Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2011)
July 1, 2011_nWLP 6/28/11 10:10 AM Page 2 Labor Dept. seeks rule to shed light on union-buster expenditures WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is propos- ing a new rule that would shed more light on union-busters by narrowing a loophole that they’ve used to hide their activities. Under the 1959 Landrum-Griffin Act, employers are obligated to file a form with the Office of Labor-Man- agement Standards if they pay a labor relations consultant or other person to persuade employees against unioniz- ing. Under the regulation this is known as “persuader activities.” [The Landrum-Griffin Act also re- quires unions to annually report their finances and activities. The rules are much more extensive for unions than they are for businesses.] Union officials estimate union-bust- ing firms rake in more than $300 mil- lion a year on “persuader activities.” But no one really knows for sure, the DOL says, because reported spending by that industry and its use by employ- ers is hidden. One way union busters and employ- ers hide spending is through a loophole in the regulation that allows an exemp- tion if the consulting firm offers only “advice” and doesn’t actually interact with employees. In other words, a union-buster can get away with not re- porting anything if it has only “indi- rect” contact with the workers, such as creating an anti-union campaign for a company, or writing anti-union speeches for employers. In an official notice published June 21, the Office of Labor-Management Standards said that currently union- busters’ reporting is “negligible” be- cause they take advantage of the advice exception. Under DOL’s new proposal, “re- portable ‘persuader activities’” by union-busters would be “all actions, conduct, or communications that have a direct or indirect object to persuade employees.” That means not just advice, but also preparing materials, creating a cam- paign or coaching bosses in union-bust- ing, or almost any other anti-union ac- Portland union electrical contractor involved with creation of solar vehicle charging station The first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, a solar/electrical vehicle charging station opened with a ribbon- cutting ceremony June 8 at the Portland Development Commission (PDC) parking lot on 3620 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The publicly accessible solar elec- tric charging station includes a quick charger that drivers can plug their elec- trical cars in with a “shade” made of solar panels. Two cars can be parked under the shade at a time. It has the ca- pacity to fully charge six electric vehi- cles per day. The charging station will be able to service cars such as the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan LEAF and a va- riety of other electric vehicles. The charging station is the creation of Christenson Electric of Portland and EV4 Oregon. Founded in 1945, Chris- tenson Electric is one of the largest electrical contractors in the Northwest, with a workforce of approximately 400. The company is signatory with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The two companies formed a spe- cial joint venture to create the solar electric charging station, also known as an energy transfer merchant. An ETM has the ability to use both solar and electrical power to charge electrical cars. The charging station is built by Oregon companies, using Oregon products, as a kit that can be assembled anywhere in four days. “We’re very excited to see this con- cept come to life,” said Dean Skaar, vice president of business development at Christenson Electric. “We’ve been working with EV4 Oregon for a few years to bring this charging station from the drawing board to the real world. Being based in the Northwest, it was natural for us to work with a com- pany and a project that incorporates re- newable energy.” The June 8 ribbon-cutting ceremony started with speeches from PDC Exec- utive Director Patrick Quinton, Bon- neville Power Administration Vice President Mike Weedall, Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen, and Eric An- derson of Pacific Power. tivity. It also means “oral or written rec- ommendations regarding a decision or a course of conduct,” even if the em- ployer rejects it. The Labor Department views re- porting of persuader agreements or arrangements as providing employees with essential information regarding the underlying source of the views and materials being directed at them, as aid- ing them in evaluating their merit and motivation. DOL said disclosing the union-bust- ing consultants’ activities would “miti- gate the disruptive impact of labor rela- tions consultants, or as Congress called them, ‘middlemen,’ on peaceful and stable labor relations.” “Full disclosure of the participation of outside consultants will lead to a bet- ter informed electorate, which invari- ably produces more reliable and ac- ceptable election results less subject to charges and counter-charges, and thus becomes a less disputed, more stable foundation for subsequent labor-man- agement relations,” DOL said. DOL emphasized that it could have changed the advice exemption admin- istratively, but it wants a formal rule that will lock in standards for when and what union-busting consultants must report. The Labor Department held meetings in 2009-10 with stakeholders — unions, businesses and consultants — to discuss its plan. The DOL tried to rein in the con- sultants’ abuse of exemptions in the closing days of the Clinton Adminis- tration, but that effort was quickly dumped when George W. Bush took office. Summer School set Aug. 5-7 in Eugene EUGENE — The Oregon AFL-CIO Summer School is scheduled Aug. 5-7 at the University of Oregon. This year’s guest speaker will be Wisconsin AFL- CIO Legislative Director Joanne Ricca. Some of the core courses to be taught will include Media Training for Labor Activists; The Real Life of Stew- ards; and Building the Union: Keeping and Expanding Your Activist Base. Workshops will focus on communicat- ing across generations, bully bosses and harassment, and dealing with member conflicts. “Come ready to learn, share experi- ences, get to know other union broth- ers and sisters from Oregon, and enjoy the solidarity,” said Helen Moss of the Labor Education and Research Center at UO, which co-hosts the event with the Oregon AFL-CIO. Registration is $230 for commuters. Rates are available for lodging at uni- versity dorms. For more information, call Moss at 503-412-3722 or by e- mail her at hmoss@uoregon.edu. (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS JULY 1, 2011
