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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2007)
Labor bowl for MDA ready to roll April 22 The 18th annual Labor Bowl Challenge to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will be held Sunday, April 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cascade Lanes, 2700 NE 82nd Ave., Portland. Portland area labor unions have collected $276,041 for the charity. Money raised from pledges and a silent auction helps provide wheel- chairs and braces for youngsters, medical care, research and summer camps. Pledge packets are available at the Northwest Oregon Labor Council or by calling Tor at MDA at 503-223- 3177. NOLC’s annual awards dinner slated June 2 Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 2, when the Northwest Oregon Labor Council hosts the 10th annual Labor Appreciation and Recognition Night at Westmoreland Union Manor. This year’s theme is “Hat Mad- ness,” so don your favorite lid for the dinner and awards ceremony, which serves as a fundraiser for Labor’s Community Service Agency’s Emer- gency Fund. The fund helps union members who have been laid off, are on strike, or experiencing some type of financial difficulty. Dinner tickets are $10 per person. Raffle tickets also are sold for $1 each or seven for $5. Through May 18, the labor council will be accepting nominations for per- sons to be recognized for their contri- butions to the labor community. “You can recognize union mem- bers, shop stewards, service providers, whomever you feel is worthy,” said Judy O’Connor, executive secretary- treasurer of NOLC. “It’s a fun event for a good cause.” The labor council also is accepting cash and prize donations for the raffle. For more information or to order tickets, call 503-235-9444. Letter Carriers rally in Beaverton to halt privatization About 200 union letter carriers sur- rounded the Beaverton Post Office March 15 to protest a decision to priva- tize mail delivery at a new subdivision. The event drew TV cameras and letters of support from elected officials; in a letter to the Portland district manager, Oregon Secretary of State Bill Brad- bury urged reconsideration of the deci- sion to hire a contractor to handle mail at the brand-new Arbor ParcBethany development. The Bush-appointed majority on the Postal Board of Governors has called for piecemeal privatization of city mail delivery, and reportedly vetoed a na- tionwide labor agreement that would have restrained contracting out. Na- tional Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 82 president L.C. Hansen said the Board never before intervened in contract bargaining so directly in her 30 years at the Postal Service. The agreement now will go to binding arbitration. NALC is fighting privatization by filing local grievances where it occurs, and appealing to Congress to intervene. Hansen said local postal service managers haven’t responded to the grievance she filed, so the union is making an unfair labor practice complaint to the National Labor Relations Board. In the grievance, the union wanted to know more details about the decision, including information about costs and calculations of savings. The post- master justified the decision saying it would save money, but Willamette Week reported March 28 that the initial contract is for $12,279 for four months of delivery to 20 mailboxes — which didn’t sound like a money-saver, Hansen said. “We think he should let letter carriers cross the street and start deliv- eries to those houses,” she added. Westmoreland Manor’s estate sale slated April 13-14 Westmoreland Union Manor’s an- nual “Treasures & Trifles Estate Sale” is slated for Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, at the retirement center located at 6404 SE 23rd Ave., Portland. The popular sale features low-priced furniture, collectibles, jewelry, pots, pans, knick-knacks and other “stuff” owned by residents. The sale starts at 9 a.m. both days. It closes at 3 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. I've helped you design and build factories all over the west. Now I'd like to help you build wealth, and help design your residential, investment and commercial real estate portfolio. Lyman Warnock, Broker 503-860-7724 email: lymanwarnock@msn.com website: oregonfirst.com/lymanwarnock APRIL 6, 2007 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 7
