Union-built gas-fired power plant goes online in Oregon
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delivered it with industry-best safety
practices,” King said.
Mohlis pointed to the high levels of
cooperation and camaraderie among
the tradesmen and women, contractors
and PGE.
“From a union perspective, this was
one of the most successful projects
we’ve been a part of,” said Mohlis,
who pointed to the workforce for the
“skill, productivity and commitment to
safety and quality” that they brought to
the project.
At the height of construction last
summer, more than 400 workers were
on site. “It was something like a mil-
lion man-hours,” Mohlis said.
The Port Westward project has
been a shot in the arm to economic de-
velopment in Columbia County, said
Rita Bernhard, chair of the Columbia
County Commission.
“PGE’s operations at Port West-
ward, including its Beaver Plant, have
been a catalyst in attracting more eco-
nomic development to our region,”
Bernhard said.
Eighteen full-time employees will
operate the new facility. Thirteen are
members of Electrical Workers Local
125.
With a generating capacity of 400
megawatts, Port Westward produces
enough electricity to power the homes
of more than 300,000 PGE customers.
The new plant will reduce PGE’s
dependence on wholesale market elec-
tricity purchases, said Peggy Fowler,
PGE’s CEO and president.
Construction unions seek level playing field on health care
Portland City Council will discuss a union-backed
proposal Wednesday, Aug. 8, that would level the
playing field for union contractors competing for
city-funded construction projects. Contractors that
don’t provide full family health care for their employ-
ees would have to pay an equivalent hourly amount
into a city fund. The fund would go to the Mult-
nomah County Health Department to provide health
care access to the uninsured construction workers,
and could attract federal matching funds.
Right now, union contractors are at an economic
disadvantage bidding for small city jobs, because
they’re competing with contractors that pay little or
nothing for health care. Last year, an informal union-
conducted survey of employees of construction con-
tractors doing business with the city found that only
about a third had employer-provided individual
health coverage, and less than 5 percent had em-
ployer-provided coverage that included their fami-
lies. Union contractors, on the other hand, provide
full family health coverage to their employees, by
making hourly contributions to joint labor-manage-
ment health trusts.
The proposed ordinance, termed “pay or play,”
would turn the tables — contractors wouldn’t get a
competitive advantage by leaving workers to pay for
their own family health care.
It got its start over a year ago, when at a North-
west Oregon Labor Council breakfast, City Com-
mission Sam Adams criticized Wal-Mart for not pro-
viding adequate insurance to employees. Cherry
Harris, stationary coordinator for Operating Engi-
neers Local 701, figured that meant Adams would be
on board to use city purchasing power to push con-
tractors to provide health care. Harris and leaders of
other building trades unions — Laborers, Carpen-
ters, Iron Workers, and Electrical Workers — began
meeting with staff in Adams’ office to come up with
a way to do that.
Originally, the group wanted to guarantee health
coverage for all workers who worked on City proj-
ects — by requiring contractors to “pre-qualify” by
showing they provided health care. But City attor-
neys said that would violate provisions of a state law
that sets uniform standards for what can be consid-
ered in public contracting. So they came up with the
“pay or play” approach.
“By going down this road, the city would be say-
ing we want to do business with companies that are
responsible,” Harris said.
As of press time, the hearing on the proposal was
scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8 at City Hall,
but union leaders were pushing to have it changed to
that evening to allow more union members to attend.
The hearing would be the first step — followed by
several public meetings on the subject, and then a
vote on a city ordinance.
Carpenters, Electricians, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofers, Asbestos Workers, Family, Mill Wrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers
IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union would
like to congratulate Laurie on her 30 years of service!
L aurie has held many positions within the Credit
Union starting as a Member Service Representative,
and currently is one of our Loan Officers.
Help us honor Laurie by visiting the Credit Union on
August 6th and enjoy a piece of cake and a cup of
punch and take the opportunity to wish her well.
9955 SE Washington St
PO Box 16877
Portland, Oregon 97292
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Electricians, Carpenters, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofer, Asbestos Workers, Family, Mill Wrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers
CLATSKANIE, Ore. — Portland
General Electric’s new union-built nat-
ural gas-fired power plant in Columbia
County is now online and able to gen-
erate enough energy to serve about
300,000 homes.
Company officials, community
leaders, construction contractors and
union officials celebrated the comple-
tion of the $285 million Port Westward
Generating Plant July 19 with a dedi-
cation ceremony.
Port Westward is PGE’s first plant
to be brought online in more than 10
years. Powered by a new breed of Mit-
subishi G1-class combustion turbine,
the combined-cycle, natural gas-fired
plant is one of the most efficient gener-
ators of its type in the United States,
PGE officials said.
Port Westward also has low levels
of emissions for nitrous oxide and car-
bon monoxide. Levels measured at the
plant since it began operation are be-
low the strict levels permitted by the
Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality.
At the dedication ceremony, PGE
thanked the construction union work-
force for its efficiency. The all-union
workforce worked under a national
project labor agreement between gen-
eral contractor Black & Veatch and the
Columbia-Pacific Building Trades
Council.
Richard King, vice president of
construction and labor relations for
Black & Veatch, said the project was
completed with an overall recordable
injury rate of 0.68 and a days-away-
from-work rate of 0.00. This compares
with the industry average recordable
injury rate of 6.3 and a days-away-
from-work rate of 2.4.
At the dedication ceremony, King
singled out International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers Local 48 and EC
Company for outstanding craftsman
ship and productivity; and John
Mohlis and Wally Mehrens for out-
standing leadership and labor manage-
ment cooperation. Mohlis is executive
secretary-treasurer of the building
trades council; Mehrens retired from
that post in December 2005.
PGE broke ground on the Port
Westward Generating Plant on Oct. 7,
2005.
“We’re proud to have worked with
PGE and with several key partners on
this very important project and to have
Electricians, Carpenters, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofer, Asbestos Workers, Family, Mill Wrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers
Officials say Port Westward
was a model for efficiency,
low emissions and safe
construction
Glaziers, Carpenters, Laborers, Electricians, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofers, Asbestos Workers, Family, Mill Wrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers
AUGUST 3, 2007
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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