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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2009)
DEC-Holiday-2009 :Holiday Issue 12/15/09 9:47 AM Page 14 ...Climate talks in Copenhagen (From Page 13 For the latter, a case in point oc- curred at the end of October, when a consortium announced plans for a $1.5 billion West Texas wind farm, with 240 turbines producing enough power for 150,000 homes. The tur- bines would be made in China, creat- ing 2,000 to 3,000 jobs there. U.S. workers would get 300 temporary U.S. installation jobs and 30 perma- nent maintenance jobs. It would be fi- nanced by Chinese banks, but get loan guarantees and cash grants from Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council J OHN M OHLIS , E XECUTIVE S ECRETARY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year OREGON STATE B UILDING & C ONSTRUCTION T RADES C OUNCIL Executive Secretary Bob Shiprack 3535 SE 86th Ave. Portland, Oregon 503-788-7153 ..Job stimulus plans (From Page 3) Deal. His New Deal for a New Econ- omy Act would create “a hybrid of Roosevelt’s WPA and an expanded version of the conservation corps of the 1970s,” Hare said in an op-ed column. Hare would have the Labor Depart- ment give multi-year grants to create resource management jobs on public lands, state and local public works projects, and public interest jobs with community-based non-profit groups. The bill was introduced Dec. 11, and has 50 congressional co-sponsors. CORRECTION The article “Umatilla chemical de- pot workers to get $3.6 million back- pay” in the Nov. 20 edition of the Northwest Labor Press incorrectly re- ported the time period covered in the settlement. Members of the Demilita- rization Trades Council will get back- pay for missed breaks and for time spent donning and doffing gear for the period February 2007 to February 2009. Apprenticeship Opening Masonry Trades Union Tile, Terrazzo, Brick & Tile Finisher Must be at least 18 years old at time of application. Applications being taken Monday, Jan. 25, Tuesday, Jan. 26 and Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 12812 NE Marx St. Portland, Ore. 97230 PAGE 14 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS the U.S. government, including $450 million in stimulus funds. The plan was not well-received in Washington, D.C., Baugh said. “It created a perfect learning mo- ment,” Baugh said. “This sure isn’t what anybody intended to happen, and there’s not a politician in the country that wants to be associated with sending half a billion dollars to China to buy wind turbines.” Another course might be for the United States and China to move from competition to cooperation. During Obama’s November visit to China, the two sides made a series of announcements related to cooperation on climate change. Those included: a U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative designed to put millions of electric vehicles on the roads of both countries; coopera- tion on large-scale carbon capture and sequestration demonstration projects; and joint research and development on clean energy by teams of scientists and engineers from both countries. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, the European Union, Argentina, and Nor- way have pledged to support elements of ITUC’s “just transition” proposal. As of press time, even the U.S. nego- tiators were speaking in favor of it, but it wasn’t clear whether the lan- guage would be included in any final agreement to come out of the Copen- hagen meeting. Oregon AFL-CIO Secretary-Treas- urer Barbara Byrd will report back on her experience at Copenhagen at a Jan. 8 workshop sponsored by the La- bor Education and Research Center of the University of Oregon. Entitled “Oregon Workers and Climate Change: Developing a Labor Agenda,” the workshop will cover the economic costs of doing nothing, what policies are most effective at curbing global warming, and what unionists can do to make sure the new “green” jobs are good jobs. The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oregon AFSCME office in Salem, 1400 Tan- dem Ave. NE; call 503-412-3721 to register. AFSCME’s Pat Riggs-Henson seeks Lane County board seat the Northwest Youth SPRINGFIELD — Pat Riggs-Henson, executive Corps, Lane Council of secretary-treasurer of the Governments, Demo- Lane County Labor Coun- cratic Party of Lane cil, is running for an open County, and the United seat on the Lane County Way. Board of Commissioners. She ran unsuccessfully A 28-year member of for the County Commis- the American Federation of sion in 1989. State, County and Munici- “It’s a commitment I pal Employees (AFSCME) made to myself 20 years Local 2831, Riggs-Henson ago,” Riggs-Henson said. retired from her longtime “I did very well, though I R IGGS -H ENSON position with the Lane County didn’t ultimately win, and I Workforce Partnership earlier promised myself that once I this year. retired and really had the time to run She is married to Rick Henson, a an all-out race, I would do it. It turns staff representative for Oregon AF- out that time is now.” SCME Council 75. Riggs-Henson has gained the en- Riggs-Henson, 58, is seeking Posi- dorsement of every Lane County-area tion 2 on the five-person County legislator except State Rep. Nancy Board. Bill Dwyer, who has held the seat since 1999, is not seeking re-elec- Nathanson, who has a policy not to make endorsements. tion when his term ends next year. “I’ve spent the last 20 years helping Throughout her career, Riggs-Hen- all sorts of labor people run for public son has been a union and community activist. She served AFSCME Local office, and now is the time for me to 2831 in various positions, including step forward and take that risk myself,” president and chief steward. She was Riggs-Henson said. “It’s no secret who on the Oregon AFSCME Executive I am or what I stand for. I represent Board for many years and, for the past working families and the middle class several years, served as a Council 75 — which makes me a very good fit for trustee. She’s been on the Oregon Springfield.” Several other candidates are con- AFL-CIO Executive Board for 10 years, and is the current vice president sidering the race or have filed to run. If any candidate captures over 50 percent representing central labor councils. Her résumé also includes 14 years of the vote in May, they win. Other- as an elected member on the Lane wise, the top two vote-getters would Community College Board of Direc- move on to a November 2010 general tors, 10 years on the Public Employees election run-off. The primary election, which is non- Retirement System (PERS) Board of Directors, plus stints on the boards of partisan, will be in May 2010. DECEMBER 18, 2009
