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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2013)
...Labor at Oregon Legislature (From Page 3) gives an example of why the legislation is needed: Last year, when University of Oregon faculty turned in union au- thorization cards, the administration hired a high-priced California attorney who specializes in union-avoidance; that reaction would have been a no-no under the proposed legislation. Oregon State Building and Con- struction Trades Council (OSBCTC) will be promoting several large public works projects that could result in em- ployment for union members. The biggest is the proposed Columbia River Crossing project, which includes a re- placement to the I-5 bridge over the Co- lumbia River. Oregon would contribute $450 million, with Washington match- ing that amount, and the federal gov- ernment kicking in the rest. The funds could come from bonds backed by in- creases in gas taxes and license and ve- hicle registration fees. Also up for con- sideration is a $60 million fifth phase of a multi-modal transportation invest- ment program known as Connect Ore- gon. Connect Oregon pays for im- provements to non-highway transporta- tion infrastructure, including ports, air- ports, and railroads. Another bill to be backed by the building trades would make it easier to site utility-scale solar development in Eastern Oregon. Current land-use rules prohibit solar arrays larger than 100 acres on land zoned for farm use, but John Mohlis, executive secretary of OSBCTC, says solar projects need to be at least 250 acres to pan out eco- nomically. Mohlis, International Broth- erhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 280 Business Manager Tim Frew, and IBEW Local 48 Political Di- rector Joe Esmonde served alongside solar developers and environmental groups on an interim legislative task force that looked into the issue. OSBCTC will also push to expand the state’s prevailing wage law to con- struction projects on state university land that are paid for with private money, to private construction projects that receive more than $750,000 in tax credits, and to projects over $5 million that qualify for Enterprise Zone prop- erty tax abatements. Oregon AFSCME will pursue sev- eral changes to Oregon’s Public Em- ployee Collective Bargaining Act. One bill would allow for binding arbitration after 60 days — for issues that arise out- side of the normal collective bargaining timeline; it’s designed to crack down on what the union sees as an abuse: public employers raising stand-alone issues af- ter a contract is settled, and then imple- menting their “expedited bargaining” proposals after a 90-day period, whether the union likes it or not. Another bill would put employees of the Oregon De- partment of Justice in the category of public employees who have binding ar- bitration instead of the right to strike; Baessler said attorneys can face ethics charges at the Oregon Bar if they strike. Meanwhile, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 will have to contend with an attempt by TriMet to remove transit workers from that “non-strik- able” category. A bill to do that was filed pre-session by the House Trans- portation and Economic Development Committee. Unions will also be paying attention as the state finalizes the workings of the new insurance exchange. In state “exchanges” — a key part of the na- tional health insurance reform law known as Obamacare — individuals and small businesses will go to pur- chase insurance and receive federal subsidies. The exchanges have to be up and running for open enrollment in Oc- tober 2013, for insurance coverage that begins January 2014. AFSCME’s Baessler said earnings by some members at non-profit con- tractors are low enough to qualify for the subsidies. Plus, in Oregon, there’s been talk of letting various government employers buy insurance on the ex- change. Democrats have majorities over Re- publicans in both chambers, by 16-14 in the Senate and 34-26 in the House. The Oregon AFL-CIO will hold a legislative conference for union mem- bers on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16’s union hall, 2379 NE 178th Ave., Portland. Participants will hear from union leaders and legislative lead- ers and will have a chance to talk di- rectly with legislators in small group discussions. For more information, call 503-412- 3721 ...ATU-TriMet conflict (From Page 1) to be open to the public. TriMet dis- agreed, and wants observers limited to certain pre-approved media, with all bargaining participants screened by se- curity guards. Oregon law makes pretty plain that either side can choose to open public employee union negotiations to the public, but TriMet is seeking a court ruling that the law doesn’t apply in this instance. Its legal argument to Mult- nomah County Circuit Court is that the bargaining isn’t subject to Oregon’s public meetings law because TriMet’s bargaining team has no authority to reach agreement. But if that’s true, the union says, then TriMet is in violation of its duty to bargain in good faith under Oregon’s Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act. TriMet can’t have it both ways. Though Local 757 made clear it would not negotiate in secret, TriMet sought repeatedly to embarrass Local 757, calling out the union as a “no- show” when it failed to attend bargain- ing sessions — sessions which were scheduled before the open meetings dis- pute erupted. Those salvos were just the latest in a year-long public relations campaign TriMet has waged against its own em- ployees and their union. In its press re- leases, the tax-supported public agency, its board appointed by the governor, has publicly declared union leaders unrea- sonable and labeled the benefits its workers have had for decades “unsus- tainable.” Now TriMet says it wants to bring benefits in line with “the market.” And in its framing, it seeks to pit the public against its workers. Riders “face a fu- ture of continued service cuts in order for us to pay for these unsustainable health care benefits,” said TriMet labor relations director Randy Stedman in a Jan. 2 press release, adding that “addi- tional service cuts … would be neces- sary to pay for these benefits for both active employees and retirees.” For their part, Local 757 leaders say if bargaining is brought into the day- light, their arguments will be vindicated, and the public will be witness to TriMet management’s high-handed attitude and aggressive posture. “The public needs to have a clearer picture of all the ways TriMet funds are spent,” Local 757 President Bruce Hansen wrote in a Dec. 18 letter to Stedman. “This transparency is key to achieving fairness for the workforce as well as the sustainable public trans- portation system that the citizens of our region deserve.” “For far too long,” Hansen wrote, “the labor agreement and the workforce have been made the scapegoats for TriMet’s financial difficulties.” Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland JANUARY 18, 2013 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 7
