Busted!
A sampler of recent charges of employer labor law violations filed
with the local office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Dosha fires pro-union worker
On Sept. 14, Mary Christ became the first outright casualty of Dosha’s
“grind-them-down-and-wait-them-out” anti-union strategy. Portland-
based Dosha is the five-location salon and spa chain whose hair styl-
ists, nail techs and others voted March 30 to unionize. Since then, the
company installed a surveillance camera in an employee break room,
told workers it was going to act as if the union wasn’t there, and im-
posed a lower-quality health plan without bargaining with workers,
who are members of Communications Workers of America Local
7901. Those and other charges are being investigated. Now Christ, a
massage therapist, has been terminated, possibly for the crime of
wearing red feather earrings, says union President Madelyn Elder.
Red is CWA’s color, and pro-union employees sometimes wear the
earrings in shows of solidarity; CWA alleges in charges filed Sept. 22
that Christ was fired for her participation in such union activity.
Take sticker off hard hats, shipyard workers told
In mid-August, according to charges filed by the Painters District
Council 5, a manager at Cascade General ship repair yard in Port-
land asked two workers to remove union solidarity stickers from their
hard hats. One of them has not been returned to work since. Then
Sept. 6, a day-shift shop steward was laid off and told to withdraw
his shop steward position if he wanted to return to work.
Vancouver factory workers get $175,000
Excelsior Packaging Group has agreed to pay $175,697 to settle
charges filed by United Steelworkers. The company — a Vancouver
factory that prints and cuts plastic films used in packaging — was sold
to Mercury Plastics last October, at which point it fired local union
president Rick Evans and refused to bargain over the effects of the
sale. Under the settlement, Excelsior pays its employees two weeks
wages, accrued vacation pay, pension and 401(k) contributions, plus
interest. The NLRB says that makes up for having refused to bargain
over the effects of the sale. The new owner has been meeting to nego-
tiate an agreement with the union. The NLRB dismissed the charge
over the union president’s firing, however. Evans is still out of work.
Ports go silent as ILWU President
McEllrath surrenders to Cowlitz cops
LONGVIEW — West Coast ports
shut down for 15 minutes Sept. 26 as
Robert McEllrath, president of the In-
ternational Longshore and Warehouse
Union (ILWU), surrendered himself to
authorities in Longview, after being ad-
vised by his attorney that there was a
warrant for his arrest.
McEllrath was cited on misde-
meanor charges of trespassing in the
second degree and blocking or delay-
ing a train, both related to a protest
Sept. 7 against multi-national corpora-
tion EGT, which opened a new grain
terminal at the Port of Longview. He
was released after being cited.
As McEllrath was being processed
at approximately 11 a.m., all machin-
ery and equipment in West Coast ports
stopped for 15 minutes. The presidents
of ILWU locals at the ports of Seattle,
Tacoma, Portland, and Vancouver,
along with two representatives from the
East Coast’s International Longshore-
men’s Association, including Interna-
tional Vice President Ken Riley, ac-
companied McEllrath through the front
door of the police station.
“Longshore workers stood down in
silence (Sept. 26) to express their anger
about Cowlitz County law enforce-
ment’s unfair treatment of our interna-
tional president,” said Leal Sundet,
ILWU Coast committeeman.
That same day, the ILWU also filed
a petition to recall Cowlitz County
Sheriff Mark Nelson.
Earlier that week, on Sept. 22, the
ILWU filed a civil rights lawsuit, al-
leging harsh tactics and retaliation on
the part of Longview police and the
sheriff’s department.
“I’m standing with Longview’s
longshore workers and their supporters
who have been harshly punished for
standing up to multi-national bully
EGT,” said McEllrath, a Vancouver
longshore worker who was elected as
ILWU international president in 2006.
“Sheriff Mark Nelson needs to start ac-
cepting our offers to process arrests
peacefully, and stop sending out multi-
ple squad cars on Sundays to make
over-the-top arrests and rack up the
overtime costs. The sheriff’s current
program is totally unnecessary and
clearly designed to intimidate and ha-
rass union members for exercising their
free speech and associational rights.”
The ILWU, through its legal coun-
sel, has made several attempts to
arrange the orderly and peaceful arrests
of anyone who may have an outstand-
ing warrant due to the Sept. 7 protest.
More than 135 people, including
several union leaders, have been ar-
rested in connection with protests at the
plant, located at the Port of Longview.
The ILWU and Port of Longview
allege EGT is violating its lease agree-
ment with the Port, in which the com-
pany committed to hire longshore
workers at the grain terminal. EGT is a
multi-national joint venture owned by
three global companies: Bunge, which
operates in more than 30 countries and
profited $2.5 billion in 2010, Itochu
from Japan, and STX Pan Ocean from
Korea.
U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership,
Management and Circulation
Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685.
1. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press. 2. Publication No.: ISSN 0894-444X.
3. Filing Date: Sept. 26, 2011.
4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly basis on first and third Fridays of each month.
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $13.75.
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of Publisher:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor.
Publisher: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co., Inc., 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon
97213.
Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Managing Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
10. Owner: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Company, Inc., (a non-profit corporation)
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Shareholders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of shares are: Musicians Mutual Association No.
99 (Bruce Fife, trustee); IBEW Local 125 (Travis Eri, trustee); Oregon AFL-CIO (Tom Chamberlain, trustee); United Food &
Commercial Workers Local 555 (Jeff Anderson, vice president); Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett, vice pres-
ident); Label Trades Section, Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett); UNITE HERE Local 9 (Karly Edwards, trustee);
Iron Workers Local 29 (Kevin Jensen, trustee); Iron Workers Shopmen’s Local 516 (Michael Lappier, trustee); Machinists Dis-
trict W 24 (Bob Petroff, chair); Machinists Lodge 63 (Pat Maloney, trustee); United Association Local 290 (John Endicott,
trustee); Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 (Len Phillips, trustee); IBEW Local 48 (Ed Barnes, vice president); Office & Profes-
sional Employees Local 11 (Mike Richards, trustee); Communications Workers Local 7901 (Madelyn Elder, trustee); Auto
Mechanics Lodge 1005 (Gene McGlothlin, trustee); Columbia-Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council, (Paul
Riggs, trustee); Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (John Mohlis, treasurer).
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of
Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None.
12. Tax Status (For completion by non-profit organizations authorized to mail at non-profit rates):
The purpose, function, and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes has
not changed during preceding 12 months.
13. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 16, 2011
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation
Average No. Copies
Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months
Actual No. Copies
of Single Issue Published
Nearest to Filing Date
A. Total No. Copies (net press run).............................................................. 51,963
B. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail):
1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 .....50,017
3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales........507
C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4).............................50,524
D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution.........................................................................
1. Outside-county copies included on PS form 3541 ..........................................0
2. In-county copies included on PS Form 3541 ..................................................0
3. Mailed at other classes through the USPS .....................................................0
4. Outside the mail (carriers and other means)...............................................125
E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution .........................................................125
F. Total Distribution......................................................................................50,649
G. Copies not Distributed...............................................................................1,314
H. TOTAL ....................................................................................................51,963
I. Percent Paid
99.70%
40,061
39,251
350
39,601
0
0
0
125
125
39,726
335
40,061
99.6%
16. Publication of Statement of Ownership .................................................Oct. 7, 2011
17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Michael Gutwig, Editor
OCTOBER 7, 2011
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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