...Strike impacts large projects
(From Page 1)
Another issue in the drywallers’dis-
pute involves a merger of pension
funds. The Carpenters want to merge
drywaller pension funds into a region-
wide fund with all the other Carpenter
locals. It is ultimately the responsibil-
ity of pension fund trustees to execute
such a merger, but the Carpenters are
hoping to expedite that with language
in their collective bargaining agree-
ment. The contractors association op-
poses a merger.
The drywall strike has impacted ma-
jor projects throughout Oregon and
Southwest Washington, including three
condo towers on South Waterfront, the
Nines Hotel in downtown Portland
(formerly a Meier & Frank department
store); remodeling work at Clackamas
Town Center, the new Columbian
newspaper plant in Vancouver, Wash.,
the Lower Columbia College’s new
theater project in Longview, Peace
Health Hospital in Eugene, and the new
RiverBend hospital being built in north
Springfield, to list only a few.
The strike also has opened a rift
within the building trades. That’s be-
cause there was language in the ceiling
and wall contractors proposal that
would have allowed the Carpenters
Union to sign new contractors outside
its historic jurisdiction — specifically
wall finishing and structural interior
work. That work traditionally has been
performed by members of the Painters,
Plasterers, Cement Masons and Iron
Workers unions.
The language, which is contained in
the Washington ceiling and wall con-
tract, says that “the union recognizes
the historic separate craft(s) of ‘finish-
ing’and confirms that a signatory con-
tractor shall assign the finishing work
amongst the craft(s) with respect to
such finishing work through a separate
union agreement covering finishing/fin-
ishers or by written assignment. If a
signatory contractor makes no written
assignment to a union which is not a
party to this agreement within 60 days
of becoming bound to the terms of this
agreement, such finishing work shall as
of the 61st day, become covered in all
respects by this agreement. The union
agrees to promptly notify the NW Wall
& Ceiling Contractors Association of
new contractors who become signa-
tory.”
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Pete Savage, regional manager of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of
Carpenters, addresses some 400 union and family members who attended a
strike rally June 5 at Gabriel Park in SW Portland. Savage announced that
picket duty pay would raise from $75 to $100 a day.
The other crafts see the contract lan-
guage as a “raid” on their work. The
Carpenters say it’s not raiding the other
unions, but merely signing new con-
tractors to their union if they aren’t al-
ready signatory with another craft.
“It’s an issue that has caused us
some grief,” Pete Savage, regional
manager of the Pacific Northwest Re-
gional Council of Carpenters told some
400 members at a June 5 strike rally in
Southwest Portland.
Franklin told the NW Labor Press
that the disputed language is no longer
on the table in Oregon.
“This strike is strictly about money,”
Franklin said. “And if we’re successful,
everyone else will be successful.”
Still, the strike has not been sanc-
tioned by the Columbia-Pacific Build-
ing and Construction Trades Council,
and many union locals are telling their
members to report to work.
John Mohlis, executive secretary-
treasurer of the CPBCTC, told the NW
Labor Press that the council wants in
Q
writing a statement by the Carpenters
that it won’t pursue the jurisdiction lan-
guage. “If we can get assurance that
this is just about money, I think there
might be more support,” Mohlis said.
Teamsters Joint Council No. 37 has
sanctioned the strike, and Operating
Engineers Local 701 is neutral.
At the national level, Carpenters,
Teamsters and Laborers left the AFL-
CIO two years ago to form the Change
to Win labor federation with four other
national unions. After the departure,
Teamsters and Laborers locals — and
until two weeks ago, several Carpenters
locals — in the Portland area main-
tained their affiliation with the Colum-
bia-Pacific Building Trades Council.
As of press time on June 12, the
Carpenters said no new talks had been
scheduled. Franklin said Carpenters
from five states were brought in June
11 to help with picketing. Last week,
the Pacific Northwest Regional Council
of Carpenters raised picket duty pay
from $75 to $100 a shift.
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