JUNE 19, 2009:NWLP
Inside
6/16/09
10:05 AM
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MEETING NOTICES
Volume 110
Number 12
June 19, 2009
Portland, Oregon
Public employees
on the march
Front-line public employees joined with their allies in a “United for Oregon” march June 7 in downtown Portland.
Organized by Service Employees Local 503, state workers from as far away as Medford and Klamath Falls made the
trip to voice concerns about jobs and programs that may be cut from the state budget. The crowd was estimated at
2,500. Just days before the rally the state declared an impasse in bargaining, so members were fired up knowing that
the stage had been set for the state to implement it’s contract and for a possible strike. However, on June 11, the state
did an about-face by withdrawing its declaration of impasse — as well as its proposal to impose wage cuts in certain
job classifications. Why the sudden turnaround? SEIU spokesman Ed Hershey said the union had filed an unfair
labor practice complaint in May after state negotiators substituted unpaid furlough days with pay cuts for workers
at institutions that operate around the clock. The union contended the pay cut proposal violated bargaining ground
rules because it was submitted months after the deadline for making new proposals. The unfair labor practice charge
hadn’t been heard when the state declared impasse. “In certain circumstances,” Hershey explained, “an employer’s
declaration of impasse and implementation of a final offer that contains a provision that was unlawfully presented can
make the implementation itself unlawful and subject the employer to liability for any backpay or benefit reductions.
Fearful of this consequence, Hershey said, “the state apparently decided that its best tactic was to withdraw the pay-
cut proposal and undo its impasse declaration.” Bargaining resumed June 15. More worksite actions are scheduled
to take place June 30 — the last day of the current contract.
Bill bans mandatory
anti-union meetings
SALEM — The Worker Freedom
Act, which the Oregon AFL-CIO has
called its top-priority legislation this
year, passed the Oregon Senate June 8
by a 16-14 vote. The bill — SB 519 —
is considered likely to pass the Oregon
House. As of press time, it was in the
House Rules Committee, which held a
hearing on it June 11. Gov. Ted Kulon-
goski is expected to sign it if and when
it reaches his desk.
The bill takes aim at a major tactic
employers use to squelch unionizing ef-
forts. Employers hold mandatory work-
place meetings at which company own-
ers, managers, and outside consultants
subject workers to anti-union argu-
ments. Union organizers are excluded
from giving an opposing view at the
meetings, and pro-union workers can be
ordered to remain silent.
“In 95 percent of the private-sector
campaigns we’re involved with, em-
ployers hold these meetings,” Ken
Allen, executive director of Oregon AF-
SCME, told members of the House
Rules Committee.
Under SB 519, employers would
still be allowed to hold these anti-union
meetings, but it would become illegal to
discipline — or threaten to discipline —
workers who refuse to attend. The bill
also applies to meetings held to prose-
lytize about religion or politics if those
are not work-related. Employees who
are fired or disciplined for refusing to
attend such meetings can file suit and
get reinstatement, back pay, triple dam-
ages, and attorney fees.
“Workers should not have to give up
their opinions or be lectured about their
employer’s beliefs to get a paycheck,”
said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom
Chamberlain.
Oregon AFL-CIO spokesperson
Elana Guiney said SB 519 would be the
first such state law in the nation, though
a New Jersey law passed in 2006 offers
similar protections from employer reli-
gious or political proselytization.
A similar bill in Washington State
was blocked by Democratic leaders ear-
lier this year because Boeing and busi-
ness lobbying groups aggressively op-
posed it. Gov. Chris Gregoire, House
Speaker Frank Chopp, and Senate Ma-
jority Leader Lisa Brown all refused to
allow a vote.
In Oregon, all Republicans voted
against SB 519, as did two Democrats:
Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) and
Ginny Burdick (D-Portland). Burdick
also spoke against the bill on the Sen-
ate floor.
Republicans tried a number of par-
liamentary maneuvers to delay or block
the bill, but didn’t have the votes.
Comments from Republicans speak-
ing against the bill suggested that busi-
ness groups are likely to challenge the
law in court. Opponents have argued
that SB 519 would violate the National
Labor Relations Act, because that fed-
eral law, which governs most private-
sector union organizing, contains a pre-
emption clause that prevents states from
making laws about unionizing. But
Guiney said supporters of the bill ex-
pect it to survive a legal challenge:
Lawyers for the Legislature’s in-house
counsel said it does not run afoul of the
(Turn to Page 2)
CWA launches organizing drive at Oregonian mailroom
Anti-union meetings start soon
after campaign begins
Could workers at the Oregonian unionize? The newspaper busted
its unions in a bitter and drawn-out strike from November 1959 to
April 1965.
But now, a group of mailroom employees at the paper’s Kittridge
Distribution Center in Portland are talking with Communications
Workers of America Local 7901 about the possibility of joining the
union. The interest comes after an across-the-board pay cut that man-
agement announced in March. No one was spared the pay cut, which
was 5 or 10 percent for most workers. In addition, the company froze
its pension as of May 15.
But one group of workers got hit worse — part-timers in the mail
room, where preprinted ad sections are inserted into the paper. About
90 part-time employees there got pay cuts of 28 percent; workers
who made $18.64 an hour at the beginning of the year now make
$13.62 — and they’re really upset about it.
“When the boss basically says you don’t matter and tosses you
under a bus, what can you do?” said one mailroom employee.
The Oregonian is part of the Newhouse Newspaper chain, a divi-
sion of Advance Publications based in New York.
At one time, the paper had a reputation for generosity, paying
above union scale in what may have been a maneuver to dampen
any potential interest in unionizing. Pizza parties, pension benefits,
paid vacation, fully paid health coverage, and copious overtime
(which kicked in after 7.5 hours) made the mailroom a desirable
place to work, mailroom workers say. Now, the pension is frozen,
medical co-pays and employee contributions are creeping up, and
the wages just got slashed so severely that it’ll be a whole new
lifestyle for those who remain.
Management isn’t ignoring union talk among mailroom workers.
Workers say two mass meetings in the mailroom, plus small group
meetings, have been held to counter the union drive.
(Turn to Page 7)