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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2007)
Operating Engineers #701 re-elects slate of officers Members of Gladstone-headquar- tered Operating Engineers Local 701 returned incumbents to all union of- fices when mail ballots were counted Aug. 2. Business manager Mark Holliday ran unopposed for re-election, after a challenger was found not qualified. President Jim Anderson, who also works on staff as an organizer, fended off a challenge from John Groffy. Treasurer Nelda Wilson, also on staff as assistant business manager, outpolled challenger Robin Wicklan- der. All other candidates ran unopposed and were declared elected: Kevin Miller, vice president; Stephen Bradley, recording corresponding sec- retary; Nolan David Carter, conductor; Melvin “Butch” Sarina, guard; Michael Thun, District I rep; Harold Westmoreland’s Union Manor 6404 SE 23rd Avenue Portland, OR 97202 503•233•5671 Kirkland Union Plaza MARK HOLLIDAY Chevrier, District II rep; and Kenneth Humbert, Frank Botts and Mark Schnetzky, auditors. The officers will be installed Sept. 7. All terms are for three years. Illinois enacts law to stop use of independent contractor scam CHICAGO (PAI) — In what con- struction union leaders and state offi- cials say could be a precedent for the entire country, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) signed legislation Aug. 6 outlawing construction indus- try use of the “independent contrac- tor.” The Illinois law declares a con- struction worker — or any other worker — is an employee covered by labor law unless the worker is “free from employer control,” “providing a service outside the usual course of business” for the employer and is “en- gaged in an independently established trade.” Hundreds of contractors misclas- sify workers as independent contrac- tors to avoid paying workers’ compen- sation and employment taxes, such as Social Security, and dodge other labor laws. These unscrupulous contractors can submit low bids for construction work, leaving bonafide contractors on an unlevel playing field. Right now, thousands of construc- tion workers, including one of every C ELEBRATING O RGANIZED L ABOR 12 in Illinois, are illegally declared in- dependent contractors. Ohio’s statewide body that oversees school construction recently declared that all contracts under their control must be with contractors that do not misclassify their workers. Ohio car- ries out $2 billion worth of school con- struction yearly. The two-and-a-half-year fight to enact the law had to overcome strong opposition from Republicans, nonunion contractors and trucking as- sociations, said State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halverson (D). The trucking group was particularly concerned because they feared their thousands of owner-drivers, now called “independent contractors,” could suddenly be named workers. That has been a key issue between the Teamsters and the Port of Los Ange- les-Long Beach, the nation’s largest port. Gov. Blagojevich and national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said the new Illinois law could be a model for the entire country. Zachary Zabinsky • Social Security • SSI - Disability Claims 1414 Kauffman Avenue Vancouver, WA 98660 360•694•4314 Marshall Union Manor T HE U NION M ANORS 2020 NW Northrup Street Portland, OR 97209 503•225•0677 Kirkland Union Manors 3530 SE 84th Avenue Portland, OR 97266 503•777•8101 B OARD O F D IRECTORS President: Earl B. Kirkland Vice-Presidents: Gary D. Kirkland, Martell F. Blake Sec.-Treasurer: Clair C. Anderson Directors: Edward Barnes, Larry Kirkland, William McNicholas, Swan Nelson, Russell Wagner, Gary Rhodehouse www.theunionmanors.org TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL NO. 37 Labor Honor Executive Board • President:Tony Andrews • Secretary-Treasurer: Roger Niedermeyer • Vice President: John Silva • Recording Secretary: Dan Ratty • Trustees: Clayton Banry, Diana Franken, Tom Strickland Personal Attention To Every Case Working For Disability Rights Since 1983 NO FEE WITHOUT RECOVERY 621 SW Morrison, Portland On behalf of all Teamster members and our affiliated Local Unions, we are proud and committed to being America’s strongest Union. 223-8517 AUGUST 17, 2007 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 5
