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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2011)
NWLP-02-18-11:NWLP 2/15/11 9:54 AM Page 3 ...New hospital in Coquille will be built by union workers cility. The discussion initially was about project labor agreements, but evolved into financing. “One thing led to an- other and everything fell into place,” Smith said. Coquille Valley Hospital spokes- woman Jenny Silva said the hospital probably wouldn’t have been built with- out the AFL-CIO Housing and Invest- ment Trust involvement. “It might still have happened, but it would have been way down the road.” Coquille Valley Hospital opened in 1969. The Coquille Valley Hospital Dis- trict was certified under federal law as a Medicare critical access hospital in 2003. Silva said the new medical facility is not a new wing or expansion of the existing 25-bed hospital. She said once the new hospital is completed, the old one will be used for medical and health related services and/or education. The project has resulted in several “firsts” for the involved parties. It is HIT’s first investment in Oregon and its first time utilizing Build America Bonds. The bond program was intro- duced in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct to stim- ulate the economy. It expired at the end Unions call for boycott of Columbian newspaper SILVER SPRING, Md. —The Na- tional Labor College, which is spon- sored by the AFL-CIO and is the na- tion’s only regionally-accredited higher education institution devoted exclu- sively to educating union members, will launch three new online bachelor’s degree programs in Construction Man- agement, Emergency Readiness and Response Management, and Business Administration. The new programs offer union members the convenience of online study. And with special union member rates and scholarships, NLC students can complete their degree for less than $10,000 in two years. Plus, learning from work experience and apprentice- ships can earn union members credits towards completing their degrees. NLC’s bachelor’s degree in Busi- ness Administration is based upon the ethical treatment of all members of so- (From Page 1) considerable construction work for lo- cal area union members,” Smith said. “We commend Coquille Valley Hospi- tal and The Neenan Company for choosing to build this new hospital re- sponsibly.” The Building Trades Council credo has always been to “build responsibly.” Several years ago it turned its focus on elected officials, encouraging them to pledge to look for “responsible contrac- tors that pay a living wage with fringe benefits” when using tax dollars on new construction or renovation. Smith said labor immediately reached out to hospital executives after learning of their plans to build a new fa- VANCOUVER — The Southwest Washington Central Labor Council and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council passed resolutions placing the Columbian newspaper on their respec- tive “Do Not Patronize” lists. The daily newspaper covers the greater Vancouver/Southwest Washing- ton area. “They don’t report the news of the entire community,” said Shannon Walker, president of the labor council and a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. “The Columbian continues to publish articles that are biased against and inflammatory toward working-class people, union members, and public employees.” The resolution calls for a boycott starting this month and continuing through July 31, 2011. In August, the labor council will revisit the issue to de- termine whether or not the newspaper has expanded its coverage “to represent all of the community.” If it has, the boy- cott will be withdrawn. Meantime, the labor council and FEBRUARY 18, 2011 building trades council are asking union members to cancel their subscriptions and to not advertise in the newspaper. They also ask union members to write letters to the editor and publisher ex- plaining why they are canceling. “If you’re not a subscriber, write or call them and tell them why you don’t subscribe,” Walker said. Ed Barnes, a retired business man- ager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, said he canceled his subscription after 60 years reading the newspaper. “I delivered that newspaper as a kid, and I’ve sat on their community advisory board,” he said. Barnes advised union officials to spread the word of the labor action via newsletters, websites, and at meetings. The Portland-based Northwest Ore- gon Labor Council will vote on the res- olution at its monthly meeting Feb. 28. Walker said she is forwarding copies of the resolution to local politicians. To cancel a subscription, call 360- 694-2312. Send letters to the editor to lou.brancaccio@columbian.com. of 2010. It also is the first project labor agreement ever signed by the Lane, Coos, Curry, Douglas Building Trades Council or The Neenan Company. AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust Investment Officer Chris Shaw called the project a “win-win because it will bring needed medical care to the com- munity, while creating jobs and stimu- lating the local economy.” Shaw said the union construction jobs generated by the hospital project puts the HIT on track to achieve its goal of creating 10,000 union construction jobs by this spring. To date, the HIT has committed over $695 million for 29 projects representing nearly 9,000 con- struction jobs and $1.5 billion of devel- opment. The Coquille hospital is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012. (Editor’s Note: Nurses at Coquille Valley Hospital are represented by Ore- gon Nurses Association.) National Labor College launches 3 new bachelor’s degree programs for unionists NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS ciety, sustainable business practices, and the idea that all organizations should contribute to the health of the community. The program is unique in that it has required courses that explore the labor movement’s contributions to American society and economic pros- perity. The NLC offers the only bachelor’s degree in Construction Management with required courses that explore the labor movement’s preeminent role in the construction industry. The degree is geared for members of building and construction trades unions who are in- terested in becoming construction managers. The NLC also is the only higher ed- ucation institution offering a bachelor of science degree in Emergency Readi- ness and Response Management that includes required courses examining the nation’s safety and security from a labor perspective. The program is specifically designed for rank-and-file union members in fire services, EMS, law enforcement, public safety, Home- land Security, and other related unions. Areas of study include the rise of mod- ern terrorism, domestic terrorism, the Homeland Security organization, and labor and civil liberties issues. “Our new online degree programs are designed to help union members and members of their families advance in their current jobs or move into growth areas for new, good jobs,” said Dr. Paula Peinovich, president of the NLC. “The college is proud to add these new programs to our current of- ferings in Labor Studies and to be part of the solution to our country’s current unemployment crisis.” For more information on The Na- tional Labor College, go to http:// www.nlc.edu. PAGE 3
