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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2008)
END OF AN ERA ? The last commercial Freightliner branded truck rolled down the assembly line March 29, 2007. Now the Freightliner name has disappeared from most of the company’s buildings on Portland’s Swan Island. The truck manufacturing plant is now known as the Western Star Truck Manufacturing Plant, and the Freightliner Corporate Head- quarters became Daimler Trucks North America LLC, as of Jan. 7, 2008. The truck plant is now pro- ducing Western Star brand trucks, and the Freightliner military vehicle. The Daimler name is replacing DaimlerChrysler as the name of the parent company. Workers in the truck plant are members of the Machinists, Teamsters, Painters and Service Employees. ATU #757 members ready to strike AMR in Josephine County GRANTS PASS — Emergency medical technicians and paramedics em- ployed at American Medical Response (AMR) are preparing to go on strike Jan. 20 in Josephine County. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 represents a bargaining unit of 33 ambulance workers at AMR. On Jan. 7 they gave a 10-day notice to strike. They were ready to walk out at 8 a.m. Jan. 17, but that was pushed back 72 hours on Jan. 14 after AMR delivered some financial documents that the union had been seeking. AMR claims that it doesn’t make a profit in Josephine County. The union doesn’t buy it, and wanted to see proof. “AMR stalled and stalled handing over any documents,” said Local 757 President Jon Hunt. “When it finally got down to the wire (to strike), we got some more documents.” At press time, the union was still scouring the documents for information. In the meantime, they decided to delay the strike and, instead, meet with a federal mediator on Jan. 17. (The outcome of that mediation was not known at press time.) The new strike date is set for Jan. 20. The union has been trying to bargain a new contract for nearly two years. Key issues in the dispute are wages and health insurance benefits. As it stands, some EMTs and paramedics at AMR make just a few cents above the state minimum wage of $7.95 an hour. According to Hunt, EMTs are on call 24 hours a day, and the average work-week is 56 hours. During negotiations AMR implemented the company’s national health in- surance plan and increased worker co-payments for premiums. It also gave workers a wage increase, although part of that was tied to the increase in the state minimum wage on Jan. 1. Local 757 has filed an unfair labor practice complaint, which is pending. “Our people are solid. I think the company realizes that,” Hunt said. “Hope- fully we can get something worked out on the 17th. If not, our people are ready to strike.” Michael E. Hardeman, Business Representative Sign & Display Local 510 The bank of local unions brings 50 years of on-the-job labor experience provides complete banking services tailored to the Local leadership guides investments to ensure your money works as hard as you do offers online access to keep multiple accounts easily organized gives each and every local union their due. Invest in you ® Labor Management Trust Services Stephen Heady, Vice President, (503) 450-1270 Louis Nagy, Vice President, (503) 450-1273 Labor Management Deposit Services Diane Williams, Senior Vice President & Manager, (213) 236-5085 John Mendoza, Vice President & Relationship Manager, (415) 705-7112 Visit us at unionbank.com JANUARY 18, 2007 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS ©2007 Union Bank of California, N.A. Member FDIC PAGE 5
