JUNE 19, 2009:NWLP
6/16/09
10:05 AM
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Trumka picks
up support for
AFL-CIO post
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PAI) —
Though the race for the AFL-CIO’s top
job hasn’t officially started, the Ohio
AFL-CIO made the first move, endors-
ing Secretary-Treasurer Richard
Trumka to succeed retiring President
John Sweeney.
The decision on who will take the
top job will occur at the AFL-CIO con-
vention, Sept. 13-14 in Pittsburgh.
Trumka, 59, is a past president of
the United Mine Workers of America.
He has held the secretary-treasurer’s
post for 14 years, since running on a
“New Voice” slate with Sweeney, who
was then president of the Service Em-
ployees International Union, and Linda
Chavez-Thompson of AFSCME.
Sweeney has endorsed Trumka in
his bid to succeed him.
Greg Junemann, president of the In-
ternational Federation of Professional
and Technical Engineers, (IFPTE) an-
nounced earlier this month that he will
run for secretary-treasurer.
Another big issue at the convention
will be progress in unity talks between
the AFL-CIO, Change To Win and the
independent National Education Asso-
ciation. NEA, with 3.2 million mem-
bers, is the nation’s largest union.
American Rights At Work President
David Bonior, who is mediating those
talks, told Press Associates that “there
will probably not be” a definitive agree-
ment by the convention “because it
takes time to shop it around to those
unions not in the talks. And there are
structural issues, especially involving
the NEA, where there are constitutional
issues involved.”
Bonior hosted another round of talks
the first week of June.
Poker Run raises cash for kids
It was a full house June 13 at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48
hall, as about 200 union members and others gathered for chili and prizes at the close of the Unions for
Kids 7th Annual Motorcycle Poker Run.
This year’s event raised $50,000 for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, bringing the total to $171,000
since its inception. Most of the funds came from the raffle of a serious top prize – a 2009 Dyna Low
Rider FXDL Harley — valued at $16,999. About 3,000 tickets at $10 each were sold. Money is also
raised through ride registration fees of $10 each, sponsor donations, a silent auction, and a chili cookoff.
Who knew there were so many union member motorcycle enthusiasts? Unions for Kids founder Lee
Duncan (pictured lower right ) did. Duncan, an organizer for IBEW Local 48, conceived the event in
2003 when he became the owner of a Harley Sportster. Poker runs are a common charity event among
bikers: Participants ride a route and buy a playing card at each check point, bringing the cards to the fin-
ish line, where in this case the highest and lowest hands won $100. The full route took a little over three
hours, and June 13 was a beautiful day for a ride that included Crown Point in the Columbia Gorge.
Ron Hamacher of Portland won this year’s Harley raffle. And Gail Perryman (pictured above right)
of IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union won this year’s chili cookoff. Perryman is a mem-
ber of Office and Professional Employees Local 11.
Labor center needs
financial assistance
OLYMPIA —The Labor and Educ-
tion Center at The Evergreen State Col-
lege needs help. The Democratic-con-
trolled Legislature slashed its budget by
68 percent in the 2009 session — send-
ing a clear signal that it doesn’t hold la-
bor education as a very high priority.
With help from the Washington
State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the La-
bor Center is now trying to raise
$25,000 over the summer in order to
keep two labor educators on at 3/4 time
and two labor educators on at 1/2 time.
Without the additional funding, one la-
bor educator will be let go on July 1.
“It is time to stand up and be counted
in support of labor education,” said
WSLC President Rick Bender. “Your
contributions will help save a labor ed-
ucation program that has been very
valuable to the labor movement.”
Contributions can be sent to: Labor
Education and Research Center, TESC,
C/O Peter Kardas, 2700 Evergreen
Parkway NW, Olympia, WA 98505.
JUNE 5, 2009
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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