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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2009)
March. 20, 2009:NWLP 3/17/09 9:51 AM Page 6 Business students from University of Portland offer to volunteer for unions Two dozen students from the Uni- versity of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business will attend the Monday, March 23, meeting of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. In addition to listening to union is- sues, students will form in groups of two to three persons to volunteer at a local union office. “It’s part of their class grade,” said Judy O’Connor, executive secretary- treasurer of the labor council. “It can be computer work, research, walking a picket line; whatever you agree to do.” The project is part of a human re- sources management class taught by associate professor of management Jack Kondrasuk. He has been bringing both graduate and undergraduate stu- dents to labor council meetings for 30 years — after the university discontin- ued labor relations classes. “Most of these students come from families with management back- grounds,” Kondrasuk said. “They don’t know much about unions.” By bringing students to a 90-minute council meeting and teaming them up for 10 to 12 hours with a union local, Kondrasuk hopes the young adults will gain a different perspective of who union people really are. “It’s not something you can get by reading a book,” he said. “The professor exposes students to a union environment so that they will be more well-rounded as they go out and pursue their careers,” said NOLC Board member Lynn Lehrbach, an offi- cial with the Teamsters Union. The Teamsters Union has used stu- dent volunteers, and Kondrasuk has in- vited Lehrbach to speak in the class- room at the private university. “They will pick your brain about everything, so be prepared. These kids come to learn,” Lehrbach said. Kondrasuk’s class is set up under a points system in which a majority of the students’ grade is earned by creat- ing a fictional HR Department. Addi- tional points are achieved from six smaller projects that include writing a résumé; creating plans for employee pay and job training; conducting a safety inspection; and working with a union. The union portion carries the most weight, pointwise, and the union awards the points — not Kondrasuk. Over the years, students have walked picket lines, filed papers and done research. “They like projects that challenge them; doing something that will make a difference,” Kondrasuk said. The students are computer savvy and are good at research, Kondrasuk noted. Students could help a union computerize their office system; per- form wage/benefit comparisons by in- dustry that possibly could be used for bargaining; they will even research union history. Nothing is off the table, although Kondrasuk would rather not have students used for simple filing. Students will be at the Monday, March 23, meeting of NOLC. After the meeting they will hang around to see if any unions are interested in their serv- ices. Kondrasuk said six teams of two to three students each will be available to start work immediately. Grades are due from the union by April 15. Oregon retirees alliance elects new officers Gerald “Jerry” Morris, a retired member of the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon, was elected president of the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans (OARA) March 14 at the or- ganization’s annual convention. Morris succeeds Verna Porter, who did not seek re-election. Instead, Porter will focus more time as a lobbyist for OARA and other retiree groups. In other election results, Ron Rogers was re-elected treasurer and Scott Blau was re-elected as a trustee. Porter was tapped first vice president; Jane Netboy, second vice president; Leanna Hakala, secretary; and Roz Giese, Jim Davis, and Jay Thiemeyer, trustees. Delegates adopted two resolutions — one opposing Medicare Advantage Plans, and one in support of the Em- ployee Free Choice Act. The convention’s keynote speaker was George Kourpias, recently retired president of the national Alliance for Retired Americans and a retired general president of the International Associa- tion of Machinists in Washington, D.C. Kourpias said that after being com- pletely shut out by the Bush Adminis- tration over the last eight years, he and other union leaders have already been invited to the White House several times by the Obama Administration. “I think Barack Obama will be a great president, but we in labor have to be vigilant. We have to stay focused and be ready to take them on if they try to get Social Security or Medicare,” Kourpias said. The Alliance meets monthly on the fourth Thursday at 10 a.m. at West- moreland Union Manor, 6404 SE 23rd Avenue. For more information, e-mail the alliance at valeriaj@comcast.net. PAGE 6 E E FR BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published A UTOMOTIVE CAPRICE & IMPALA misc parts, mostly for 1977-79, 2 door and 4 door, call for info. 503 245-6714 ‘00 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, low mileage, 2 owner car, power everything, $3,950. 360 254-0902 no calls after 8 p.m. please ‘03 FORD F150 LARIET, 4X4, 69,000 miles, 5.4 V8, power everything, short bed, extended cab, leather interior, $13,800. 503 702-5520 H OUSING ON LAKE, 2 bed, 1 bath, trout fishing, $109k. 541 544-3499 SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE, 30 private acres, incredible view w/creek, 3 bedroom manufactured home, Clackamas County, $375,000. 503 630-6507 HOUSING: 2 bed, 1 bath, decks and de- tached garage at PineHollow, $85,000. 503 556-2324 1910 WHITE OAK table, 6 chairs, buffet, hutch, $3,959; 13 maple cabinet doors, solid, $50. 503 775-3681 or 503 810-1116 S PORTING G OODS NIKON 2X pistol scope, excellent cond, used only on .22s w/box and papers, $95. 503 363-4994 ANTIQUE 38 S&W ammo, two partial boxes, $35 or will trade on 22, Mauser or project gun. 503 888-3423 1962 STUDE GT HAWK, 2-tone blue, lots done, a little left, sharp 4-spd $8,500. 503 686-4325 2007 KAWASAKI NINJA 650R 3,000 miles, need to pay off loan of $5,000, one year left on maintenance agreement. 503 367-0167 16 FT. 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