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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 5 Union rep Rodgers is Super Bowl MVP mates. He spoke out By JAMES PARKS about how the prospect Two high-profile union mem- of a lockout in the 2011 bers were in the spotlight this season would hurt the month. community as well as On Super Bowl Sunday, the players. Green Bay quarterback Aaron “I think that’s one Rodgers, the Packers’ team rep thing we’re trying to re- for the NFL Players Association member through this (NFLPA), took home the Super whole thing that’s com- Bowl MVP award. The same day New England Patriot alternate rep A ARON R ODGERS ing down here ... This Tom Brady was named Offensive lockout is bigger than just the players. Player of the Year for the 2010 season. It’s bigger than the players vs. the own- It is rare for two such high-profile ers. This is a deal that affects more than players to serve as team reps, but both just 53 of us [the Packers’ players].” Team owners opted out of the col- Rodgers and Brady are strong support- ers of the union. When he was intro- lective bargaining agreement with the duced as the Packers’ new team rep last NFLPA two years before it was due to October, Rodgers made it clear that the expire, saying it isn’t working for them. union is important to him and his team- But they refuse to provide audited fi- nancial information to explain what is wrong in a business that generated $9 billion in 2009, during the worst eco- nomic crisis since the Great Depression. On top of that $9 billion and what- ever they made in this football season, the owners will rake in another $4 bil- lion next season even if there are no games because CBS and the other net- works that air NFL games have agreed to pay that amount to the NFL even if there is a lockout. In other words, be- cause of CBS and the other networks, the owners have lockout insurance. This Super Bowl also had another strong union tie. Both Green Bay and Pittsburgh are blue-collar manufactur- ing cities with rich union histories and where manufacturing is still a major in- dustry. Transit Union plans more rallies at TriMet Board Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 is continuing its informational picketing prior to TriMet Board meet- ings. The next gathering is Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Port- land Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave., Port- land. Following the action, the union is asking everyone to attend the Board meeting. “I encourage you sign up to address the Board. Let your opinions be heard,” FEBRUARY 18, 2011 said Local 757 President Jonathan Hunt. “The Board needs to know their lack of action is affecting real live peo- ple.” The sides met with a state mediator Jan. 28 and Feb. 2, with little progress made. They have been engaged in a la- bor dispute since the old contract ex- pired Nov. 30, 2009. State law prohibits transit workers from striking and re- quires that all contract disputes be set- tled by binding arbitration. ATU has filed two unfair labor prac- tice (ULP) complaints. One alleges that TriMet changed its bargaining position when petitioning for arbitration in July 2010. The other is for unilaterally changing health insurance costs, a move the union says was in retaliation for filing the first ULP. The ULPs aren’t sheduled to be heard until May. The union has asked Gov. John Kitzhaber to intervene. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Time to register for MDA Labor Bowl March 13 Hoffmann retires from Laborers Bill Hoffmann, a 32-year member of Laborers Local 296, retired Jan. 1. Hoffmann worked in the trade for 16 years, starting as a hod carrier. Local 296 hired him as a business agent in 1994, and in 1997 he became an organizer. He took a job with the international in 2001, working at the Laborers Northwest Regional Organizing Coalition. Hoffmann, 57, was active in his union and his com- munity, which included a run for the Reynolds School Board. He says he has no ambitions to run for public office for now. “I just want to golf and fish,” he told the Labor Press. His greatest disappointment, he said, was not seeing organized labor get back together under one big tent before he retired. “We need to all be working together,” he said. The 22nd Annual Labor Bowl Chal- lenge to benefit the Muscular Dystro- phy Association (MDA) will be held Sunday, March 13, at Hollywood Bowl, 4030 NE Halsey St., Portland. Thirty lanes have been reserved. To date, 14 teams from five union locals have registered to bowl. This year’s goal is to have 18 unions represented at the event. Money is raised by pledges and a silent auction. Since its inception, Port- land-area labor unions have collected $311,828.75 for MDA. Money goes to buy wheelchairs and braces for chil- dren, as well as research and summer camps. Registration starts at noon, with bowling under way at 1 p.m. For more information, call Jim Cook, president of Letter Carriers Branch 82, at 503-493-5903. To donate items to the auction, call Debbie Bur- bank at 971-404-5384. Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland PAGE 5
