OCT. 16, 2009:NWLP
10/13/09
10:21 AM
Page 5
IBEW #48 health trust may drop Fred
Meyer as prescription drug manager
Local 21
Motion
September 2009
Union certifications and decertifications in Oregon and Southwest
Washington, as reported by the National Labor Relations Board and
the Oregon Employment Relations Board
Recognition elections
Name of employer
Date
Name of union
Results:
Location
Union Union
Yes No
CRT Processing
9/3
United Steelworkers
Clackamas
Stimson Lumber (decertification)
9/10
IAM Woodworkers 536
Clatskanie
16
8
23
23
City of Milton-Freewater (decertification)
0
Teamsters Local 670
9/22
Milton-Freewater
12
Requests for recognition election
Name of employer
Name of union
Location
Number of employees
Best Buy (Geek Squad home theater installers)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48
George’s Shop & Rock, Inc.
Teamsters Local 670
Gresham
24
Vale
23
Portland
29
Airgas
Teamsters Local 162
The Harrison Electrical Workers
Trust Fund, which administers health
coverage for members of IBEW Lo-
cal 48, may drop Kroger Prescription
Plan as its pharmacy benefits man-
ager.
A primary reason for this is a
months-long dispute the union has
had with Fred Meyer over its use of
nonunion electrical contractors on
major remodeling projects in Oregon
and Southwest Washington.
Fred Meyer merged with Cincin-
nati-headquartered Kroger in 1999.
“This is not the Fred Meyer it used
to be,” said Tim Foster, assistant busi-
ness manager of IBEW Local 48 in
Portland. “At one time, Fred Meyer
hired almost exclusively union labor.
There has been a noticeable shift.”
Foster said over the past year-and-
a-half, IBEW-signatory contractors
bid on 10 large Fred Meyer remodel-
ing projects, even using union mar-
ket recovery funds to lower the cost
of the bids. Nine of the 10 contracts
went to nonunion competitors at
roughly half the wages and benefits
of a union electrician.
Other union-signatory contractors
have been shut out from even bidding
the work, which has resulted in infor-
mational picketing at Fred Meyer
stores under remodel.
“I would guess our union contrac-
tors get no more than 10 percent of
Fred Meyer’s work,” said John
We Support Mayor Royce Pollard
Vancouver Fire Fighters
Local 452
District 6 Fire Fighters
Local 1805
Painters and Allied
Trades District Council
No. 5
Cement Masons
Local 555
IBEW Local 48
International Longshore
and Warehouse Union
Local 4
Teamsters Joint Council
No. 37
Iron Workers
Shopmen’s Local 516
Iron Workers Local 29
Washington Machinists
Council
Mohlis, executive secretary-treasurer
of the Columbia Pacific Building and
Construction Trades Council. “Fred
Meyer has union health trust money
going in their door, and they turn
around and hire nonunion contractors
that don’t even provide health bene-
fits to their workers.”
On Oct. 6, Foster met with an ex-
ecutive from Kroger’s Northwest
construction division to explain the
partnership labor once had with Fred
Meyer and to talk about the advan-
tages of employing union contrac-
tors.
Foster told the Labor Press — and
the executive — that last year the
Harrison Trust spent nearly $800,000
at Fred Meyer pharmacies through
the Kroger Prescription Plan. “And
our members spent a lot more than
that on groceries,” he said.
Foster said the Kroger officials
couldn’t explain how the nonunion
contractors were able to bid the jobs
so low. “He suggested that our con-
tractors were using outdated bid
specs, but I don’t buy that,” Foster
said, pointing out that one nonunion
electrical contractor used Craigslist
to hire electricians.
“Accepting the lowest bid is not
always getting the best deal,” Foster
said.
Washington PAC #48
General Election Endorsements
City of Battle Ground
Michael J. Ciraulo, Pos. 1
Michael Dalesandro, Pos. 4
Adrian Cortes, Pos. 5
Bill Ganley, Pos. 6
City of La Center
Al Luiz, Pos. 2
Barbara M. Vinning, Pos. 3
City of Ridgefield
Ron Onslow, Pos. 1
City of Vancouver
Royce E. Pollard, Mayor
Jack Burkman, Pos. 1
David Michael Heywood, Pos. 2
Jeanne Harris, Pos. 3
Battle Ground School District
John G. Idsinga, Dist. 3
Vancouver School District
Nelson Holmberg, Pos. 3
Port of Vancouver
Nancy Baker, C ommissioner
Whether it's revitalizing downtown, job creation, building a new I-5 Bridge,
improving transportation, schools, parks and public safety, Mayor Pollard has
helped put “America’ s Vancouver” on the map with his record of accomplishments.
IBEW #48 encourages everyone to
Vote Pollard for Mayor of Vancouver
VOTE!
Paid for by Washington PAC #48, P.O. Box 2883, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Paid for by Washington PAC #48, P.O. Box 2883, Battle Ground, WA 98604
OCTOBER 16, 2009
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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