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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2012)
...ATU under siege at TriMet (From Page 1) Duke Shepard, labor liaison for Gov. John Kitzhaber, confirmed to Lehrbach that the governor doesn’t plan to reap- point him. The plan is instead to re- place Lehrbach with Gresham small business consultant Travis Stovall. If so, that would leave the seven-member Board with no representative of organ- ized labor. Oregon statute doesn’t man- date a labor seat on transit district boards, but it’s customary to have at least one. On Jan. 23, the Northwest Oregon Labor Council Executive Board di- rected that a letter be sent to Kitzhaber, asking for Lehrbach to be retained. Barring that, union officials would like the Board to continue to have a repre- sentative from organized labor. Lehrbach said TriMet Board mem- bers typically serve two terms, and he’d like to serve a second four-year term. “They’re within their rights,” says Local 757 lobbyist Jim Markee, “but we’re somewhat disappointed in the governor’s office that they would choose to remove the labor person on the Board.” For his part, Lehrbach says he serves at Kitzhaber’s pleasure but asks FEBRUARY 3, 2012 that if he be replaced, he at least get a phone call from the governor himself. [The governor’s office also plans to appoint Bruce Warner to replace Board chair Richard Van Beveren, whose term expires Feb. 24. Warner is a former ex- ecutive director of the Portland Devel- opment Commission and of the Oregon Department of Transportation.] Local 757 represents 2,000 bus and rail operators, mechanics, and support staff at TriMet. They’ve been without a contract since Nov. 30, 2009. But the union is defending its members’ rights through legal action. Markee was able to win a change in state law in 2007 putting public transit workers into the category of public em- ployees who are barred from striking — but who may resolve contracts through binding arbitration instead. Under binding arbitration, a neutral ar- bitrator picks whichever side’s final of- fer is more reasonable. But that process has been delayed many months by legal charges the union filed with the state Employment Relations Board (ERB). ERB adminis- ters the state’s Public Employee Col- lective Bargaining Act, and in Septem- ber, it agreed with Local 757 that TriMet wrongfully submitted a final of- fer to the arbitrator that was different from the final offer it had presented to the union in mediation. In a separate case, still pending, Lo- cal 757 charges that TriMet unlawfully denied cost of living increases and be- gan deducting health insurance contri- butions from employee paychecks — without bargaining. TriMet’s union workers until then didn’t have to pay directly out of pocket for health insur- ance — something which used to be standard for workers. Total premiums are now $1,500 a month. Meanwhile, Hunt and others at Lo- cal 757 are concerned TriMet may try to change the law that requires binding arbitration. In a Jan. 16 editorial that Hunt says might as well have been written by TriMet management, the Oregonian editorial board warned that what the Legislature gives, it can take away. Markee, the Local 757 lobbyist, said TriMet tried unsuccessfully to get a pre-session committee hearing about it. Fetsch, the agency spokesperson, said TriMet doesn’t intend to pursue such legislation in the February 2012 short session. As for the long-awaited arbitration, Hunt said it could begin as early as March. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS IBEW #48’s Gilliam saves life of choking colleague using Heimlich happened,” said Gilliam. The IBEW Local 48 Safety Gilliam, Parker and Minor Committee presented member proceeded to tell him the Kim Gilliam with a special life- whole story. saving recognition award at the Tokuhisa was Jan. 25 general membership taken to the nurse’s union meeting. station, then sent to Gilliam, a general fore- his doctor for a man for EC Company, is c o m p l e t e credited with saving the checkup. He is life of union brother War- fully recovered. ren Tokuhisa on Nov. 7. Gilliam told The two were eating the Labor Press the lunch in the general fore- Heimlich maneuver man’s trailer at Intel when was fresh in his mind Tokuhisa began choking on K IM G ILLIAM because two weeks a bagel after taking a drink earlier EC Company had conducted of juice. “He started choking really hard, one of its regular first aid classes for then he slumped over and his head foremen. Gilliam has been a member of hit the table,” said Gilliam, who yelled out to two other general fore- Local 48 for 28 years, starting as an men — Local 48 members Dave apprentice in 1984. He has worked Parker and Allan Minor — eating for EC Company since 1991. For his lifesaving efforts, Gilliam lunch in the trailer. Gilliam then picked Tokuhisa off received a $200 gift certificate for his chair and immediately began ad- Carhartt gear from Local 48’s Safety ministering the Heimlich maneuver Committee, and during their weekly in an effort to clear his airway. On safety meeting at Intel, Hoffman the second thrust, a chunk of bagel Construction presented him with a jacket in front of the entire 2,000 dislodged from Tokuhisa’s throat. “He came right to and asked what person workforce. PAGE 9
