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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2010)
AUG. 6, 2010:NWLP 8/3/10 10:11 AM Page 10 Oregon AFL-CIO endorses Schrader for re-election At the Oregon AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE) meeting in June, delegates voted to postpone consideration of an endorsement for Congressman Kurt Schrader and to al- low the Executive Committee to con- sider any action at a later date. On July 26, the state labor federa- tion’s Executive Committee took up the endorsement and voted to support Schrader. “At a time when Republican law- makers have closed their doors to the labor movement and middle class Americans as a whole, the Executive Committee felt it was important to help keep an ally in Congress,” said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain, pointing out that Schrader has voted with labor “the vast majority of the time” and that he voted for the last set of job creation and unemployment in- surance extension bills that passed through Congress. “And even when we disagree, his door is always open,” Chamberlain said. Schrader has an 81 percent COPE voting record as tracked by the national AFL-CIO. The first-term congressman voted against the labor-backed Jobs for Main Street Act, which redirected $75 billion in unused bank bailout money — the Troubled Asset Relief Program — to fund infrastructure and job invest- ments and provide additional emer- gency funding for families in need. He also cast a “no” vote on a finan- cial reform and consumer protection bill that overhauled the country’s finan- cial rules and created a Consumer Fi- nancial Protection Agency. Both bills passed the Democratic- controlled House. Metro employees’ union backs Hughes for Metro president Tom Hughes, candidate for presi- dent of the regional government, Metro, has been endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Mu- nicipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3580/3580-1. AFSCME represents over 350 employees at Metro, and another 62 workers at the Portland Expo, Per- forming Arts, and Convention Centers, which Metro oversees. “Tom has demonstrated the ability to bring diverse groups together to find solutions that benefit the whole com- munity,” said union President Matt Tracy. “He brings the leadership and ex- perience needed to move Metro and the region in a positive direction.” Hughes also has been endorsed by other labor groups, including IBEW Local 48, the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council, and Teamsters Joint Council 37. Hughes served as mayor of Hills- boro from 2000 to 2008. He taught his- tory and government in the Beaverton school district for 30 years. PAGE 10 ATU Local 757 contract at TriMet likely to be determined by arbitrator Fred Meyer workers ‘just practicing’ Members and allies of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 rallied July 27 at the North Salem Fred Meyer store on Broadway Street in a show of support for non-food workers who have been trying to bargain a successor agreement for nearly a year. A contract extension for some 350 non- food employees at three Fred Meyer stores in Salem, one in Albany, and one in Corvallis expired at 5 p.m. July 27, and the union chose not to extend it. In addition to Salem/Albany/Corvallis, the union is bargaining successor contracts on behalf of some 2,150 non-food employees in Coos Bay, Longview, Newberg, Portland, and The Dalles. Non-food department workers at all unionized Fred Meyer stores in Oregon and Southwest Washington have started wearing “Respect” buttons. “We will continue to remind Fred Meyer and all our employers that all of their employees deserve respect and that we will not stop until fair contracts are settled for all Fred Meyer non-food workers,” said UFCW Local 555 President Dan Clay. At press time, no new bargaining dates for the Salem/Albany/Corvallis bargaining unit had been scheduled. UFCW plans rally in The Dalles THE DALLES — United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 is invit- ing the broader labor community to at- tend a rally on behalf of non-food em- ployees at The Dalles Fred Meyer who have been battling for a first contract since joining the union in November 2007. The rally, which is expected to draw bus-loads of union members from sister UFCW locals in Seattle and Spokane, is slated for Saturday, Aug. 14, at noon. “All the non-food workers are asking for is what their unionized co-workers in grocery, meat, and central checkout stands have,” said Local 555 Secretary- Treasurer Jeff Anderson. For more information about the rally, WSLC Constitutional Convention slated August 9-12 TACOMA —The constitutional convention of the Washington State La- bor Council will be Monday through Thursday, Aug. 9-12, at the Hotel Mu- rano and Convention Center here. It will be the final convention for WSLC Pres- ident Rick Bender and Secretary-Treas- urer Al Link. Both officers, who have served in those positions since 1993 and 1994, respectively, are not seeking re- election in this fall’s WSLC elections. Among those scheduled to address convention delegates are AFL-CIO Sec- retary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington). The theme of the convention is “Fo- cus on Jobs.” or to reserve a seat on the bus, call 1- 800-452-UFCW (8329), extension 6325. The Dalles Fred Meyer is located at 1215 West 6th Street. Union workers at TriMet, Oregon’s largest transit agency, may soon test a new process for resolving contract disputes. Under a union-supported state law, transit district employees can’t strike; instead both sides submit their final offers to an arbitrator, who picks whichever is most reasonable. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 is proposing to keep the contract exactly the same for the next three years. The contract includes fully paid full-family health care, and annual cost-of-living increases from 3 to 5 percent. TriMet, on the other hand, is pro- posing dozens of changes, including lowering the minimum cost-of-living increase to 1 percent. The agency also wants union workers to pay more out- of-pocket for their health insurance. Active members and pre-Medicare re- tirees receive employer-paid family health coverage. Members have $5 co-pays, but no premiums or de- ductibles. The old agreement, which ran six years, expired Nov. 30, 2009. It covers about 2,000 active members, plus re- tirees. Bargaining on a three-year agree- ment began in October. Union leaders said TriMet’s initial employer pro- posal was so bad, they mailed it out to all Local 757 members at TriMet. Since then, TriMet has made some concessions, but is still proposing: • that employees hired after April 1, 2012 receive a 401(k) style “de- fined contribution” retirement plan; • that retirees be at least age 55 to collect retirement benefits (the current contract specifies benefits after 30 years of service regardless of age); • that retiree health insurance con- tributions be capped for union mem- bers retiring after April 2012. “They want to take these retirees when they’re most vulnerable and throw them under the bus,” said Local 757 President Jon Hunt. “We don’t think that’s right.” The two sides entered mediation June 7, and declared impasse July 13, presenting final offers July 20. They will next choose an arbitrator from a list supplied by the state Employment Relations Board, and then will have a chance to make a deal before present- ing their very final offers to an arbitra- tor, who will pick one of the two pro- posals in its entirety. Local 757 will hold membership meetings to discuss its final proposal. Hunt said it could be 2011 before the process is concluded. Southwest Washington Electricians PAC #48 HAS ENDORSED THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES IN THE A UG . 17 WASHINGTON PRIMARY ELECTIONS : U.S. Senate Patty MURRAY U.S. House Denny HECK, 3rd District State Supreme Court Stan RUMBAUGH, Position 1 Barbara MADSEN, Position 5 Charlie WIGGINS, Position 6 Court of Appeals Judge Jill JOHANSON Washington House Tim PROBST, District 17, Pos. 1 Monica STONIER, Dist. 17, Pos. 2 Dennis KAMPE, District 18, Pos.1 Jim JACKS, District 49, Pos. 1 Jim MOELLER, District 49, Pos. 2 Clark County Commission - Steve STUART, District 3 County Assessor — Janet SEEKINS County Prosecutor — Tony GOLIK County Clerk — Sherry PARKER County Treasurer—Doug LASHER County Sheriff—Timothy SHOTWELL City of Vancouver City Council - Bart HANSEN, Position 4 Statewide Ballot Measures to be voted Nov. 2 PAC #48 SUPPORTS: • Referendum 52, Jobs Act of 2010 for Healthy Schools • Initiative 1098, establish a high-earners state income tax and reducing other taxes PAC #48 OPPOSES: • Initiative 1053, Tim Eyman's 2/3 supermajority require- ment on budget issues • Initiative 1082, privatizing workers’ comp • Initiative 1086, repealing a temporary excise tax on beer • Initiative 1100, privatizing state liquor stores Paid for by SW Washington Electricians PAC #48, NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS AUGUST 6, 2010
