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May 1, 2009 :NWLP 4/28/09 9:56 AM Page 5 Laborers apprenticeship program partners with Corvallis high schools CORVALLIS — The Oregon/ Southern Idaho Laborers Training Cen- ter in Corvallis has teamed up with the Corvallis School District and the Ore- gon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to offer pre-apprenticeship training to high school students. A media event was held April 3, af- ter the first week of class was com- pleted. Students will return for a sec- ond week of training May 18-22. The students — 12 boys and four girls ranging from sophomores to sen- iors — get classroom instruction in construction topics, hands-on training as construction craft laborers, and an introduction to how apprenticeship training works. Students spent a good portion of the week at the training cen- ter, while still having to complete their normal school assignments. “I think the students were just blown away,” said Laborers Training Director Al DeVita. “They look at math in a dif- ferent way now.” Donna Keim, a career education as- sistant at Corvallis High School, is thrilled about the program. “Since we have gotten these kids involved with the Laborers program, I’ve seen excite- ment that just wasn’t there before,” she Republic Windows worker to keynote at annual Jobs with Justice fundraising dinner Portland Jobs with Justice will hold its 18th annual fundraising dinner May 16, 6 p.m. at the Portland Teamsters Union Hall, 1850 NE 162nd Ave. Keynote speakers include Barbara Dudley, chair of the Oregon Working Fami- lies Party; and a union worker from Republic Windows and Doors. Republic is the Chicago factory that captured the nation’s imagination last fall when workers took over and refused to leave until their bankrupt employer and its bailed-out bank lender paid them wages they were owed. Tickets are $50 per person. Unions and other organizations can purchase tables for $600. Proceeds benefit Portland Jobs with Justice, a labor-community coalition that campaigns for workers’ rights. Call 503-236-5573 to make reservations. said. “This program provides opportu- nities for students looking for a direc- tion in their life.” “I’m learning a lot and really enjoy- ing the experience,” said Jennifer Green, one of the students enrolled in the program. DeVita envisions the pre-appren- ticeship program serving as a model for other pre-apprenticeship partnerships across the state. “This effort is all about being able to recruit a good stream of pre-trained, pre-qualified youth into our program, and training them as the workforce of Oregon’s future,” he said. Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian agrees. “Programs like this partnership help students to envision what they can do with their lives,” Avakian said. “This program is in line with our vision to link schools with training programs to provide employers with a workforce that will let Oregon compete in the global marketplace.” The program is in the pilot stage, but the Laborers Training Center hopes to have it sanctioned as a BOLI-approved pre-apprenticeship program within the year. AFSCME Oregon Council 75 Executive Director Ken Allen addresses delegates at the organization’s biennial convention, held April 24-26 in Salem. Oregon AFSCME convention wrestles with state fiscal crisis SALEM — Delegates from around Oregon met April 24-26 at the Salem Convention Center for the biennial statewide convention of American Fed- eration of State, County, and Munici- pal Employees Oregon Council 75. Oregon AFSCME President Gary Gillespie won re-election, outpolling challenger Tina Turner-Morfitt. First elected in 2001, Gillespie is a longtime member of (City of Eugene) Local 1724 and a clerk at the Eugene Public Library. Delegates also elected the other 14 members of the AFSCME Ex- ecutive Committee as well as the full statewide Executive Board, which numbers about 75. The Executive Board meets quarterly and appoints the organization’s executive director, who hires and oversees staff. It also elects the Executive Committee, which meets monthly. All offices have two year terms. AFSCME national President Gerald McEntee and Secretary Treasurer Bill Lucy were unable to attend, but Lee Saunders, executive assistant to McEn- tee gave the convention’s keynote ad- Q dress. And Oregon AFSCME Execu- tive Director Ken Allen gave delegates a “state of the union.” Allen called AFSCME “a fightin’ union,” and credited members’ politi- cal volunteerism for its success. “We beat back Bill Sizemore once again,” Allen said. “He was zero-for- five in the last election.” Now, the biggest political challenge AFSCME members face is the Legis- lature’s response to the budget crisis. Allen called on lawmakers to increase the Oregon income tax on those mak- ing $250,000 or more. On Day One of the convention, delegates headed to the Capitol to lobby their districts’ repre- sentatives. “It makes no sense that our mem- bers who make $10 per hour pay the same percentage that the Blazer play- ers pay,” Allen said. If additional revenues aren’t found, it’s almost certain that some AFSCME members will face layoffs. And for public employees to lose their jobs will only worsen the overall state economy, Allen said. 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