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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2011)
Busted! A sampler of recent charges of employer labor law violations filed with the local office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Bowtech abuses continue, Machinists say Just days after Bowtech settled an unfair labor practice charge, the Eugene, Oregon, hunting bow manufacturer was breaking the law again, says Machinists District Lodge W24 organizer Will Lukens. An NLRB investigation found that Bowtech broke federal labor law this spring when managers interrogated workers about their union activities and threatened that the company’s 117 work- ers would lose their jobs and the work would go to China if they voted for the union. Bowtech settled the charges by agreeing to post a notice promising not to do those things in the future. The notice went up July 21. Six days later, Bowtech supervisors separated two workers for talking about the union, violating one of the promises in the posting. That violation is the basis of a new charge. Meanwhile, a union election scheduled for March 2011 was called off in light of the management scare tactics; if there’s still interest, the union could call for a new election to be scheduled in October. Labor law violations pile up at Dosha Salon At Dosha Salon Spa, the NLRB continues to investigate charges of labor law violations filed in April and May by Communications Workers of America Local 7901. Workers there voted March 30 to join Local 7901. In June and July, CWA filed four more. Union President Madelyn Elder details the latest charges: Hair stylist Ke- lanie York received verbal and written warnings for talking about the union in the break room and posting union notices on the bul- letin board. Nail tech Jennifer Nguyen, a bargaining team member, was surrounded by four managers and told maybe she should quit. Dosha’s negotiator maintained that the union doesn’t represent Dosha’s Clackamas location, despite the fact that Dosha insisted those workers be included in the union election. And the company implemented July 1 — without bargaining over it — a new health plan that increased the annual deductible from $2,000 to $5,000. More workers fired for Facebook postings Facebook cases continue to pour in for National Labor Relations Board agents to investigate. At the Frito-Lay distribution center on 18990 NE Riverside Parkway in Portland, a supervisor refused to let forklift operator Roy Rhone Jr. leave work when he complained of dehydration and dizziness. After Rhone spoke out about it on Facebook, management found out about it and fired him. Workers there belonged to Teamsters Local 305 until they voted to go non- union several years ago. But they still have a supposedly protected right under federal labor law to discuss their work conditions — in any forum they like. Meanwhile, at Meadow Park Health & Spe- cialty Care Center, SEIU Local 503 filed charges against a policy that it says unlawfully restricts employee use of social media. AFTRA suspends convention to rally with hotel workers SEATTLE — The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AF- TRA) suspended its national convention for an hour July 22 to join with members of UNITE HERE Local 8 at a Day of Action! Better Jobs rally outside the Westin Seattle. About 200 AFTRA delegates took part in the rally, which drew more than 600 protesters. The convention was held at the Westin, where more than 400 union workers are locked in a difficult and prolonged contract negotiation with hotel manage- ment. AFTRA represents more than 70,000 recording artists, broadcasters, actors, singers, dancers and other performers and is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. AUGUST 5, 2011 Military veterans deployed to #290 steamfitters apprenticeship program The United Association of Plumbers and Fitters (UA) and its signatory con- tractors are stepping up to help train military veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for careers in the pipe trades. The Veterans In Piping (VIP) pro- gram was launched by the international union several years ago. Today, 250 veterans nationwide are training to be steamfitters. Eight of them are at the training cen- ter in Tualatin operated by UA Local 290. They were dispatched to Oregon after completing an accelerated 18- week program in Lacey, Washington, where UA Local 26 works on recruit- ment with the Washington National Guard and Washington State Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs. Over that 18- week period veterans receive counsel- ing to transition back to civilian life, they complete a welding certification that allows them direct entry into an ap- prenticeship program, and they receive one-and-a-half year’s credit toward the union’s five-year training program. U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Sergey Yeremeyev is a star apprentice in the program. He joined Local 290 on Jan. 19 after landing a job with Charter Mechanical, a strong supporter of the VIP program, along with the Oregon chapter of the Plumbing and Mechani- cal Contractors Association. Yeremeyev is one of six VIP ap- prentices nationwide who have been in- vited by UA General President Bill Hite to attend the union’s national con- vention Aug. 8-13 in Las Vegas. Yeremeyev, 27, was considering a military career before learning about the VIP program. He had enjoyed his five years with the Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 “Patriots,” where he worked as an ejection seat mechanic assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Besides that, the military provided good fringe benefits, which were im- portant because Yeremeyev had mar- ried while in the Navy, and had two children. So it intrigued him when the UA ex- plained that he could learn a new trade as a steamfitter while working for pay and benefits to support his family. He discussed it with his father, a welder for 25 years, and decided to give it a go. Yeremeyev was interviewed and tested. He scored high in math, which opened the door to Local 290. “It (welding) is not as easy as it looks,” he told the Labor Press. “And Oregon is one of the hardest programs to get into. I was fortunate.” Local 290 Business Manager John Endicott said the timing was perfect. “The international called saying they had some VIP guys to place. We looked at our out-of-work list; Charter was in need of some apprentices. It was the perfect window of opportunity.” Oregon was a good fit, too, because it was close to Yeremeyev’s extended family. Sergey was 16 and the oldest of six siblings when his family emigrated NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS After serving five years in the U.S. Navy, Sergey Yeremeyev joined Plumbers and Fitters Local 290 as a fourth-term apprentice through the Veterans in Piping program promoted by the international union. Yeremeyev is employed at Charter Mechanical. from the Ukraine in 1999, settling in Edmonds, Washington. After graduat- ing from high school, he worked sev- eral jobs before joining the Navy. “In the Ukraine, every boy goes into the military when they turn 18,” he said. “I thought it was the right thing to do.” And UA General President Hite says it’s the “right thing to do” to help soldiers returning home trying to find work in a struggling economy. “These men and women have given so much to their country, and we want to reward them with a life after their service to their country,” said Hite, who earlier this year received a Distin- guished Service Award from the Mili- tary Officers Association of America for his role in spearheading the Veter- ans in Piping program. UA Local 290 Training Director Mike Pollock says he hears nothing but good reports from the military and em- ployers.“Veterans show up on time, they’re eager to learn, and they work hard,” he said. In addition to helping returning vets, the training of military personnel also will help fill a void left by retiring fit- ters. According to the UA, over the next 10 years, 24 percent of its membership nationwide will be eligible for retire- ment. Because it takes five years to train a new journeyman, the UA wants to see 50,000 apprentices in its training pro- grams by the end of this year. It cur- rently has 39,000. [The average age of a Local 290 member is 43.5 years. Local 290’s training program currently trains 110 Local 290 turns out largest apprenticeship class in 10 years; opens program for more The largest apprenticeship class in more than a decade graduated to jour- neyman status at Plumbers and Fitters Local 290. All told, 53 new plumbers and 79 new steamfitters were intro- duced at a recognition dinner June 11 at the Oregon Convention Center. More than 500 people attended. The Matt Walters Award recogniz- ing top apprentices went to plumber Ja- son Rullamas and steamfitter Jessi Yates. Special awards also went to ap- prentices who scored highest on their turnout examinations, achieved top GPA, or maintained perfect attendance throughout their training. Every new journeyman received a certificate, a Local 290 jacket, and a Buck knife. The Oregon/Southwest Washing- ton/Northwest California Steamfitters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee announced it will open in September for steamfitter applicants. Applications can be obtained only at the following specific locations and times listed below: • UA 290 Training Center, 20220 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin, Monday, Sept. 19, through Friday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. each day. • Eugene/Springfield, 2861 Pierce Parkway, Springfield, Monday, Sept. 19, through Friday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. each day. • Medford, 950 Industrial Circle, White City, Monday, Sept. 19, through Friday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. each day. • Redmond, 2161 SW First, Red- mond, Monday, Sept. 19, through Fri- day, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. each day. • Eureka, 634 California St., Eureka, CA, Monday, Sept. 19, through Friday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. each day. For more information, call Mike Pollock at 503-691-1997. PAGE 9
