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.
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TITLE SPONSORS
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PLATINUM SPONSORS
IBEW Local 76 / SWWashington-NECA
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Quest Investment Management Inc.
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Union Bank
IBEW Local 46
GOLD SPONSORS
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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;
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vestment Management; Dearborn Partners; Robecco Investment
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trust Capital; Rice Hall James; Express Scripts - Jesse Schultz;
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AUGUST 5, 2011