Carpenters Local 247 taps
Bruce Dennis president
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
Local 247 held officer elections at its
June 10 general membership meeting in
Portland. Members returned incumbent
President Bruce Dennis to office for a
sixth term. Dennis outpolled challenger
Jason Sheckler.
Joe Baron was re-elected financial
secretary.
Elected vice president was Mike An-
derson, who had been appointed to the
position by the Executive Board after it
was vacated by the resignation of Gene
Lawhorn.
Running unopposed were: Darell
Duffy, treasurer; Ben Basom, recording
secretary; Mike Couch, warden; Pete
Savage, conductor; and Kevin Stokes,
trustee.
Local 247 members also elected 14
delegates to the Pacific Northwest Re-
gional Council of Carpenters. They are:
Mike Anderson, Joe Baron, Ben Ba-
som, Bruce Dennis, Darrell Duffy,
Krista Farmer, John Hahn, Christie
Kern, Gene Lawhorn, Richard Petrich,
Pete Savage, Jason Shekler, Kevin
Stokes, and Joe Whitney. Dave Oury,
Gene Picariello, and Tom Sowa were
elected alternate delegates.
All the offices have three-year terms.
Dennis’ said topmost on his agenda
for Local 247 will be pulling together
member unity.
About half the local’s 1,200 mem-
bers are covered under a master agree-
ment with Associated General Contrac-
tors, which expires next year.
Dennis, 57, is also seeking re-elec-
tion this year as president of the Re-
gional Council, which covers five
states.
Beetle re-elected business
manager of Laborers #483
In mail-in ballots counted June 13,
Richard “Buz” Beetle, 60, was elected
to a second three-year term as business
manager of Laborers Local 483.
Local 483 is an 825-member munic-
ipal employees local of the Laborers In-
ternational Union of North America.
Beetle’s challenger in the race was
Local 483 President Troy Hogeland.
The office of president will now be held
by Bruce Easley, who outpolled fellow
union member Gannon Sorg.
Beetle, a long-time city wastewater
treatment operator, is a 32-year mem-
ber of Local 483 and has served 19
years on its Executive Board. For his
next term, Beetle said he plans to con-
tinue trying to increase member in-
volvement; hire an organizer to bring in
new members; and modernize the union
office.
Besides the general membership
meeting that is required by the union
charter, Local 483 has been holding
monthly meetings right after work at
major worksites, at which members can
talk about issues particular to those
units. Beetle also said he wants to in-
crease the number of stewards to 75, up
from the current 40.
In other results, Ron McKinney
bested Tim Sessler for the office of sec-
retary-treasurer, and Mark Lewis out-
polled Kevin Stampflee to become ser-
geant-at-arms. Running unopposed
were Scott Gibson, vice president; and
Jeb Barsh, recording secretary.
Three candidates ran for two at-large
Executive Board positions. Mike Mur-
phy and Terry Wade got the most votes,
but Wade resigned the office after elec-
tion to take a management position.
Beetle said the Executive Board was
likely at its July 1 meeting to appoint
the third candidate, Shawn Janis, to the
position.
Local 483 also elected Paul LaCroix
as a delegate to the Laborers District
Council. Beetle and Easley will also be
delegates by virtue of their offices.
Local 483 represents some classifi-
cations of workers at the Oregon Zoo
and the Portland International Airport,
and about 650 City of Portland workers
in the bureaus responsible for parks,
road maintenance, water, and sewage
treatment. The contract covering city
workers expires in 2010.
IBEW Local 125
announces
election results
Crane strikes
power line,
causing havoc
Two days after union rep Jim Ander-
son warned a nonunion crane operator
to beware of a nearby power line, a
crane at a project in Southeast Portland
damaged a transmission line at South-
east 28th and Ankeny June 26, knock-
ing out power to about 8,000 Portland
General Electric customers for about an
hour and closing the street for the after-
noon.
A PGE crew, members of Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Electrical Work-
ers Local 125, patched the damaged
line and restored power.
The operator of the leased crane was
reportedly shocked but uninjured, but
the accident fried the crane’s electrical
system, destroyed the motor, and frayed
the cable holding up the block. Once the
power was turned off, firefighters
helped the operator get out of the crane,
and a worker climbed out on the jib to
secure the block.
The 50-foot crane was being used to
construct a four-story mixed use condo
project. The general contractor on the
project is Gray Purcell. Much of the
work is being done by nonunion sub-
contractors, including workers provided
by LaborReady. Carpenters have put up
pickets at the site saying that the em-
ployer doesn’t pay area standard wages.
Representative of the union filed a com-
plaint with the Oregon-Occupational
Safety and Health Administration after
observing a Bobcat with forks attached
being used to lift materials to the sec-
ond floor.
Two days before the crane accident,
Anderson, a field representative for Op-
HEMORRHOIDS
Zachary
Zabinsky
The Non-Surgical Treatment
We specialize in the non-surgical treatment of hemorrhoids. For over 40
years people throughout the region have turned to the Sandy Blvd. Clinic for
fast and effective relief. For more information, FREE consultation and/or a
FREE informative booklet call:
Write or call for
a FREE
information
booklet and/or a
FREE
consultation.
PAGE 8
(503) 232-7609
THE SANDY BLVD. RECTAL
CLINIC PORTLAND
Steven G. Cranford, DC, ND
FORMERLY THE BEAL-OLIVER CLINIC
CHIROPRACTIC/NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIANS
2026 NE SANDY BLVD., PORTLAND, OR 97232
erating Engineers Local 701, had been
by to see how well the crane was being
run, and could tell the operator was in-
experienced. He spoke with the opera-
tor about the potential safety hazard
posed by the nearby power lines.
OSHA requires that a crane operator
have 1,500 hours of experience before
running a crane solo. The operator An-
derson spoke with had less than that,
and in any case was on the ground
when the accident occurred, while an
even less-experienced trainee ran the
crane.
Another Gray Purcell crane operator
had previously joined the union to get
more training, Anderson said, after
complaining of unsafe working condi-
tions.
• Social Security
• SSI - Disability Claims
Personal Attention To Every Case
Working For Disability Rights
Since 1983
NO FEE WITHOUT RECOVERY
Insurance
accepted/pre
authorization
required.
621 SW Morrison, Portland
223-8517
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
International Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Workers Local 125 announced
the results of its officer election June
27. Headquartered in Portland, the
union has about 3,500 members,
mostly in utilities.
Travis Eri, running unopposed,
was elected to a second term as busi-
ness manager and financial secretary.
Larry Browning, an employee of
Portland General Electric, outpolled
Walter Banker of Bonneville Power
Administration to win re-election to
the office of president. Brian Williams
(PGE) bested incumbent Paul Diet-
rich (Pacific Power) for vice presi-
dent.
Also running unopposed were
Raymond Cowell (Pacific Power),
recording secretary; and Douglas
Shaffer (PGE), treasurer.
All the above officers serve on the
Local 125 Executive Board, which
also has four at-large positions.
Nine members ran for the four at-
large positions. Those elected were:
Patrick Winter (Pacific Power), Jim
Sweet (PGE), Troy Anderson (BPA),
and Joseph Gass (PGE). All but Gass
were incumbents.
Five members were elected to the
Examining Board, out of 11 candi-
dates. The Examining Board tests ap-
plicants and apprentices. Those
elected were: Bill Young (PGE), Ron
Rodgers (PGE), Ryan Hagel (PGE),
Gary Schwartz (PGE), and Lee Cole
(Pacific Power). Young and Cole are
incumbents.
All the terms of office are three
years. Business manager is the only
elected office that is a full-time paid
position.
Eri, 37, said his priorities for his
second term include improving mem-
ber education and increasing member
involvement, particularly in contract
negotiations.
The local’s largest unit is PGE,
which has a contract expiring March
2009. Negotiations will begin in Sep-
tember.
Apprenticeship
Opening
Masonry Trades Union
Tile, Terrazzo,
Brick & Tile Finisher
Must be at least 18 years old
at time of application.
Applications being taken
Tuesday, July 29 through
Thursday, July 31
from 8 a.m. to noon and
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at
12812 NE Marx St.
Portland, Ore. 97230
JULY 4, 2008