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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2009)
FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 12 Union members march in Inauguration Day parade By JAMES PARKS National AFL-CIO WASHINGTON, D.C. — For Maria Somma, it was a dream come true. The native of Vietnam and natu- ralized citizen was one of the 265 union members who braved freezing temperatures to join representatives from across the country and the armed forces to participate in the official in- augural parade for President Barack Obama. The contingent of union members taking part in the parade in- cluded members from the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and the National Edu- cation Association. With 15 union members riding a union-made float and 250 marchers alongside, the workers’ contingent was one of the largest groups in the parade. This is the first time in recent memory that workers have participated in the parade. Fred Mason, president of the Mary- land State AFL-CIO, who spearheaded the drive to include the workers’ con- tingent in the parade, said nearly 1,500 groups applied to participate in the pa- rade and only 100 were selected. “The fact that 265 workers will be in the parade is a real testament to the importance of working people and their issues to the well-being of the country,” Mason said. Somma, who lives in Pittsburgh and is a member of the United Steel- workers, rode the float representing the AFL-CIO constituency group Asian Pacific American Labor Al- liance (APALA). She says labor’s par- ticipation shows the power of the American Dream for all people. “It’s very exciting to be welcoming a per- son of color into the White House and to be a part of history,” she said. “This is an incredible achievement for this country. For Barack Obama to come from his background and rise to the top is not the typical American story. His inauguration is part of the transi- tion of this nation to fully embrace all its citizens.” Marching with a banner, “Amer- ica’s Workers: United for Change,” participants also carried flags that rep- resented the issues most important to working families: an “Economy That Works for All,” “Great Public Schools,” “Good Jobs Green Jobs” and “Health Care for All.” The overall Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. awarded EPA grant for ‘green’ job training Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. has re- ceived a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help train workers in environ- mental cleanup skills. EPA’s Brownfields Program awarded 13 grants of $200,000 each to non-profit organizations, workforce in- vestment boards, and state and local governments, geared toward cleaning up contaminated properties and turning them into productive community as- sets. Using the grant funding, OTI will train 120 participants during eight six- %HHVRQ&KLURSUDFWLF 7LUHG KHOSVEULQJWKH UHOLHI\RXQHHG RI :RUNLQJ LQ 3$,1" 0RVW,QVXUDQFH 3ODQV$FFHSWHG week sessions. Students will be re- cruited from low-income, minority, un- employed or underemployed female populations in the Portland area. Trainees will receive Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response certification, as well as a certification of graduation from a state approved pre-apprentice program. Following completion of the course, at least 78 trainees will be placed in en- vironmental jobs. OTI has developed partnerships with labor unions that op- erate apprenticeship programs and with potential employers. 7UHDWPHQWIRUSDLQGXHWR RYHUXVHDQGUHSHWLWLYHPRWLRQ &KLURSUDFWLFDGMXVWPHQWV 7UHDWPHQWIRUDFFLGHQWDQG VSRUWVUHODWHGLQMXULHV 5HKDELOLWDWLRQH[HUFLVHV 7KHUDSHXWLFPDVVDJH ,QWHUQDOGLDJQRVLVDQGWUHDWPHQW /DEWHVWVDQG[UD\V A contingent of union members from the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and the National Education Association took part in the Jan. 20 inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. With 15 union members riding the union-made float and 250 marchers alongside, the workers’ contingent was one of the largest groups in the parade. Photo by Patrick G. Ryan, courtesy of the National Education Association. theme of the labor float is “Honoring America’s Workers.” The float was created by union car- penters, welders, sculptors and painters. Constructed of steel, wood and foam, it was more than 17 feet high and 24 feet long. Outlines of the diverse “faces of labor” surrounded the float as a salute to the backbone of the United States — “the hardworking men and women who make our nation strong.” Several of the marchers in the workers’ contingent said the inaugura- tion signaled a sea change in the way the White House views workers. “The country is coming together in a way I’ve never seen in my life,” said Latasha Carpenter, a member of Com- munications Workers of America Lo- cal 2108 in Beltsville, Md. “I’m proud that we have a president who is em- bracing us all as union brothers and sisters. It is so important we stand united and strong to ensure health care, good jobs, and the Employee Free Choice Act.” Riding on the float and representing the Alliance for Retired Americans had a special significance for Jimmy Allen of Bowie, Md. The retired mem- ber of the Amalgamated Transit Union, who is black, says he’s seen a lot in his life, but “when it comes to an African-American being president, I said I wouldn’t believe it until it hap- pened. Now I can tell my grandchild that she can grow up and be president of the United States and mean it.” Even if you couldn’t be there, you can honor this historic event with a commemorative AFL-CIO Obama T- shirt. The long-sleeve, union-designed and printed shirts say “Yes We Can” with the Inauguration Day date, Janu- ary 20, 2009, under an image of Presi- dent Obama. The T-shirt sells with a suitable-for-framing commemorative poster for $30 from the The Union Shop Online. Go to (unionshop. afl- cio.org) to order. 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