Building trades sign project
labor agreement on proposed
coal export plant in Longview
Pact encourages
local source hiring of
construction workers
LONGVIEW, Wash. — The
Longview-Kelso Building and Con-
struction Trades Council (BCTC) has
signed a project labor agreement with
Millennium Bulk Terminals-
Longview, LLC, for the construction
of a proposed $643 million coal export
facility here.
As for a timeline, company spokes-
person Aaron Toro said “construction
will begin as soon as we have our per-
mits lined up to proceed. Scoping be-
gins this summer for the Environmen-
tal Impact Statement and we hope to
complete the entire EIS process in 18
months following.”
If approved — and there is no guar-
antee that it will be, as environmental
groups are opposed to coal terminals
— initial construction is two to three
years away.
Building the facility would support
1,350 direct jobs and $70 million in di-
State lawmakers
to get a visit from
building trades
Oregon State Building and Con-
struction Trades Council is organizing a
Lobby Day April 29, bringing union
members to the State Capitol in Salem
to meet their legislators and push for
laws that would protect construction
jobs and wages.
The group will also set up a “vir-
tual” training station in the Capitol
gallery — showcasing the work they
do, and giving legislators and their staff
a chance to try their hand at a skilled
trade without having to change into
work clothes. One station simulates
welding. The other is a virtual paint
sprayer, in which participants wear a
partial face mask and are rated by a
computer on how evenly they spray
“paint” across the screen.
Participating building trades union
members will meet with their own state
representatives and state senators, and
also gather for a group session, giving
legislators a chance to address the
broader group.
The Oregon State Building and
Construction Trades Council is made
up of all unions in the building trades
except for Carpenters and Operating
Engineers.
One top issue this year is a bill to re-
quire prevailing wage for construction
workers on land owned by the Oregon
University System, regardless of
whether the state or a private donor is
footing the bill. Another priority is a bill
to require use of American-made steel
and iron on state-funded projects.
APRIL 19, 2013
rect wages, with an additional 1,300
indirect and induced jobs in the local,
regional, and state economies, result-
ing in another $65 million in wages,
company officials said.
“This agreement goes well beyond
jobs for our members; it is for the en-
tire community,” said Jeff Washburn,
president of the Longview-Kelso
BCTC. “With so much money injected
into the local economy providing liv-
ing wage jobs and preferences for local
sourcing of materials — like tools,
welding supplies, electrical and plumb-
ing supplies, steel and concrete, Mil-
lennium will help to get our local econ-
omy back on track.”
Mike Bridges, a business represen-
tative for the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers Local 48, said
construction projects of this size and
duration “offer great opportunities for
our building trades members in the
community, and will create much-
needed entry-level career opportunities
throughout the trades apprenticeship
programs.”
“(We) are very pleased to have the
skilled union workers on board to build
our coal export facility,” said Ken
Miller, Millennium’s president and
chief executive officer.
The agreement is signed by Millen-
nium, Washington State Building and
Construction Trades Council Executive
Secretary Dave Myers; Longview-
Kelso BCTC President Jeff Washburn;
and 13 affiliated building trades locals.
Union members help out at Klineline Fish-in
Dustin Hysmith (crouched wearing vest) and Joe Harris (wearing baseball cap behind him), members of Sheet Metal
Workers Local 16, spent a Saturday baiting hooks, untangling fishing lines, and reeling in fish, all part of the 14th
annual Klineline Kids Fish-in April 14 at Salmon Creek Park in Vancouver. More than two dozen union members
from various locals volunteered to help more than 3,000 kids ages 5 to 14 learn to fish. Several unions also donated
money to the event. For a $5 registration fee, each child received a fishing rod and reel and a T-shirt with sponsor logos.
Trophies were awarded for biggest and smallest fish caught, and there were raffles throughout the day for bikes.
Two days before the event, Klineline Pond was closed to the public and stocked with more than 11,000 trout. “Just
preparing for this event takes thousands of hours,” said Hysmith, who is secretary of the Klineline Kids Fish Non-
Profit. Initially the fish-in was sponsored by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, but budget cuts to the
agency forced them to give it up. The community stepped up to keep it going. Unions helping out this year included
Local 16, IBEW Local 48, Cement Masons Local 555, Laborers Local 296, Bakers Local 114, Fire Fighters Local 1805,
as well as the Signatory Painting Contractors Organization, and Vancouver Roofing and Sheet Metal.
WANTED: ‘Tools of the Trade’ for labor history exhibit
VANCOUVER — The Southwest
Washington Central Labor Council is
teaming up with the Clark County His-
torical Museum and Washington State
University-Vancouver, to develop a
public exhibition on the history of the
Southwest Washington labor move-
ment.
The exhibit is tentatively titled,
“Tools of the Trade: A History of La-
bor in Southwest Washington.” Plans
are to open in July, prior to the conven-
tion of the Washington State Labor
Council (WSLC), which is slated July
25-27 at the Vancouver Hilton & Con-
vention Center.
The exhibit will run for approxi-
mately 18 months.
The labor council is planning an
open house at the museum during the
week of the WSLC convention.
The labor council says cash dona-
tions and historical memorabilia are
still needed.
“We need financial contributions to
help fund the exhibit and to comple-
ment grant funding,” said Roben White
of Painters Local 10. “We need histori-
cal items, memorabilia from your lo-
cals. These would be loaner items that
would be cataloged and given back
when the exhibit concludes.”
The labor council also is looking for
photographs, tools, ledger books, dues
books, scrapbooks, pins, banners, and
other memorabilia, as well as recom-
Trades fair will focus on careers for women
Women and teenage girls can learn
more about possible careers in con-
struction, mechanical, utility, and other
trades at the 21st Annual Women in
Trades Career Fair, sponsored by Ore-
gon Tradeswomen Inc.
This year’s fair will be held Thurs-
day, May 16, through Saturday, May
18, at the NECA/IBEW Electrical
Training Center, 16021 NE Airport
Way, Portland.
Employers and successful trades-
women will be on hand to lead work-
shops and to talk about job opportuni-
ties, paid training programs, and more.
Past workshops have included: Con-
crete Stepping Stones, Wind Power,
Wire a Light and Switch, Building
Bird Feeders, Highway Transportation,
Climb a Utility Pole, Operate a Jack-
hammer, Make Sheetmetal Flower
Pots, and much more.
Admission is free. On-site child-
care and a shuttle service from the
Gateway Transit Center also is avail-
able.
Saturday, May 18 is “Careers For
Women Day,” and will be open to the
general public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. At
1 p.m., a special workshop for dads
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
and daughters will take place. Coffee
and refreshments will be served and
the first 20 daughters attending with an
adult will receive a free gift.
On Thursday, May 16, middle-
school students will tour the fair, and
May 17 is reserved for high school stu-
dents. An estimated 1,100 students
from more than 50 middle and high
schools across Oregon and Southwest
Washington are expected to partici-
pate.
For more information, call 503-
335-8200, or go to their Web site at
www.tradeswomen.net.
mendations of long-time members who
can be interviewed about the history of
their organizations and work in South-
west Washington.
Items are needed as soon as possi-
ble.
“Although once a stronghold of the
labor movement in Washington state,
many Clark County residents today do
not realize the significance of workers
and their unions in building the com-
munity and sustaining families for over
a century,” said the museum’s executive
director, Susan Tissot. “This exhibit
project will help document that hidden
history and showcase some of the arti-
facts, oral histories, and other materials
related to the labor movement and the
development of the work force in Clark
County.”
If you have memorabilia or a mem-
ber to refer for interview, contact Tissot
at 360-993-5679 or email her at tis-
sots@pacifier.com. Donations can be
made to:
Clark County Historical
Museum Labor Exhibit
Clark County Historical Museum,
1511 Main Street,
Vancouver, Wash., 98660
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