tigard.
Jackson & Perkins is a Medford-
based company that grows roses,
Christmas trees and other items in
California, where it employs 1,400
members of United Farm Workers.
Baked goods from Oroweat,
Franz, Williams, Fred Meyer
Clackamas Bakery and Safeway
Clackamas Bread Plant are made by
members of Bakery, Confectionery
Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers
Local 114.
Other union-made goodies include
Hershey’s, See’s Candies, Ghi-
rardelli, Brown & Halley, Russell
Stover and Hostess products, to name
a few.
Teamsters and Operating Engi-
neers represent workers at Tillamook
County Creamery, where some of
the best cheese in the world is pro-
duced.
Teamsters also represent workers at
Smuckers, Darigold, Pepsi Cola,
Coca-Cola and Franz Bakery.
WHERE TO BUY
Fred Meyer is the only unionized
department store in Oregon, with em-
ployees represented by United Food
and Commercial Workers Local 555.
However, not all stores are union, and
even within union stores there are
sometimes nonunion departments. If
you want to be sure, ask a worker.
In Longview, Washington’s Old
Town, Bob’s Merchandise and Bob’s
Bike Shop have employees repre-
sented by Local 555. So do Farr’s
True Value stores in Coos Bay and
Coquille, and Bay Appliance and TV
in Coos Bay.
In grocery and meat, most Fred
Meyer, Safeway, Albertsons,
Haggens, QFC, Sherm’s and
McKay’s stores employ workers rep-
resented by UFCW Local 555. Again,
not all stores are union and, as in retail,
not all departments are union.
In-store bakery workers are mem-
bers of Bakers Local 114 at most
(Turn to Page 5)
Getting into the holiday spirit
A sure sign that the holidays season is near is the
presence of volunteer electricians from IBEW
Local 48 getting The Grotto ready for its annual
Festival of Lights. As they have done for the past
19 years, electricians mounted panels and
assembled temporary power boxes that supply
power to more than half-a-million lights and fiber-
optic displays and animated displays in a walk-
through depiction of the story of the birth of
Christ. A team of 40 union members volunteered
(including Dave Manning and Steve Martell in the
photo above on opening night; Eric Garcia in the
photo right, and Bob Palandech and Craig Dyk
below) this year, while union contractors of the
National Electrical Contractors Association
donated equipment. “The expertise and pro-
fessionalism of the IBEW Local 48 electricians are
so important to this event,” said Father Jack
Topper, executive director of The Grotto. “Year
after year they come out to lend us a hand. We
couldn’t do this without their selfless help.” The
Grotto Festival of Lights is open nightly through
Dec. 30 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The Grotto is located
at NE 85th and Sandy Boulevard, Portland.