June 17, 2011_NWLP 6/14/11 10:10 AM Page 1
Inside
Official
Meeting Notices
See
Page 4
Volume 112
Number 12
June 17, 2011
Portland
Political interference at
NLRB unprecedented
In a case filed by
Machinists Union
against Boeing
Fighting to maintain good jobs on the waterfront
ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe (with bullhorn) leads more than 1,200 longshore workers and their
union allies in a chant June 3 outside the downtown Portland corporate office of grain company EGT Development.
Protesters traveled from as far away as Los Angeles to support Longview-based ILWU Local 21 in its quest for a union
contract at a new grain terminal set to open this summer at the Port of Longview. EGT is a joint venture of St. Louis-
based Bunge North America, Japan-based Itochu Corp. and Korean shipper STX Pan Ocean. The company leased
property from the Port to build a $200 million state-of-the-art grain elevator on the Columbia River. EGT imported
nonunion construction workers from out-of-state to do most of the work. It now wants to operate the facility with
nonunion, out-of-state labor. Members of ILWU are employed at port grain export terminals coastwise under the
Northwest Grainhandlers Agreement, which is set to expire later this year. The union believes if EGT is operating
without a contract it will reverberate in upcoming negotiations. “EGT would like to be the Walmart of the grain
business and force everyone else into their agenda,” said Scott Mason, president of Tacoma-based ILWU Local 23.
By DON McINTOSH
Associate Editor
Imagine if the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency tried to fine British Pe-
troleum $500 million for the Gulf oil
spill … and the reaction in Congress
was a call to repeal the Environmental
Protection Act. Or suppose Walmart
faced an order of $100 million in back
pay for illegally making employees
work off the clock, and in response
leading Senate Republicans threatened
to block the president’s nominee for
the Department of Labor. That’s a little
like what’s happening now in the Na-
tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
case that the International Association
of Machinists (IAM) filed against Boe-
ing.
America’s basic labor union rights
law, the National Labor Relations Act,
says workers have the right to form
unions, to bargain collectively, and to
strike. Under that law, employers may
not retaliate against workers for exer-
cising those rights. But that’s what
Boeing did, the IAM alleges, when the
company decided to locate its second
787 Dreamliner assembly line in South
Carolina instead of Washington. Com-
pany leaders made repeated statements
to journalists and stock market analysts
that its decision to locate in South Car-
olina was motivated by a desire to
avoid the disruption of a strike by its
unionized workers in Washington.
Boeing’s operation in South Car-
olina is nonunion, and unions have his-
torically been weak in South Carolina,
a so-called “right-to-work” state. The
NLRB, which enforces the National
Labor Relations Act, investigated
IAM’s charge. It agreed with the
union, and issued a formal complaint
April 20 against Boeing, an action
which was approved by acting general
counsel Lafe Solomon, the highest-
ranking official in the “prosecution”
part of the NLRB. The complaint was
scheduled to be heard by a federal ad-
ministrative law judge June 14 in Seat-
tle, just after this issue went to press.
But the reaction to the NLRB com-
plaint — by business groups, the busi-
ness media, and Republican members
of Congress — was furious. They
seemed to be outraged that a little-
known federal agency enforcing a 75-
year-old law about unionization could
question a major company’s decision
about where to produce its product.
Some of the reactions:
• Solomon is President Obama’s
(Turn to Page 8)
Unions for Kids motorcycle poker run
raises $50,000 for children’s hospital
A record 477 motorcycle riders reg-
istered to participate in the ninth annual
“Unions For Kids Poker Run and Chili
Cook-off” June 11.
All proceeds from the ride and raffle
— a total of $50,000 — went to Do-
ernbecher Children’s Hospital. Since its
inception nine years ago, the event has
raised more than $271,000.
“Overall, I think it was the best one
ever,” said Lee Duncan, a member of
Portland-based Electrical Workers Lo-
cal 48, who helped found the event. “I
think we’re dialed in on all aspects. We
have a super bunch of volunteers, great
support from a wide range of unions
and businesses. Everybody’s gone
above and beyond.”
A large chunk of the “Unions for
Kids” proceeds comes from a drawing
for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
which was won by Portland business
owner Brian Raburn (ticket 313 sold by
Local 48 vice president Gary Young).
Money also is raised through poker run
registration fees, sponsor donations, a
silent auction, and a chili cook-off. Dun-
can said items valued at more than
$12,000 were donated for the raffle and
silent auction. Among the silent auction
items was a Hamer “Slammer” electric
guitar signed by John Kay and Steppen-
wolf. Band drummer Ron Hurst rode in
this year’s event. The guitar was pur-
chased by Rob Williamson, who works
at the IBEW and United Workers Fed-
eral Credit Union. The credit union is a
major sponsor of the event. Other busi-
nesses that donate tickets, banners, and
other items are Hollywood Impress
Printing, Markon Signs, and Columbia
Motorcycle Harley Davidson.
The poker run itself consists of rid-
ers going to check points, where they
(Turn to Page 6)
Ashley Schmidt of Doernbecher Children’s Hospital accepts a check for
$50,000 from Rob Williamson, treasurer of the Unions for Kids motorcycle
poker run. In nine years, the annual event has donated $271,000 to the
hospital.