May 21,2010:NWLP
5/18/10
10:16 AM
Open
Forum
Nesbitt to be
governor’s
chief of staff
SALEM — Tim Nesbitt, a former
president of the Oregon AFL-CIO and
current deputy chief of staff to Gov.
Ted Kulongoski, will be promoted to
chief of staff ef-
fective June 18.
Nesbitt will suc-
ceed Chip Ter-
hune, who has
accepted the po-
sition of director
of environmental
and public affairs
at Schnitzer Steel
Industries, Inc.
“Tim has suc-
T IM N ESBITT
cessfully devel-
oped and managed many policy and
legislative issues on which I place a
high priority,” said Kulongoski, who is
term limited in 2010. “His knowledge
and passion for public policy are in-
valuable and I am pleased he has ac-
cepted this new role.”
Nesbitt has served as the governor’s
deputy chief of staff for health care, ed-
ucation and workforce development,
land use, revenue, and public safety
since December 2006.
Nesbitt was president of the Oregon
AFL-CIO from 1999 to 2005. He left
mid-term. Kulongoski hired him as an
adviser to his re-election campaign in
July 2006 and to his staff after winning
re-election in November.
Page 10
No surprise that big business
celebrated comp reform
To The Editor:
I read with great interest your recent
story on the 20 year anniversary of the
Mahonia Hall task force (NW Labor
Press, May 7, 2010) and our effort to
reform the Oregon workers’ compen-
sation system.
I was the Teamster representative on
the committee and one who, along with
others unnamed in your article, op-
posed the final product. Those of us
who stood in opposition were right to
do so. The so-called reform shifted a
large measure of responsibility for
workplace injuries from employers to
workers.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski touts the $17.5
billion saved by employers, but where
did that savings come from? Could it
have anything to do with the increase in
challenged and denied claims, pressur-
ing workers to return to work before
they’ve recovered, making it more diffi-
cult for attorney’s representing injured
workers to practice, or perhaps putting
the burden of proof on workers to prove
their carpal tunnel injury was caused by
years of scanning groceries and not
their annual fly-fishing trip?
State Rep. Brad Witt said it accu-
rately: “workers got screwed.”
It’s no surprise that big business still
“celebrates” their victory 20 years later,
but what about working people? I sus-
pect there were just as many injured
workers attending the “celebration” as
were quoted for the article ... zero.
Tom Leedham
Teamsters Local 206
Portland
Retirees must have voices heard
To The Editor:
The Alliance for Retired Americans
had its annual convention last month in
Las Vegas. The event usually takes
place in Washington, D.C., and is a leg-
islative conference, which allows us to
spend some time with our elected offi-
cials to talk about the issues near and
dear to us. Health care for all, pension
security, and Social Security remains at
the top of our agenda.
This year, most of our time was
spent in workshops that provided us in-
formation that we can use to move our
agenda. One important item that was
discussed was President Obama’s ex-
ecutive order creating the National
Commission on Fiscal Responsibility
and Reform. The 18-person commis-
sion is charged with finding ways to re-
duce the national deficit. Several mem-
bers of the commission are known foes
of Social Security and Medicare, so we
know those programs will be targets.
Since most states have ARA chap-
ters, it also was a time for us activist re-
tirees (this year, 396 retirees attended)
to share our stories about how we get
our voices heard by other senior citi-
zens, as well as by lawmakers.
ARA is made up of mostly union re-
tirees, as the organization is affiliated
with the AFL-CIO. Our group is very
aware that retirees make up the largest
voting bloc in the United States. Our
goal is to keep these retired union
members informed of the issues that
impact them, their children, and their
grandchildren, and to make sure they
get to the polls on Election Day.
Verna Porter
First Vice President
Oregon Alliance for
Retired Americans
Laborers take BrucePac dispute to next stage
Laborers Local 296 is getting ready
to take its BrucePac campaign to the
next stage.
Nonunion BrucePac — a custom
cooked meat processor with plants in
Silverton and Woodburn — Oregon,
fired 17 union supporters in a 42-
worker mass layoff last June, just weeks
after a union campaign had begun.
In April, federal Administrative Law
Judge Lana Parke found the evidence
persuasive enough in three of the firings
to conclude that BrucePac terminated
the workers because they were union
supporters, in violation of federal labor
law. Parke ordered the three reinstated
with backpay, but the company has not
yet done so. BrucePac attorneys re-
quested and received an extension to
May 27 to prepare an appeal of the
judge’s decision to the National Labor
Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
Now Local 296 is taking the cam-
paign to BrucePac customers. BrucePac
PAGE 10
Fired BrucePac employee Manuel
Coria protests at the Silverton plant
May 17.
doesn’t sell directly to the public, but in-
stead cooks and packages meat and
poultry according to to the recipes and
specifications of its customers.
On May 6, Business Representative
Jack Roy sent a letter to Figaro’s Pizza,
Taco Del Mar, Taco Bell, Costco, and
Winco asking them to reconsider using
BrucePac products.
The letter points out that the union
campaign was initiated by the workers,
“who came to the union and com-
plained about oppressive working con-
ditions, harassment by supervisors, low
wages and lack of benefits.”
Local 296 will begin publicizing its
dispute with BrucePac, the letter warns.
“The public will be advised of the il-
legal conduct of BrucePac, and will be
advised that your company is a cus-
tomer of BrucePac and uses its prod-
ucts.”
Local 296 dispatcher Dagoberto
Aranda said the union is not yet calling
for a boycott of the BrucePac cus-
tomers, but will encourage union sup-
porters to contact the companies. As for
BrucePac, the union is asking only that
it obey the law, and comply with the
judge’s order.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
E
E
FR
BARGAIN COUNTER
Free classified ads to subscribers
DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication
Published 1st and 3rd Fridays
Now accepting e-mails
Send to: Michael492@comcast.net
Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213
(Please include union affiliation)
• 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue
• All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) •
Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published
A UTOMOTIVE
‘99 CHEVY S10 BLAZER, 4x4,157k mi,
auto, red, lifted, grey interior good cond,
32” mud tires. $3,500. 503-679-4945
‘08 SUBARU TRIBECA B9, like new,
23,263 miles, loaded, $24,999. 503-630-
3877, 503-310-9417
’01 BUICK LASABRE custom, auto, AC,
AM/FM/CD, 132k miles, loaded, second
owner, $3,275 OBO. 503-665-9297
’91 FORD PROBE GL, 4 cylinder, auto,
46,000 miles, needs atn. + DEQ, $700.
503-939-7361
’79 FORD F150, SWB Lariat, 4x4, 400
eng, 4 speed, 97,800 original miles, extras
nice truck, $6,300. 503-387-4257
’78 MERCURY COUGAR BROUGHAM,
351, V8, air, new tires, yellow w/brown vinyl
top, 49,966 miles, $2,500, 503-693-7526
’03 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER, 33’,
30K miles, Triton V10, 2 slides, excellent
condtion. 503-285-8691
’87 CHEVROLET 1/2 ton pickup, 6 cyl,
SWB, $1,250; ’92 Suburban V8 350,
$2,750. 503-515-1437
CHEV ’56-57 WCFB 2-4 carb set up, all
or part; ’56-57 Corvette body, fiberglass.
503 -590-4026 (Roger)
1941 FORD TRUCK, 350/350 9 inch on
S-10 frame, $12,000 OBO. 503 799-5167
H OUSING
ROCKAWAY ocean front, 503-777-5076
http://home.comcast.net/~rockaway.beach
5 bdrms, 2 bath, now booking summer!
ROCKAWAY BEACH house, 3 bed, 2
bath, sleeps 10, Jacuzzi tub, all amenities.
1-503-355-2136 or 503 709-6018
LINCOLN CITY vacation rental, 3 br, 2 ba.
$90/night, sleeps 8, 2 blks from beach, 4
blks from casino. 503-804-7976
LONG BEACH, WA,1 acre, 2 bdrm, house
w/loft, comp rm, 2 bath, large shop w/ba
360-665-6471
SE PORTLAND rental, 3 bed, 1.5 baths,
air conditioning, near Lents Park, $1,199
per month. 503 805-6648
HOME & GARAGE on lake, Central Ore-
gon, $100,000. 541-544-3499
W ANTED
COLLECTOR LOOKING for McIntosh
tube amps and preamps, vintage late
‘50s-60s, 503-255-4029, or palmer_rick
@yahoo.com
Rain Forest Boots
Made in America!
Try a pair on, youʼll like them.
Tough boots for the Northwest.
ALʼS SHOES
5811 SE 82nd, Portland 503-771-2130
Mon-Fri 10-7:30 Sat 10-5:30 Sun 12-6
OLD WOODWORKING tools, planes, lev-
els, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes,
wrenches, folding rulers, leather tools, tool
chests. 503-659-0009
COLLECTOR PAYS cash for older toys,
oil paintings, art pottery, taxco silver and
unique items. 503 703-5952
JUNK CARS, Removal of unwanted cars
and pickups. 503-314-8600
MOTORCYCLES running or not, guitars,
amps, cash paid. 503-880-8183
S PORTING G OODS
‘86 Hydroswift Trihull, 55 LP Evanrude out-
board needs electric harness replaced,
new seats, steering, $1,200 OBO. 503-
953-6480
19’ BLUE WATER CUTTY, overnighter,
V6, dual batteries, depth finder, full top,
porta potty, trailer $7,000 .503-659 3297
’82 GALAXIE TRI HULL BOAT, 16’- 6”,
w/trailer, 120 hp Merc-cruiser, i.o. needs
mechanical work $400 firm. 503-668-7172
SPOTTING SCOPE, Optolyth 30x60mm
rubber-armored coated, made in Ger-
many w/camera adapter, $250. 360-835-
8000
M ISCELLANEOUS
PFALTZGRAFF SNOW BEAR, new; 12
place settings plus many extras, $475
obo. 503-771-1570.
TRAILER 6’x15’ FLATBED, 18” removable
siderails, back 12’ tilts, single axle, 8 lug,
80% rubber, $550 OBO. 503-307-3934
MEN’S BOOTS TUK motorcycle style,
TUKII Gladiator #M3095, men’s 8M,
brand new w/box, $60. 503-568-6159
MIG GUN stainless steel wire .035 308
40lb new spool, $100. 503 643-6897
(Dale)
2 SPACES, VAULTS and double marker
at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, Vancou-
ver, currently $4,760, will sell for $3,700.
360-901-6089
ESTATE SALE, June 4-6, mower, tools,
Xmas décor, fishing, dishes, jewelry,
household items, books. 503 285-9857
ANTIQUE KITCHEN Queen Hoosier, ex-
cellent condition, $1,200 OBO. 503 775-
7966
SHIP’S BRASS CLOCK and barometer
mounted on oak backdrop, rings bells,
runs well, $220 OBO. 702-524-8207
F OR T HE H OME
ANGLE IRON bed frame, 65” long, ad-
justable width $45. 503 753-1714
FREE FUTON, nice. 503 775-7457
LARGE OTTOMAN, taupe microsuede,
new paid $80, sell $20; rototiller, Ryobi
31cc, 9”, $10. 503 708-6869
DINING SET, oak 42” round plus leaf,
pedestal, 5 chairs, $75 cash. 503 637-
3746
Broadway Floral
for the BEST flowers call
503-288-5537
1638 NE Broadway, Portland
MAY 21, 2010