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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2009)
May 15, 2009:NWLP 5/12/09 10:08 AM Page 3 IN MEMORIAM Douglas G. Ellis, a union member for 70 years, died at his home April 30 at the age of 96. During the course of his working career, Ellis was a member of several unions, in- cluding the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locals 48, 125 and 49 (which merged with Local 48); Machinists Lodge 1005, and Service Employees Local 503. Ellis served as a union representative for both Locals 48 and 49 in the mid- 1940s. He also was a field rep for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries apprenticeship and training division. In 1956, Ellis was hired as director of the Northwest Electrical Line Con- struction Apprenticeship Committee by IBEW Local 125 and the National Electrical Contractors Association. Two years late he moved to Washington, D.C., to work as director of the NECA/IBEW National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Ellis returned to Portland and BOLI’s apprenticeship di- vision, where he worked until retiring in 1977. In retirement, Ellis was ac- tive in several retirees groups. He was named to the Northwest Oregon Labor Retirees Council Labor Hall of Fame in March 2000. Douglas Gardiner Ellis was born in Portland on Feb. 11, 1913. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and studied parliamentary law, economics, politics and union history in an adult night school. He is survived by his wife, Maria Luiza, and a daughter, Lorrayne, by a previous marriage. A memorial service will be held Monday, May 18, at 1 p.m. at the IBEW Local 48 Hall, 15937 NE Airport Way, Portland. ‘Real’ U.S. unemployment at 15.8% WASHINGTON, D.C. — New data out May 8 show 539,000 more work- ers lost their jobs in April and the na- tion’s unemployment rate worsened to 8.9 percent (13.7 million), from 8.5 percent in March, reported the U.S. De- partment of Labor. Jobs lost in April were spread across nearly all major private-sector indus- tries. Jobs lost include 149,000 in man- ufacturing; 110,000 in the construction industry; 122,000 in professional and business services; and 47,000 in the services industry. The number of long-term unem- ployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 498,000 to 3.7 mil- lion over the month and has risen by 2.4 million since the start of the reces- sion in December 2007. The official unemployment rate is bad. But the real unemployment rate is far worse. If those who are underem- ployed or who want a job but have given up looking are counted, the U.S. unemployment rate stands at 15.8 per- cent — more than 25 million Ameri- cans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just to keep up with the pop- ulation growth, the nation must add ap- proximately 127,000 jobs a month — and the economy is more than 7 mil- lion jobs below what is needed to main- tain pre-recession employment levels. Senator on quest to find changes in Employee Free Choice Act WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the lead sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), is discussing changes in the bill in order to pick up the needed 60 Senate votes to over- come a planned Republican filibuster against it. Harkin told Bloomberg News the changes may include dropping a key provision — majority sign-up — be- cause there is too much opposition to it. But Harkin spokeswoman Kate Cyrul told PAI the senator still stands by the bill’s core principles of leveling the playing field in organizing drives, increasing penalties for labor law vio- lators, and ensuring that once unions are recognized, employers must sign a first contract in a timely fashion. Majority sign-up is considered the meat of the bill because it would take the choice of how a union is recognized out of the hands of bosses and put it into the hands of workers. Majority sign-up and secret ballot elections are already allowed under federal labor law. Management has a history of ag- gressively campaigning against unions once they learn of an organizing cam- paign. However, with enough time and money they oftentimes can intimidate workers into changing their support of a union. Harkin’s position is important be- cause the Senate is the battleground for the Employee Free Choice Act. Businesses and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to raise nearly $300 million to fight the bill, which also would limit bargaining for a first contract to 120 days before going to binding arbitration. Marketing research conducted by business groups found that the manda- tory sign-up element of the bill (often referred to as card-check) was the most controversial. So Big Business launch- ed a massive advertising campaign to “preserve the secret ballot.” That convinced Republican-turned- Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter of Penn- sylvania to oppose the bill and back the filibuster. Others suddenly having qualms about the bill are Blanche Lin- coln (D-Ark.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Still, a majority of senators support the Employee Free Choice Act. But with the threatened filibuster looming, supporters need 60 votes to cut off de- bate (end the filibuster). In the face of their continued inability to reach that magic number, Harkin discussed changes to the bill. “Compromises are going to be made,” he told Bloomberg News. Changing the bill could gain “grudging support” from both labor and business, he said. Cyrul said the senator was just rec- ognizing the reality of how to garner the needed 60 votes, but he would not budge on the bill’s core values. “Sen. Harkin was merely acknowl- edging a few Democratic senators ex- pressed concerns about the card check provisions of the bill as they are written now,” she said. “He remains confident we can address these issues without compromising the core provisions.” Among the changes being discussed are dropping the card-signing provision and setting a 21-day deadline for an election to be held, the Wall Street Journal reported, noting that Specter is “generally supportive” of that idea. The New York Times reported that Feinstein is considering a plan that would allow workers to sign union cards and mail them to the National La- bor Relations Board. If a majority mailed cards, the Board would order the employer to recognize the union. Harkin’s spokeswoman said De- mocrats agree that the current system is broken and that real reform is needed to level the playing field. “(Sen. Harkin) believes we are on the right track, and we will get a bill to the president’s desk that achieves these important goals,” Cyrul said. (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 MAY 15, 2009 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 3
