Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2007)
Oregon Better Health Act Demand is high, so Carpenters Food Bank will open 1 hour earlier AFL-CIO backs Kitzhaber plan The Oregon AFL-CIO Executive Board has endorsed former Gov. John Kitzhaber’s Oregon Better Health Act, a plan to overhaul the health care sys- tem in Oregon. The proposed legislation seeks au- thority from Congress to allow Oregon to reallocate public resources currently being spent on health care by creating a system in which everyone has access to a defined set of essential health services. This “core benefit” would be portable and not tied to employment. Supporters say the “core benefit” would relieve employers and employ- ees of the cost of paying for health in- surance, but would allow employers to offer and purchase secondary insur- ance for additional services. In addition, the legislation includes a provision whereby the general pub- lic, employers, employees, senior citi- zens, and health-care providers will have an opportunity to compare the new system with the current system before moving forward with imple- mentation. The Oregon Better Health Act is the product of the Archimedes Move- ment, an effort to create a a new health UNITE HERE Local 9 placed under international reins Jim Grogan was named trustee of UNITE HERE Local 9, which repre- sents hotel and laundry workers in the Portland metro area. The local was placed under trusteeship by its national office in October. Grogan will be in charge of the local through the end of 2007. A long-time organizing director for UNITE, Grogan said he hopes to get the Portland local more in line with lo- cals in San Francisco and Seattle, which have focused much attention on organizing hotels. The local is also bracing for what could be difficult contract negotiations this year with the Hilton Hotel chain. Local 9 represents the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower in downtown Portland. The union also represents employ- ees at the Benson and Paramount Ho- tels in downtown Portland. Employees at the new Hilton Vancouver and Con- vention Center in Washington signed recognition cards to join Local 9, but have yet to ratify a first contract. 7LUHG RI :RUNLQJ LQ 3$,1" 0RVW,QVXUDQFH 3ODQV$FFHSWHG 3 P 528'/< ROUDLY 6 S (59,1* ERVING ORTLAND W 3 P 257/$1' : ORKERS 25.(56 F OR O VER 32 Y EARS ) 25 2 9(5 < ($56 MARCH 2, 2007 Local 9 secured a neutrality agree- ment before the taxpayer-financed convention center and hotel complex was built in 2005. The Hilton operates the hotel under a contract with the City of Vancouver. The hotel and conven- tion center employs 120 workers. UNITE HERE was formed in 2004 with the merger nationally of UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) and HERE (Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union). The merged Portland local has 1,200 members in industrial laundry and 1,000 in hotel and food service. Grogan replaces financial secretary Jeff Richardson, who resigned Oct. 13 following a routine internal audit by the national union. Richardson was re- elected by acclamation to a third term in 2005. Local 9 President Gloria Gonzalez, who also was re-elected by acclama- tion in 2005, will remain on staff dur- ing the trusteeship. %HHVRQ &KLURSUDFWLF KHOSVEULQJWKH UHOLHI\RXQHHG 7UHDWPHQWIRUSDLQGXHWR RYHUXVHDQGUHSHWLWLYHPRWLRQ &KLURSUDFWLFDGMXVWPHQWV 7UHDWPHQWIRUDFFLGHQWDQG VSRUWVUHODWHGLQMXULHV 5HKDELOLWDWLRQH[HUFLVHV 7KHUDSHXWLFPDVVDJH ,QWHUQDOGLDJQRVLVDQGWUHDWPHQW /DEWHVWVDQG[UD\V 'U'DQ%HHVRQ&KLURSUDFWRU 6(7KLUWHHQWK$YHLQ6HOOZRRG &$// care system by challenging the under- lying structure of the current system and offering an alternative to replace it. “Our current system is based on structures and assumptions that are now 40 to 50 years old and reflect the realities of the last century, not the re- alities of today,” said Kitzhaber, who practiced emergency medicine for al- most 20 years before becoming gover- nor. “Without finding the courage to rethink these assumptions in light of today’s realities, we will be unable to meet the health-care challenges facing our state and the nation.” There was little debate at the quar- terly Board meeting held in Northeast Portland. Board members said the Oregon Better Health Act will cer- tainly be modified to consider labor’s interests before it is ever enacted. “The more we can raise this issue now, the better off we will be,”said Ken Allen , executive director of Ore- gon Council 75 of the American Fed- eration of State, County and Municipal Employees, and maker of the motion to endorse the Act. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote. The Carpenters Food Bank will start distributing food one hour earlier each month because of long lines waiting to receive food boxes. The all-volunteer Food Bank, now in its 24th year, is housed in the base- ment of the union hall at 2205 N. Lombard, Portland. The Food Bank feeds 450 to 500 families the third Friday each month. Mike Fahey, a former executive secretary-treasurer of the Portland Metal Trades Council and member of Pile Drivers, Divers and Shipwrights Local 2416, who along with his wife Sandy, coordinates the program, said resi- dents oftentimes start lining up at 6 a.m. “I hate to see people standing out there, so we let ‘em in,” Fahey said. The new distribution hours will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The next distri- bution is Friday, March 16. The Food Bank is also seeking cash donations to help purchase food items — including meat and turkeys — at bulk rate prices. Contributions can be sent to: Food Bank, P.O. Box 17358, Portland OR 97217. Gradine Storms Real Estate Broker Member of CWA Local 7901 E-Mail: gstorms@equitygroup.com www.equitygroup.com/gstorms 7886 SE 13th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97202 Direct: 503-495-4932 Branch: 503-233-8883 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated THE UNION PLUS ® MORTGAGE PROGRAM Provided Exclusively by Chase Home Finance When it comes to mortgages, we’re taking a stand for Union members. Chase is backing union members with the Union Plus® Mortgage Program — a home purchase and refinancing program exclusively for union members, their parents and children. • FREE Mortgage Assistance Benefit If you are unemployed or disabled. • A wide variety of mortgages Choose from fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, and low- or no-closing costs options. • Special Lending First-time homebuyer and less-than-perfect credit programs. • Savings on closing costs Member-only savings on new purchases and refinance. It all adds up to more home-buying power. Contact your local Union Plus® Mortgage Specialist 866-729-6016 866-729-6016 Ext. 3016 Union Plus is a registered trademark of Union Privilege. Eligibility for mortgage assistance begins one year after closing on a Union Plus Mortgage through Chase Home Finance. This offer may not be combined with any other promotional offer or rebate, is not transferable, and is available to bona fide members of participating unions. For down payments of less than 20%, mortgage insurance (MI) is required and MI charges apply. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply. ©2005 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved. P-UP 104 2A-7604 10/05 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 9
