Occupy TriMet — and fire the
general manager — ATU says
Local Motion
March 2012
A list of Oregon and Southwest Washington workplaces deciding
whether to be union-represented – as reported by the National
Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board.
Voting in union elections
Date Workplace (Location) Union
3/6 OCDC non-professionals (Wilsonville) Laborers Local 320
3/6 OCDC professionals (Wilsonville) Laborers Local 320
Yes
No
3
6
39
34
DECERT
DECERT
Unionizing by majority sign-up
Date Workplace (Location) Union
Number of workers in unit
3/13 University of Oregon faculty (Eugene) AFT/AAUP
3/26 Klamath County DA’s Office (Myrtle Creek) Klamath County DA’s Association
1912
8
Requesting a union election
Workplace (Location) Union
Number of workers in unit
OCDC (Oregon Child Development Coalition) (Gresham) Laborers Local 320
Allied Waste of Lake Oswego shop employees (Sherwood) Teamsters Local 305
Allied Waste of Portland shop employees (Portland) Teamsters Local 305
Rural Metro Corporation paramedics (Eugene) Teamsters Local 206
Central Pre-Mix of Oregon (Hermiston) Teamsters Local 839
Service Steel (and Areotek Staffing) (Portland) Sheet Metal Local 16
DECERT
55
6
2
17
9
172
L EGEND
: workers will be union-represented
DECERT
: A decertification election occurs when some union-represented workers declare
that the union no longer has majority support. A ‘yes’ vote is a vote for the union.
...Local 483
(From Page 3)
balance has grown: The current balance
is enough to pay for nine months inter-
nal service expenditures — without
any additional revenues. And the fund
balance is unrestricted, Donahue
found, meaning it’s available for any
PAGE 4
: workers will be on their own
An April rally inspired by
Occupy Boston is also
the kickoff of a local
union petition drive
Portland-headquartered Amalga-
mated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757
teamed up with Occupy Portland and
the community transit justice group
OPAL April 4 for an “Occupy TriMet”
rally, in which about 80 people took
part in a peaceful assembly at Pioneer
Courthouse Square.
Local 757 also declared April 4 to
be the kickoff of a signature campaign
on a petition to Gov. John Kitzhaber —
asking him to direct the TriMet Board
of Directors to replace TriMet general
manager Neil McFarlane. Local 757
holds McFarlane responsible for im-
posing a wage freeze and health insur-
ance cost sharing on members, over the
union’s objection. The wage freeze has
been struck down by the state Employ-
ment Relations Board as unlawful be-
cause it was not agreed to by union
members or by an arbitrator. A sepa-
rate charge contesting the health insur-
ance changes is still pending.
Local 757 is also arguing that
TriMet can save money by bringing in-
house its contracted-out transit service
for elderly and disabled riders, known
as TriMet Lift; TriMet disputes that,
and says it would cost more to do the
All over the United States, local
transit districts are cutting service and
raising fares. But TriMet management
has chosen to argue publicly that the
cuts and fare increases are made nec-
essary in part because of “unsustain-
able” employee pay and benefits —
and because “union leadership has re-
fused to consider reasonable changes.”
Local 757 Vice President Sam
Schwarz described the petition as a
public vote of “no confidence” in Mc-
Farlane.
(International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X)
Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon
as a voice of the labor movement.
At an April 4 rally, Deb Ritenour of
Occupy Portland calls for the TriMet
Board to be publicly elected.
work in-house.
The Occupy TriMet event was
planned in response to a call by Oc-
cupy Boston for a national day of ac-
tion in defense of public transportation.
April 4 — the anniversary of the assas-
sination of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was chosen to underscore the cause
King devoted himself to in later years
— prioritizing human needs over war
spending.
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Telephone: (503) 288-3311
Fax Number: (503) 288-3320
Editor: Michael Gutwig
Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice
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legal purpose.
Local 483 is proposing it be tapped
to avoid debilitating maintenance cuts
in Parks and Transportation. Will coun-
cil listen?
Time is short. Adams will present
his final budget May 15, and City
Council will vote on it June 21. Lay-
offs would then take place before July
1, the start of the fiscal year.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
APRIL 20, 2012