NLRB says PIRG fundraiser
broke federal labor law
Oregon AFL-CIO E-Board
endorses immigration reform
At a March 5 meeting, the Oregon
AFL-CIO Executive Board gave unan-
imous approval to a resolution in favor
of “common sense immigration re-
form,” at the request of the national
AFL-CIO. The state labor federation is
made up of affiliated unions with a
combined membership of 104,000, not
counting the Working America com-
munity affiliate for workers who don’t
have a union in their workplace.
The immigration resolution reflects
principles articulated by the national
AFL-CIO and Change to Win federa-
tion unions. Those principles include a
path to citizenship; an independent
commission to assess labor market
shortages; an effective work authoriza-
tion mechanism to hold employers ac-
countable; improvement, not expansion,
of temporary work programs; and ra-
tional operational control of the border.
In a recent poll commissioned by the
national AFL-CIO, 62 percent of union
members said they favored a compre-
hensive immigration reform approach
that emphasizes workers rights and in-
cludes a roadmap to citizenship for im-
migrants currently living and working
in the United States. Another 23 percent
said they were opposed and 16 percent
not sure. Support was highest in manu-
facturing unions (67 percent) and lowest
in building trades unions (51 percent).
Respondents were read a description of
this proposal, and asked if they agree:
“The federal government would estab-
lish a roadmap to citizenship for immi-
grants currently living and working in
the U.S. Employers who continue to vi-
olate the law and hire unauthorized
workers would be punished and face
strict fines and penalties. In the future,
employers would be able to bring in for-
eign workers only when the economy is
strong enough so that there are real
shortages of workers, and those work-
ers would have the same rights as all
other workers.”
Union supporter
was fired illegally
D AVID N EEL
Eight Portland families struggle, in
HBO documentary American Winter
In the richest country on earth,
millions of families have been
left out in the cold
Finally, a film about the human con-
sequences of the Great Recession: On
March 18, HBO will air American
Winter, an intimate documentary
filmed in Portland during the winter of
2011-12. Produced and directed by
Emmy award-winning filmmakers Joe
and Harry Gantz, it’s about how the
economy plays out in the lives of eight
Portland-area families.
Years into the downturn, formerly
middle class families are finding them-
selves in financial crisis and needing as-
sistance for the first time in their lives.
Meanwhile, the social safety net that
was created to help people in difficult
times has been weakened by budget
cuts.
The film’s point is urgent enough
that the Oregon AFL-CIO is making a
copy available for showings at local
union meetings. In Washington, D.C.,
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) spoke
at a March 6 screening. Local unionists
are among those captured on film,
which also includes interviews with
Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish.
The film airs on HBO March 18 at 9
p.m., and can be seen on HBO On De-
mand.
Since two dozen Portland call center
workers unionized 16 months ago, their
employer, the Fund for the Public In-
terest, has fired at least nine union sup-
porters. Communications Workers of
America Local 7901 protested most of
the firings to the National Labor Rela-
tions Board, charging illegal retaliation.
Up to now, the federal agency has dis-
missed the charges: Investigators did-
n’t find enough evidence that suppress-
ing worker rights was a motive, in a
high-turnover workplace where firings
are routine.
But on Feb. 27, the NLRB issued a
formal complaint against the Fund,
which is the fundraising arm for the
U.S. PIRG network and its spinoff en-
vironmental groups. In the complaint,
the NLRB says the Fund broke federal
labor law when it fired David Neel.
Neel, a 35-year-old single father of
two teenage boys, had done well as a
fundraiser in 18 months at the call cen-
ter. But on more than one occasion, he
defended the union in arguments with
call center director Referd Raley. On
Nov. 2, talking with co-workers, Neel
criticized Raley’s behavior toward em-
ployees. Word got back to Raley, and
on Nov. 6, Raley accused Neel of hav-
ing submitted false numbers in a phone
report, and fired him over the phone
while Neel was driving to work.
Neel denied that, and says he was
fired illegally. The NLRB agreed, say-
ing Neel was fired because he “engaged
in concerted activities with other em-
ployees for the purposes of mutual aid
and protection,” and/or “because he en-
gaged in Union activities.”
Before issuing the formal com-
plaint, the agency tried to get the two
sides to reach a voluntary settlement.
The Fund was willing to settle the
charge and compensate Neel with back
pay, but balked at his insistence on be-
ing reinstated to his job.
A federal administrative law judge
is scheduled to hear the case June 25.
Save Our Postal
Service rally in
Portland March 17
A Save Our Postal Service na-
tional day of action will take place
on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday,
March 17 — the anniversary of the
great postal strike of 1970.
In Portland, supporters will
gather at Pioneer Square starting at
2 p.m. For more information, go to
www.savethepostoffice.com.
Washington CLUB
golf June 12-13
Mark your calendars for June 12-13
to participate in the 13th annual Wash-
ington CLUB Charity Golf Classic at
Gold Mountain Golf Complex in Bre-
merton, Wash. This year, the fundraiser
for Holly Ridge Center, The Children’s
Hospital-Seattle, and the Diabetes Re-
search Institute expects to break $1
million in donations.
CLUB stands for Contractors, Leg-
islators, Unions and Business.
For more information or to register,
go to www.wa-club.org.
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NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
MARCH 15, 2013