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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2012)
UA #290 turns out new class of journey workers ...ATU #757 The Plumbers and Fitters Local 290 Training Center threw a party June 9 at the Oregon Convention Center for 106 new journey level plumbers (57) and steamfitters (49). The keynote speakers at the gradua- tion ceremony were United Associa- tion Metal Trades Department Direc- tor James “Jimmy” Hart and Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. To reach journey level status takes five years in the apprenticeship pro- gram and requires 8,000 hours mini- mum on the job training, plus 1,080 hours in the classroom (10 terms, 108 hours per term). And, because they are working while in training, apprentices get paid to learn their craft. To graduate, apprentices must score 75 percent or higher on a state exam, as well as an exam by the union that in- corporates both written and practical elements. The training center will be accept- ing applications for new apprentices July 30 through Aug. 3. For more in- formation on how to apply, call 503- 691-1997 or go on line to: www.ua290. org/apprenticeship.php. NEW JOURNEY PLUMBERS — Jason Braukman, Kevin Buckem, Nicholas Card, Michael Carder, William Carr, Andrew Cheney, David Cross, Christopher Davis, Seth Deaton, Josh Easlon, Eric Falk, Christopher Flowers, Brandon Froom, Warren Ger- aghty, Nathan Hembree, Frank Hen- shaw Jr., Tony Hinchliff, Robert Hunt, James Jackson, Chance Johns, Jeremie Pictured above with new journey-level plumbers and fitters are Local 290 Business Manager Al Shropshire (front row center), United Association Metal Trades Department Director James “Jimmy” Hart, (to Shropshire’s right), and Local 290 Apprenticeship Training Coordinator Mike Pollock (to Hart’s right). Photo by John Klicker. Johnson, Steven Johnson II, Charles Keller, Georgiy Kirchev, Damian Kroha, Jeffrey Labs, Allan Lahr II, An- drew Lawyer, Kurt McFarland, Jas- mine Mercado, Pete Messner, Daniel Mills, William Morrison, Joel Moser, Derrick Myles, Joshua Natho, Nichet Newsome, Sam Nichols, Jake Nickel, Neal Olsen, Michael Panko, Zachery Pardue, Jerod Parks, Patrick Propst, Chris Rockwood, Rory Rogers, Micah Rogers, Ryan Roy, Andrey Rudome- tov, Brian Sagmiller, Casey Sallee, Seamus Skelley, Charles Taylor, Jef- frey Thompson, Daniel Vensel, Jay Walter, and Brad Yeager. NEW JOURNEY STEAMFIT- TERS — Nicholas R. Banning, John T. Barnes, Bradley C. Boornazian, Mitchell A. Braun, Brandon M. Car- roll, Marcel C. Cate, Tyrel W. Clark, Shaun M. Collins, Kurt A. Cronin, Stu- art Crowley, Ian F. Duncan, Anthony J. Ek, Mathyas H. Elliott, Gregory A. Southwest Washington Electricians PAC #48 recommendations for the aug . U.S. President Barack OBAMA U.S. Senate Maria CANTWELL Lt. Governor Brad OWENS Governor Jay INSLEE Attorney General Bob FERGUSON Secretary of State Kathleen DREW or Greg NICKELS Treasurer Jim McINTYRE Insurance Commissioner Mike KREIDLER Commissioner of Public Lands Peter GOLDMARK State Supreme Court Susan OWENS, Pos. 2; Steven GONZALEZ, Pos. 8 Sheryl McCLOUD, Pos. 9 BALLOT MEASURES: NO on Initiative 1185 NO on Initiative 1191 7 washington primary : Washington Legislature District 17: Tim PROBST, Senate; Monica STONIER, Rep., Pos. 1 James GIZZI, Rep., Pos. 2 District 18: Ralph SCHMIDT, Senate; David SHEHORN, Rep., Pos. 2 District 19: Brian HATFIELD, Senate; Dean TAKKO, Rep., Pos. 1 Brian E. BLAKE, Rep., Pos. 2 District 49: Annette CLEVELAND, Senate; Sharon WYLIE, Rep., Pos. 1 Jim MOELLER, Rep., Pos. 2 Clark County Joe TANNER, Commissioner, Pos. 1 Roman BATTAN, Commissioner Pos. 2 Philip A. PARKER, PUD Commissioner Cowlitz County Mark McCRADY, PUD Commissioner Paid for by SW Washington Electricians PAC #48 JULY 20, 2012 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Fenne, Patrick J. Fromherz, Douglas T. Harmon, Gerald M. Harris, Scott C. Hubbard, Clayton M. Hubler, Blake D. Johnson, Curtis E. Larson, Zeb A. Marshall, Luke W. Merriman, Robert D. Molner, Mark M. Moyle, Ryan D. Mueller, Eric J. Nichols, Cody M. Nor- man, Jeremy B. Ohlsen, Anthony L. O'Neal J, Anthony J. Pelroy, Andrew C. Plassaras, Derek N. Proctor, Gerald D. Rasmussen, Sean M. Reid, Derek A. Roane, Blair M. Rothwilson, Moses M. Schade, Christopher R. Seeley, Travis B. Spencer, Chad W. Toothaker, James C. Treacy, Kyle S. Uptegrove, Mark J. Von Flatern, Edmond R. Vus- can, Brandon M. Warren, Benjamon D. Watts, Jesse L. Wiens, and Justin N. Wong. AFL-CIO Summer School set Aug. 10-12 in Eugene EUGENE — The Oregon AFL- CIO Summer School is scheduled Aug. 10-12 at the University of Ore- gon. In addition to workshops, classes, and entertainment, this year’s opening plenary session will be, “Defending the Middle Class,” presented by Ore- gon AFL-CIO President Tom Cham- berlain and Michelle Glass of Project REconomy, a nonprofit organization that seeks to create an economy that works for Main Street, not just Wall Street, with a focus on helping those facing home foreclosure. The summer school is co-hosted by the Labor Education and Research Center at UO. For more information, call Helen Moss at 503-412-3722 or by e-mail at hmoss@uoregon.edu. (From Page 1) employees choose between a Regence preferred provider plan and a Kaiser HMO plan, and 58 percent choose the former. Gaba interpreted the union’s con- cession — agreeing to pay 1.5 percent of the Regence premium for 2011 and 3 percent for 2012 — as a recognition that the health plan had become pro- hibitively expensive. But he said the union’s offer to share a portion of the premium didn’t address the underlying source of the expense — the plan’s benefit design, in which members and their dependents pay only $5 co-pays. “Sharing the premium does nothing to reduce usage,” the arbitrator wrote. Translation: The plan is so expensive because workers use it too much, and they need to be discouraged from us- ing it. TriMet’s proposal does that: The agency continues to pay 100 percent of the monthly premium for both plans, and keeps the Kaiser plan the same, but modifies the Regence plan: instead of $5 co-pays, employees and dependents would pay 10 percent of the medical bills, after a $150/$450 deductible, up to an out-of-pocket maximum of $1,500/$4,500. Those changes reduce the premium by approximately 15 per- cent, and those savings account for most of the $12 million difference between the union and management proposals. The new contract takes effect im- mediately, and is retroactive to Nov. 30, 2009, though it’s unclear how TriMet will collect 10 percent of past health care expenses. The dispute took so long, however, that the three-year contract runs only four more months, expiring Nov. 30. Arbitration was de- layed twice when the union success- fully sued TriMet before the Oregon Employment Relations Board, saying the agency’s final offer to the arbitrator was different than the one it presented in actual bargaining. TriMet’s reaction to the arbitrator’s decision suggests they’ll be looking for even more concessions when bargain- ing begins: “This is the first step in re- aligning our benefits to be in line with the market,” said TriMet General Man- ager Neil McFarlane in a press state- ment. “It’s a good first step, but we’re in a marathon. We face many years and several contracts to truly make our benefits financially sustainable.” Newly elected Local 757 President Bruce Hansen called the arbitration loss “disappointing,” and said the union will be meeting with attorneys to study the decision. “We’re not done with this,” Hansen said. “We’re going to war,” said Jon Hunt, Local 757 vice president and former president of the union. “You can guarantee there’s gonna be no la- bor peace until Randy Stedman and Neil McFarlane are in the unemploy- ment line.” [Stedman is TriMet’s re- cently hired labor relations director; McFarlane is TriMet’s general man- ager, whose resignation Local 757 has been calling for.] PAGE 5
