April 15, 2011:NWLP
Inside
4/12/11
10:17 AM
Page 1
Workers Memorial Day
Edition
See
Page 6
Volume 112
Number 8
April 15, 2011
Portland
Thousands gather in Pacific Northwest for ‘We Are One’ rallies and to honor Dr. King
Plans to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public employees have generated a political
backlash as hundreds of thousands of working people massed in more than 1,000 cities April 2-
8 to rally, leaflet, and march for workers’ rights. Most of the events took place April 4 in
commemoration of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed 43 years ago
while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Union workers are tired
of being scapegoats for the dismal state of the economy while Wall Street executives, bankers and
their corporate allies — the ones who actually caused the financial crisis — go unscathed, raking
in billions in profits and bonuses. Many of the GOP politicians elected last November were
supported financially by the super rich, and union officials are convinced their agenda is to bust
all unions. At rallies in downtown Portland April 4 (top left) and in Blaine, Washington April 2
(top center), Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain said union members today are
walking the same path that Dr. King and Rosa Parks walked decades ago when they fought for
civil rights. Nearly 1,000 people attended the Portland event, while an estimated 2,000 gathered
at Peace Arch State Park at the U.S.-Canadian border for an international solidarity rally. One
of the largest turnouts in the country was April 8 in Olympia, where some 10,000 union members
flooded the steps of the State Capitol to urge lawmakers to close tax loopholes instead of cutting
back on public services (photo right). A keynote speaker was Wisconsin Democratic state Sen.
Spencer Coggs, one of the “Wisconsin 14” who left the state to try to slow Gov. Scott Walker’s
move to gut collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers. The day before, 17 protesters
from SEIU Healthcare were arrested after trying to get into Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office to
protest her proposed budget cuts. (Photos by Michael Gutwig, Tom Traphagen, and David
Groves.)
Dosha salon employees join Communications Workers #7901
Dosha Salon and Spa has become
the first local business of its kind to
unionize. In ballots counted March 30,
hair stylists, massage therapists, nail and
makeup specialists and other workers at
the company’s four locations voted 79
to 66 to be represented by Portland-
based Communications Workers of
America (CWA) Local 7901.
Later that night, union supporters
celebrated at a downtown Portland
restaurant. Winning the union election
is the first hurdle. Now employees pre-
pare to bargain a first-ever contract with
their employer.
At their first official union meeting
that Sunday, about a quarter of Dosha’s
union-eligible workforce turned out,
several with small children. Some in at-
tendance had voted against unionizing.
But union supporters have been reach-
ing out, hoping the 66 co-workers who
voted “no” will participate in the con-
tract bargaining process. Meetings like
this may dispel some of their fears
about unionizing — like the idea that a
union would be an outside party im-
posing terms on workers. The lively
discussion by Dosha employees of
what bargaining proposals to consider
made it clear the campaign didn’t be-
long to Local 7901 President Madelyn
Elder or organizer Joe Crane, but to the
Dosha workers themselves.
Judging by the issues they raised,
they won’t be asking for the moon.
Guaranteed pension? Fully-paid full-
family health care? No, Dosha workers
expressed more modest aims, like di-
rect deposit of their paycheck and an
end to having to pay $150 for their own
training on Aveda products. [Dosha co-
(Turn to Page 8)
Unions to remember fallen workers April 28
SALEM — The Oregon AFL-CIO
will hold a memorial service at the
Fallen Workers Memorial at noon
Thursday, April 28 —Workers Memo-
rial Day. The Fallen Workers Memo-
rial is located on the Capitol Mall near
the main entrance of the Labor and In-
dustries Building, 350 Winter St. NE.
Secretary of State Kate Brown and
State Treasurer Ted Wheeler will read
the names of the 39 Oregon workers
who died on the job in 2010, as well as
the seven Oregon soldiers killed in mil-
itary duty last year. (A list of names ap-
pears on Page 6 of this issue.)
Michael Wood, administrator of the
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, will be the keynote
speaker, and a proclamation will be read
from the governor’s office declaring
April 28 as Workers Memorial Day.
The Oregon AFL-CIO also is ask-
ing union members to make arrange-
ments with their employers to observe
a moment of silence that day.
On Monday, April 25, the North-
west Oregon Labor Council will hold a
memorial service at its monthly dele-
gates’ meeting. The service will in-
clude a presentation of colors by the
Oregon Military Funeral Honors Pro-
gram. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at
the IBEW Local 48 Hall, 15937 NE
Airport Way, Portland.
Workers Memorial Day was en-
acted by the AFL-CIO in 1989 to re-
member those killed or injured on the
job. April 28 was chosen because it is
the anniversary of the creation of the
Occupational Safety and Health Ad-
ministration and the day of a similar re-
membrance in Canada.
Outside the National Labor Relations Board office March 30, Dosha
employees celebrate the news that their union is supported by a majority of
their co-workers. In the center is CWA organizer Joe Crane.