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.
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