Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2011)
AFSCME members at Metro in fight for fair contract, hold rally at Oregon Zoo Members of the union that repre- sents Metro employees, including many Oregon Zoo workers, staged an informational picket and rally July 30 at the zoo. The event attracted union members, family, friends, and other supporters. Local 3580 of the American Feder- ation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) staged the rally at the zoo — Metro’s most recognized facility — to demonstrate their support for a fair contract. The union and Metro have been in contract talks since the first of the year, and despite major concessions offered by Local 3580, which represents 375 Metro workers, Metro senior manage- ment has requested additional cuts to pensions and health care, as well as fur- lough days. “This was a rally for a fair contract, as well as for preserving the continua- tion of the middle class,” said Local 3580 President Matt Tracy. “We need to maintain the vital services the com- munity has come to depend upon, like our recycling and hazardous waste dis- posal programs. “It’s fitting that we stage this event at the zoo, as we are urging Metro not to let the middle class become an en- dangered species.” Tracy said Local 3580 members work hard to preserve and uphold Metro’s philosophy and commitment to the people of the tri-county area “to create a vibrant and sustainable region for all.” “The union is calling upon Metro’s management to honor their own doc- trine and stop the double standard that cuts benefits for employees who serve the community,” said Tracy. Local 3580 and Metro have been bargaining since January; the group’s current contract expired on June 30. ...Public employee unions reach deal with state (From Page 1) Workers will also take 10 to 14 un- paid furlough days over the two year period. Workers earning below $2,450 a month will take 10 furlough days; be- tween $2,450 and $3,100 will take 12 days, and those earning more than $3,100 will take 14 furlough days. Ten of those days will be full-scale closures for state agencies that can close with- out endangering public safety. The re- mainder of the furlough days will be worked out between workers and their managers. This is the second contract in a row to include the furloughs, but a binding agreement commits the gover- nor not to propose furloughs in his next two-year budget proposal. Significantly, the state backed off a proposal to end its practice of paying workers’ 6-percent-of-salary contribu- tion to the Public Employee Retirement System. Both agreements were reached after marathon bargaining sessions. SEIU settled shortly before midnight July 22, while AFSCME’s deal was reached July 19 after 26 straight hours at the bargaining table. Allen said he re- mained awake throughout, though some members of the AFSCME bar- gaining team were nodding off. Ratification votes could stretch into mid-August. But both union bargain- ing teams are recommending passage. “It’s a tough settlement,” Conroy said. “But we do believe that, given the times we’re in, we were able to protect the lowest-wage workers in the con- tract, and we feel good about that.” “These were the hardest negotia- tions we ever had,” Allen said. “We wanted our workers not to go back- wards, to get into the plus column dur- ing these few years, and I think we’ve achieved that.” Janitors stage takeover of Metro HQ For 15 minutes July 20, all work stopped at Metro headquarters in Northeast Portland as some 200 members and allies of Service Employees International Union Local 49 took over the building’s central lobby and created a deafening racket with drums and chants. The occupation was in protest of the regional government’s switch — 18 months ago — from a union-represented janitorial firm (Portland Habilitation Center) to nonunion Diversified Abilities. Under Oregon law, both firms get preference for government contracts because they employ workers who are categorized as disabled. Metro’s switch, the union says, “sends a message to any other government entity that you can use nonunion contractors.” It also threatens health care coverage for the families of roughly 1,200 union janitors that clean Class A commercial office buildings. Local 49’s multi-employer janitorial master agreement contains trigger language: Once union market share reaches 75 percent (by square footage) of the Class A market, contractors must provide health insurance coverage to workers’ dependents. Local 49 is asking that Metro re-bid the contract under its new “sustainable procurement policy,” which requires that Metro consider worker pay and benefits when awarding contracts. A Metro spokesman said the agency will be having an internal conversation about that. Thank You! 2011 Washington CLUB Golf Tournament Sponsors The Washington CLUB Tournament Committee sincerely thanks the sponsors below for their generous support. In our first 10 years the CLUB has raised $750,000 for our recipient charities. This year we collected almost $75,000. We are so pleased and excited — and we owe it all to YOU! Mark your calendars for the 2012 tournament: Wednesday & Thursday, June 13-14, at Gold Mountain Golf Complex, Bremerton, WA Go to www.wa-club.org for more information. TITLE SPONSORS Washington Building & Construction Trades Council Washington Capital Management Inc. PLATINUM SPONSORS IBEW Local 76 / SWWashington-NECA Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters Quest Investment Management Inc. Rainier Investment Management, Inc. Union Bank IBEW Local 46 GOLD SPONSORS Ferguson Wellman Ekman Bohrer & Thulin, P.S. Willamette Dental WA & N ID District Council of Laborers WA Council of Firefighters Wurts & Associates First Choice Health PAGE 4 Systematic Financial Management Premera Blue Cross Zenith Administrators The Raney's Permal Group Inc McMorgan & Company NY Life Retirement Plan Services VSP Welfare & Pension Administration Service, Inc. Sunrise Dental Segal Company/Segal Advisors North Sky Capital Nuveen Investments Janus Capital Group Becker Capital Russell Investments Lindquist LLP Larson Allen SILVER SPONSORS The Yucaipa Companies United Labor Bank Bricklayers & Allied Crafts Local 1, Washington Delaware Investments NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Grosvenor Capital Management, LP Multi Employer Property Trust Invesco Operating Engineers Local 612 LSV Asset Management NEPC, LLC Alliance Bernstein Institutional Investments Mercer HOLE SPONSORS Painters and Allied Trades District Council #5; Union Labor Life Insurance Co.; Reid, Pedersen, McCarthy & Ballew LLP; NuWest Insurance Services; Washington State Association of UA Plumbers & Pipefitters; Robblee Detwiler & Black, PLLP; Marco Consult- ing Group; Blue Rock Advisors; TYGH Capital Management; Mesirow Financial; Bright Now Dental; Brandywine Global In- vestment Management; Dearborn Partners; Robecco Investment Management; Arden Asset Management LLC; HighMark Capi- tal; DiMartino Associates; Propel Insurance; Strategies 360; Rael & Letson; Mass Mutual Financial Group; State Street Corp; En- trust Capital; Rice Hall James; Express Scripts - Jesse Schultz; Northwest Labor Press; Segall Bryant & Hamill; Highland Capi- tal; Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. AUGUST 5, 2011
