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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2007)
ConMetco’s Rivergate plant closes; once employed 400 Machinists Union members clocked out for the last time Oct. 9 at Consoli- dated Metco in Portland’s Rivergate In- dustrial District. The plant, the company’s first manu- facturing facility, now sits closed. At the end, only 26 union members remained, down from about 150 two years ago, and 400 union employees 10 years ago, said District Lodge 24 Business Repre- sentative Scott Lucy. Workers there earned $13 to $21 an hour as molders, tenders and heat treaters, molding aluminum and then machining it into finished components. The plant made hubs, cross-members and other truck parts for Freightliner and Paccar. Both companies are expe- riencing a slump in sales, but both are also shifting production abroad. “As far as we’re concerned, many politicians have sold out manufacturing in this country,” Lucy said. “There’s a downturn in the truck market, but it can’t be discounted that moving things to Mexico is a product of bad trade agreements that have adversely im- pacted manufacturing in the United States.” The United States should withdraw from its current trade agreements, Lucy said, and not sign the latest batch of agreements, despite “feel-good lan- guage” about labor and environmental standards that Lucy said will be unen- forceable. Because their layoffs are trade-re- lated, the ConMet workers are eligible for a package of benefits including ex- tended unemployment insurance bene- fits and retraining and relocation assis- tance. Several of the laid-off workers were officers of Machinists Local 1432. Sec- retary-Treasurer Larry Hendrickson and trustee Vern Needles will be allowed to serve out the remainder of their terms. ConMet will continue to have its corporate headquarters at Rivergate, in- cluding engineering and management employees. It also will continue opera- tions at Clackamas and several other lo- cations in the United States. SEIU’s Dale won’t run for AG post Service Employees Local 49 Presi- dent Alice Dale decided not to enter the race for Oregon attorney general, announcing her decision in an Oct. 16 statement. The announcement followed sev- eral weeks during which she met with labor leaders seeking possible support for a campaign. In her statement, she said a statewide campaign was incom- patible with the demands of being a mother to her 12-year-old son. Don’t Forget to Vote By Nov. 6 Swanson, Thomas &Coon ATTORNEYS AT LAW Since 1981 James Coon Jacqueline Jacobson Ray Thomas Kimberly Tucker Margaret Weddell Cynthia F. Newton Tip of the Week: If you are injured or disabled, keep a good relationship with your treating doctor. Your doctor’s opinion is often the most important evidence in your case. We represent people on all types of injury and disease related claims. n Workers’ Compensation n Construction Injuries n Personal Injury/Product Liability n Death Claims n Asbestos/Mesothelioma n Social Security Disability We provide straight answers at no cost on any of the above areas of law. CALL US or VISIT OUR WEB SITE ( 503) 228-5222 http://www.stc-law.com (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 E-mail: Michael492@comcast.net Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150-0150, PORTLAND, OR 97213 Advancing Technology to the Next Level! During the months of November and December IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union will be upgrading our computer system to enhance the quality of service to our members. The new system has superior security features including photo recognition and electronic signature capture, and will allow the staff greater efficiency in the completion of your transactions. Call us if you have any questions at: PO Box 16877 9955 SE Washington St Portland, Oregon 97292 www.ibewuwfcu.com 800-356-6507 or 503-253-8193 Electricians, Carpenters, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofer, Asbestos Workers, Family, Millwrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers HELP WANTED 24hr per week office assistant. Must be proficient with Quickbooks, Excel, Word; Experience with small business, accounting and banking, gen or- ganizational skills, typing, filing, experience and job experience to be considered. Candidate must join OPEIU Local 11 and work under terms of con- tract, including wages, 401(k), vacation and health benefits. Submit resume by Nov 12, 2007 to: ILWU Local 40 2401 N. W. Twenty Third Ave. Portland, Oregon 97210 Electricians, Carpenters, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofer, Asbestos Workers, Family, Millwrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers Carpenters, Electricians, Laborers, Glaziers, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofers, Asbestos Workers, Family, Millwrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers Glaziers, Carpenters, Laborers, Electricians, Sheetmetal Workers, Floorcoverers, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Roofers, Asbestos Workers, Family, Millwrights, Painters, Elevators, Plasterers NOVEMBER 2, 2007 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 3
