IBEW’s Ed Barnes wins ‘Dancing
with the Local Stars’ competition
Fundraiser for Fort
Vancouver National
Trust raises $115,000
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Ed
Barnes, a retired business manager of
IBEW Local 48, was the top fundraiser
at the seventh annual “Dancing with
the Local Stars” benefit for the Fort
Vancouver National Trust. Barnes col-
lected $25,500.
This year marked the first time that
someone from organized labor was in-
vited to participate in the mostly busi-
ness affair. “I did it to let the business
world know that union members are
out there supporting their communities,
too,” Barnes said.
Overall, $115,000 was raised at the
Sept. 15 dance competition held at the
OCTOBER 5, 2012
Pearson Air Museum and attended by
nearly 400 people.
Seven local “stars” were partnered
with Arthur Murray Dance Studio in-
structors and taught dance routines.
The community then “voted” for their
favorite dancer with their dollars both
online and at the event. The dancer who
raised the most money was declared
the winner. Each dancer committed to
raise $5,000.
Barnes has been soliciting donations
from union and community members
for several months, after a challenge to
outperform Ryan Hart, district director
for Republican Congresswoman Jaime
Herrera Beutler.
Barnes set up a booth and donation
jar at this year’s Labor Day picnic at
Oaks Park, complete with a cardboard
cutout of himself dressed in his dancing
Roofers Local 49 members step up
big at ‘Labor for Life’ blood drive
garb. The picnic was attended by nearly
18,000 people.
Barnes performed a foxtrot with his
dance partner Kaylyn Haynes.
Barnes also received an award for
“Best Entrance,” voted by the audience.
He was chauffered into the building in
Local 48’s electric Chevy Volt automo-
bile (photo below left) by current union
Business Manager Clif Davis and his
wife Theresa.
“Without the hard work of these
seven community stars this event
would not be possible,” said Elson Stra-
han, president and CEO of the Fort
Vancouver National Trust. “We are im-
mensely grateful for their dedication
and support.”
The Fort Vancouver National Trust
is a private non-profit organization ded-
icated to advancing the preservation and
education purposes of Fort Vancouver
National Site. For more information, go
online at www.fortvan.org
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
“Amalgamate! Coagulate! Donate!”
was the theme of the “Labor for Life”
blood drive at the Labor Day picnic at
Oaks Park sponsored by the Northwest
Oregon Labor Council.
The Portland chapter of the Ameri-
can Red Cross reported that 79 units of
blood were donated at the two blood-
mobiles set up at the picnic. Among the
donors was Mike Morrow (pictured
right), a member of Portland Commu-
nity College Faculty Federation-Amer-
ican Federation of Teachers Local 2277.
Morrow has donated three gallons of
blood in his lifetime.
Typically, 30 to 35 pints of blood are
collected at the picnic. The record is 90
pints donated in 2001.
The local union with the most
donors this year (nine units) was
Roofers Local 49. The union received a
“traveling trophy” at the Sept. 24 dele-
gates’ meeting of the Northwest Oregon
Labor Council. The union will keep the
trophy until next year’s Labor Day
competition. Second place (seven units)
went to Machinists Lodge 1005, and
third place (six units) was awarded to
Oregon School Employees Association-
American Federation of Teachers Local
6732.
“Collectively, this 79 units of blood
saved 237 lives,” said Teresa Ro-
druguez, donor recruitment represen-
tative for the American Red Cross, in
presenting the awards at the Labor
Council meeting.
Workers at the Portland Red Cross
are members of Teamsters Local 223.
Labor Day dunk tank raises $642 for
Labor’s Community Service Agency
A dunk tank at the Labor Day picnic
at Oaks Park proved to be a big hit —
and a nice little money maker for La-
bor’s Community Service Agency, with
$642 raised. The money will be used for
the agency’s “Helping Hands” program
this holiday season.
Dubbed “Dunk a Labor Leader,” La-
bor Day picnickers paid $5 for three
chances to dunk one of seven union of-
ficials and one politician recruited to
“volunteer” 30 minutes sitting in a tank
filled with chilly water. Tabs were kept
on the union affiliation of those who
purchased balls to throw.
Volunteers were Bob Petroff, presi-
dent of the Northwest Oregon Labor
Council; Jodi Guetzloe Parker (photo
right), executive secretary-treasurer of
the Columbia Pacific Building Trades
Council; Jeff Anderson (below), secre-
tary-treasurer of United Food and Com-
mercial Workers Local 555; Roben
White, president of Painters and Dry-
wall Finishers Local 10; Lee Duncan, a
business rep for IBEW Local 48; Shad
Clark, a business agent for Bakers Lo-
cal 114; Jamie Partridge, a retired mem-
ber of the National Association of Letter
Carriers Branch 82; and Clackamas
County Commissioner Jamie Damon.
Laborers Local 320 won special
bragging rights for the most participa-
tion. Coincidentally, Guetzloe Parker is
a member of that local.
The dunk tank was sponsored by
Union Plus Mortgage.
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