Let me say this about that
—By Gene Klare
Salute to Schneider
THE NORTHWEST OREGON Labor Retirees Association welcomes Dick
Schneider into the Labor Hall of Fame. Schneider, 62, of Gresham, retired in
April of this year after a long career in the International Association of Machin-
ists. He retired as an IAM grand lodge representative — an international rep — a
post he has held for 19 years.
The Retirees Council, which is affiliated with the Portland-based Northwest
Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO, estab-
lished the Labor Hall of Fame 10 years ago
to honor retired unionists for service they
gave to their unions and to the labor move-
ment.
At the time of his retirement, Schneider
was one of four coordinators in the IAM’s
Aerospace Department. He was responsi-
ble for 115 IAM labor contracts with the
Boeing Company and other aerospace
firms in the United States and Canada.
RICHARD (DICK) LEE SCHNEI-
DER was born on March 24, 1945 in
Lebanon, Oregon. He attended schools in
DICK & KATHI SCHNEIDER the Portland area and in other places be-
cause his father, Bob Schneider, worked
construction, involving many moves for the family. Bob Schneider was a member
of the International Union of Operating Engineers and worked out of Local 701
when he was in Oregon. Dick attended Benson High School in Portland and grad-
uated from high school in Long Beach, California.
After high school he worked for a time “pulling the green chain in a sawmill”
in Oregon and in 1963 joined the U.S. Army. He spent most of his military serv-
ice in an artillery unit in Germany and earned the three stripes of a sergeant. In
1966, after his Army hitch was completed, Schneider moved back to Long Beach
where a cousin was the IAM’s chief shop steward in a Douglas Aircraft plant.
The cousin steered Schneider to a job in the plant’s plastics lab and Dick became
a member of the Machinists Union.
TWO YEARS LATER, Schneider decided to return to his Oregon roots and
settled in Portland, obtaining a job at the Portland Iron Works and joining Ma-
chinists Local Lodge 63, to which he still belongs. He started as a helper in 1968
and worked his way up to journeyman status. He became active in Local 63 and
held several offices. In 1978 he was appointed as a business representative of Ma-
chinists District Lodge 24, based in the Machinists Building at 3645 SE 32nd
Ave., just south of Powell Blvd.
AS A DISTRICT LODGE 24 business representative, Schneider participated
in contract negotiations, grievance handling and other facets of representing the
membership. He spent a lot of time dealing with problems caused by employers
at the Swan Island ship repair yards leased by the companies from the Port of
Portland. He and representatives of other ship repair unions came up with inno-
vative ways of out-maneuvering the employers in order to achieve the unions’
goals while keeping the unions’ members on their jobs and drawing paychecks.
Schneider next worked as the administrative assistant to District 24’s Directing
Business Representative George Miller. His duties in that job, coupled with being
the secretary-treasurer of the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League of Ore-
gon, required him to become knowledgeable about politics and lobbying at the
Oregon Legislature in Salem. He spent eight years as the IAM’s political director
and lobbyist. He helped now U.S. Senator Ron Wyden first get elected to Con-
gress in Oregon’s Third District and in his years with District 24 campaigned for
(Turn to Page 11)
PAGE 2
Meeting in Newport, building trades
unions savor legislative victories
NEWPORT — Construction union
officials celebrated a successful legisla-
tive session Aug. 21-24 at the annual
convention of the Oregon State Build-
ing and Construction Trades Council.
Passage of a new prevailing wage
law on public-private partnership proj-
ects was their major victory. Improved
budgets for capital construction projects
was another gain. The Council also
helped block several bills that would
have weakened safety standards and ap-
prenticeship training requirements.
The Council announced its legisla-
tive all-stars for the session, topped by
Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley.
Schaufler, a former member of the La-
borers Union, was praised for his work
introducing, carrying and guiding sev-
eral key pieces of legislation through the
political process as chair of he House
Business and Labor Committee.
Joining Schaufler on the all-star team
were Democrats Arnie Roblan, Betty
Komp and Jeff Barker and Republicans
Karen Minnis, Wayne Krieger and Greg
Smith.
Senate all-stars included Floyd
Prozanski, Vicki Walker, Brad Avakian,
Richard Devlin, Kate Brown, Rick
Metsger, Frank Morse and Ben West-
lund. All are Democrats.
“But there is no time to rest on our
laurels,” said Executive Secretary Bob
Shiprack. Noting a “sea change” occur-
ring in the Oregon Legislature, with sev-
eral representatives and senators either
leaving to run for other posts — or just
leaving — and the move to annual ses-
sions, Shiprack said the Council is al-
ready gearing up for 2008 and beyond.
The 54 convention delegates passed a
resolution to continue assessing $2 per
member per month to fund Oregonians
to Maintain Community Standards.
Money raised by this political action
committee is used to promote legislation
and ballot measures that benefit union
crafts as well as defend against ballot
measures and legislation that try to
weaken them.
Transportation funding will be a top
legislative issue, as will reforming the
enterprise zone program.
Enterprise zones offer exemptions
from property taxes for businesses that
agree to invest in specific areas and
commit to create and maintain a certain
number of jobs. The Building Trades
Council wants language that would re-
quire businesses to hire Oregon con-
struction contractors to build the proj-
ects. Last session, SB 151 extended the
sunset date for the enterprise zone pro-
gram to June 30, 2013, but it doesn’t in-
clude language about local hiring.
“The construction phase isn’t even
included in the calculation,” said Pat
Smith, executive secretary of the Lane,
Coos, Curry, Douglas Counties Build-
ing Trades Council. “Build it cheap.
Build it any way you want; but once it’s
open they’re required to pay a living
wage, whatever that is. The construction
industry should be included in the equa-
tion.”
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Guest speaker Sen. Rick Metsger
asked construction unions for their help
in putting together a transportation fund-
ing package that would keep Oregon
moving forward.
“It’s a critical time,” Metsger said. “If
we fail to keep improving our trans-
portation system, it will have a ripple ef-
fect in all corners of our state. Trans-
portation fuels businesses and our
economy. Investment in transportation
is an investment in the health of our
state.”
Chris Warner of the governor’s office
told delegates that Gov. Ted Kulongoski
is committed to working with stake-
holders to develop a plan that meets the
transportation needs of the state.
“Oregon is rapidly approaching grid-
lock,” he said. “A transportation pack-
age will be part of the 2009 session.”
Warner also told delegates the gover-
nor would work with labor “to find that
balance” on local hire language for en-
terprise zones.
Mike Wood, director of the Oregon
Occupational Safety and Health Ad-
ministration (OR-OSHA), told dele-
b h
m k
gates construction deaths are on track to
reach double figures for the first time
since 1997. Eight construction workers
have died this year already. That’s up
from an average of five to six annually.
Wood said the increase in fatalities
“doesn’t mean the sky is falling,” or that
more regulations are needed. “The truth
is, rules aren’t followed,” he said.
The most recent death Aug. 16 was
caused when a trench collapsed on a
worker laying sewer pipe.
Not speaking specifically to this
tragedy, Wood said that when shoring
fails, “I can flat out tell you ... it sure as
hell isn’t a freak accident. It’s some-
thing we know happens — and we
damn well know how to prevent it.”
Wood emphasized that greater com-
pliance of safety rules by contractors
and workers would go a long way in
saving lives and preventing injuries.
“What kills people on construction
sites, we know how to prevent,” he said.
Other speakers included Vicki
Walker, who is running for secretary of
(Turn to Page 8)
Bennett Hartman
Morris & Kaplan, llp
Attorneys at Law
Oregon’s Full Service Union Law Firm
Representing Workers Since 1960
Serious Injury and Death Cases
• Construction Injuries
• Automobile Accidents
• Medical, Dental, and Legal Malpractice
• Bicycle and Motorcycle Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Premises Liability (injuries on premises)
• Workers’ Compensation Injuries
• Social Security Claims
We Work Hard for Hard-Working People!
111 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1650
Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 227-4600
www.bennetthartman.com
Our Legal Staff are Proud Members of UFCW Local 555
SEPTEMBER 7, 2007