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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2013)
Union-label green jobs — in your attic — for no money down In terms of “bang for the buck,” the most important green jobs of the future look a lot like the low-tech home insu- lation jobs of the past. That’s because dollar-for-dollar, home insulation is the cheapest way to reduce energy use and combat climate change. But the jobs don’t have to be low- wage too. In a state-sponsored program now entering its third year, workers earn a living wage insulating attics and walls, and Portland-area homeowners even have the option to choose union-signa- tory contractors. The program, Clean Energy Works Oregon, uses in-program financing and rebates of up to $1,500 to eliminate up- front costs for homeowners. Home- owners who take out loans through the program have the option of paying them back on their utility bills. And two contractors participating in the program — Abacus Energy Solu- tions and Faison Energy Solutions — are signatory contractors employing members of Laborers Local 296. “It’s not rocket science, insulating a Hearing on paid sick leave pushed back to March 7 A second public hearing on a pro- posed sick leave ordinance by the Port- land City Council has been pushed back to March 7. Initially, earned sick leave was supposed to come up for a second hearing Feb. 27 and then up for a final vote in early March. Instead, the second hearing on a revised version of the ordi- nance will be held Thursday, March 7, at 3 p.m. A final vote will follow on a later date. home, so people tend to get paid a lower rate,” said Abacus owner Jim Plantico. But thanks to a Clean Energy Works Oregon requirement that participating contractors pay at least 180 percent of Oregon’s minimum wage, workers earn at least $16.11 an hour. As a union-sig- natory contractor, Plantico said, Abacus pays 3 percent over that to cover union dues, and offers a better set of health benefits through the union health trust, plus paid holidays and vacation. Plantico said Abacus also uses union subcontractors on furnace and duct work, such as Milwaukie Heating and Cooling, an HVAC contractor signatory with Sheet Metal Workers Local 16. Homeowners can plug into the pro- gram and get a union-signatory energy audit at weatherizeforgood.org or by calling 503-893-9240. Rochelle Sadler, a member of Laborers Local 296, blows insulation in the attic of a 1986 home in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood. She is one of 10 full-time employees at Abacus Energy Solutions. The homeowners — Oregon AFSCME lobbyist Eva Rippetaeau and her husband, AFSCME international field coordinator Andy Chavira — chose Abacus because it’s a union shop. Chavira said $4,500 of blown fiberglass attic insulation, air sealing, and HVAC improvements will cut their energy bill — and make a couple of chilly rooms more comfortable. ... SPEEA split decision in Boeing (From Page 1) ber 2011. During that time the union has filed three unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against Boeing. The most recent was Feb. 13, after company security, acting on management orders, banned engineers and technical work- ers from leafletting at the Everett fac- tory. The actions are in addition to re- ports of managers holding mandatory meetings with employees to interrogate and intimidate them regarding the con- tract votes. The other ULPs relate to Boeing taking surveillance photo- graphs of employees marching last year inside and outside the factory, and for seizing employee cameras and pho- tographs of union marches. All of the charges are pending be- fore the National Labor Relations Board. Meantime, SPEEA and Boeing met Feb. 27 (after this issue went to press) under the auspices of the Federal Me- diation and Conciliation Service to “ex- plore settlement options.” Boeing has said its previous pro- posal was the company’s “best and fi- nal offer.” “There are pathways to a negotiated agreement available,” Goforth said prior to the talks. “With this second re- 7LUHG RI %HHVRQ&KLURSUDFWLF :RUNLQJ LQ 3$,1" 0RVW,QVXUDQFH 3ODQV$FFHSWHG 3 528'/< 6 (59,1* 3 257/$1' : 25.(56 ) 25 2 9(5 < ($56 PAGE 8 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS jection by technical workers of Boeing takeaways, it’s time for the company to stop wasting resources and improve its offer to reflect the value and contribu- tions technical workers bring to Boe- ing. That way, we can avoid a strike and focus on fixing the problems of the 787 and restoring customer confidence in Boeing.” Boeing tried to build its Dreamliner 787 passenger jet on the cheap by out- sourcing much of the work. After ex- periencing yearslong delays, the Dreamliner is currently grounded be- cause of problems with the plane’s lithium-ion batteries. Boeing currently is enjoying record profits, a completely funded pension plan, 4,200 airplanes on backorder, and $20 billion cash on hand, the union said. KHOSVEULQJWKH UHOLHI\RXQHHG 7UHDWPHQWIRUSDLQGXHWR RYHUXVHDQGUHSHWLWLYHPRWLRQ &KLURSUDFWLFDGMXVWPHQWV 7UHDWPHQWIRUDFFLGHQWDQG VSRUWVUHODWHGLQMXULHV 5HKDELOLWDWLRQH[HUFLVHV 7KHUDSHXWLFPDVVDJH ,QWHUQDOGLDJQRVLVDQGWUHDWPHQW /DEWHVWVDQG[UD\V 'U'DQ%HHVRQ&KLURSUDFWRU 6(7KLUWHHQWK$YHLQ6HOOZRRG &$// MARCH 1, 2013
