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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2011)
NWLP-03-18-11:NWLP 3/15/11 10:16 AM Page 9 Volunteers from a dozen union locals are trained to be ‘resource navigators’ Bodendorfer elected new business rep at Elevator Constructors Mike Bodendorfer has been elected business representative of Portland- based Elevator Constructors Local 23. He defeated three others in a race to succeed Frank Regalado, who did not run for re-election. The business rep is the only full- time position at the local, which repre- sents 266 workers who build and serv- ice elevators and escalators in Oregon and Southwest Washington. A native of Chicago, Bodendorfer, 62, entered the trade as an apprentice in 1972. At that time, the city was just coming off a weeks-long elevator strike and work was backed up. His wife was a secretary at a company that manufac- tured freight elevator doors, and one day her boss asked if her husband wanted a job working on elevators. He took it, joining the apprenticeship program of Chicago Elevator Con- structors Local 2. He transferred his card to Local 23 in 1999 after accepting a job with Sound Elevator, which later was Still time to sponsor, volunteer at ‘fish in’ Sponsors and volunteers are still needed for the Klineline Kids Fish-In Saturday, April 9, in Vancouver. More than 1,500 children ages five to 14 are expected to attend. Entry fee is just $5, and each child will receive a Zebco rod and reel, a T-shirt and lunch. A contribution of $250 will get your union logo on the T-shirts and provide space to hang your union banner the day of the event. The deadline is near — Monday, March 21. Volunteers are needed to assemble fishing rods prior to the fish-in, and to assist kids the day of the event. Rod as- sembly will take place March 24-25 at 5 p.m. at the Washington State Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife, 2108 Grand Blvd., Vancouver; and March 26 at 8 a.m. at the same location. The fish-in is presented by the De- partment of Fish and Wildlife and Klineline Kids Fishing, a partner with the non-profit GoPlay Outside Alliance of Washington. It is held at Klineline Pond, located at Salmon Creek Park in Vancouver. “Volunteers can participate for a few hours or all day,” said Roben White of Painters Local 10. “We need hundreds of volunteers.” If you would like to sponsor the event or volunteer, call Will Morrison at 360-906-6705. White can be reached at 360-608-8537. MARCH 18, 2011 M IKE B ODENDORFER bought out by ThyssenKrupp Elevator. “It was a time in my life to make a change, an opportunity came up to work in the Pacific Northwest, so we (his wife and daughter) made the move,” Bodendorfer said. Bodendorfer has served on Local 23’s Executive Board for the past six years and as an instructor to first- and second-term apprentices at the Na- tional Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) for the last decade. He said the Great Recession has taken its toll on the local, with nearly one-third of its membership — mostly on the construction side — out of work, some for as long as two years. “I’ve been through recessions be- fore, but this is definitely the worst I’ve ever experienced,” he said. But Bodendorfer sees light at the end of the tunnel. “It doesn’t appear to be getting any worse at this point. Our work is industry driven — Intel, high- rises, hospitals. I’m optimistic.” Bodendorfer defeated Dan Coyle, Bobby Dukes, Jr., and Tom Jodry for the job. His term of office is three years. In other voting results, Russ Vollen- dorf ran unopposed for president; Dave Tremain defeated Randy Carmony for vice president; Bob Pyne ran unop- posed for treasurer, as did Reo Ander- son for recording secretary, and Dan Garrett for warden. Steve King and Lance Martin were elected to the six-person Executive Board, having received the most votes out of five candidates. Others running were Scott Augst, Greg Biornstad and Eric Lindquist. Currently serving terms on the Board are Randy Carmony, Jeff Dunford, Don Hickman, and Brian Jenkins. Les Johns defeated James John for a seat on the three-member Board of Trustees. Other trustees are Perry Cooper and Don Springer. Bodendorfer succeeds Regalado, who has served as business representa- tive since August 2007, first under an interim appointment, then elected in a special election in April 2008. Regal- ado previously served as business rep- resentative from 1997 to 2003. Volunteers from a dozen local unions, Working America, and retirees groups underwent a daylong training session Feb. 26 to become “resource navigators.” The program is designed to grow a network of specialists who can in turn help other union members and co- workers navigate the oftentimes con- fusing world of social services. Monthly “refresher” meetings will be held for trained navigators to learn more about individual resources, dis- cuss problems and techniques, and share information. The full training will be repeated periodically as the first and subsequent trainees gain experience and can take on mentorship roles for in- coming volunteers. “We are proud of what this enthusi- astic group of volunteers accomplished in such an intense day of training,” said Vickie Burns, executive director of La- bor’s Community Service Agency, one of three sponsors. “As resource navi- gators, they will provide a strong foun- dation to build an ongoing, ever-ex- panding program that brings added value to labor in the local union offices and on the jobsite.” Other sponsors were United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. Marc Levy, president of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, was a keynote speaker, along with Bob Tack- ett, executive secretary-treasurer of NOLC, and Graham Trainor, field di- recor for the Oregon AFL-CIO. Retired federal mediator Paul Stuckenschneider (standing) gives instructions about an upcoming break-out session where small groups were given sample scenarios of problems they might be asked to help solve. They had to listen objectively, use resources, and make appropriate referrals, then report back. Twenty-seven union members attended the training session to become resource navigators. The workshop was co-sponsored by Labor’s Community Service Agency. Retiree Stuckenschneider is an outreach volunteer for St. Vincent dePaul. Volunteer training partners included Helen Moss, an instructor at the Labor Education and Research Center at the University of Oregon; Paul Stucken- schneider, volunteer outreach, and Car- rie Slayter, outreach coordinator for St. Vincent dePaul; and Melissa Crocker, outreach specialist for 2-1-1 Info. All 27 new resource navigators received 2- 1-1 Community Information Directo- ries. Unions represented at the training were Oregon AFSCME Council 75; In- ternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees; Painters Local 10; Service Employees Local 503; Inland Boat- mens Union; Machinists District W24; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555; Oregon School Employees Association; Musicians Local 99; UNITE HERE Local 9; Bakers Local 364; and Laborers Locals 483 and 320. Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 9
