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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2013)
City of Portland contract in mediation Nearly a month after the June 30 expiration of the contract between the City of Portland and the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) — and despite weekly meetings — the two sides appear no closer to reaching agreement. Terms of the expired con- tract remain in force until a new deal is reached or an impasse is declared. For the 1,600 union members in the seven-union DCTU, the biggest item holding up agreement is a City proposal that would eliminate protec- POSITION AVAILABLE Compliance Investigator The OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FAIR CONTRACTING FOUNDATION, seeks Compliance In- vestigator to monitor public works con- struction projects. Requires knowledge of construction in- dustry. Knowledge of prevailing wage law is a plus. Will train the right candidate. Excellent written, verbal and personal communication skills are required. Travel is expected throughout Oregon and SW Washington to meet with contractors, trade groups, labor organizations and gov- ernment agencies. Company car provided. Hourly rate competitive. Full-time, per- manent position. Pension and Health & Welfare benefits are provided and are sub- ject to one’s union affiliation, if applica- ble. Submit resume with cover letter by Aug. 19, to: rdelance@fcffair.org or Fair Contracting Foundation P.O. Box 9158 Portland, OR 97207 Contact Person: Rick DeLance: 503-244-3644 tion against contracting out and pave the way for increased privatization. The City is proposing to gut Article 6 of the contract, “Job Security and Outside Contracting.” Article 6 de- clares that work performed by bar- gaining unit employees won’t be con- tracted out unless it results in reduced costs, and those lower costs can’t come from lower wages, health care or pension costs. The City also agrees not to lay off bargaining unit members because their work was contracted out. And if the City is considering con- tracting out, it must notify the union and give the union a chance to discuss alternate methods of doing the work. Instead, the City is proposing to no- tify the unions in advance of contract- ing out only if it results in layoff. There would be no restriction against contracting out bargaining unit work, except that the city would be obliged to bargain over the contracting out, if the unions request it within two weeks. Union officials said the City also refuses to agree to retroactive cost-of- living increases, insisting that any wage hikes take effect the day the new contract is ratified. Union workers, collectively, stand to lose $4,000 for every day a settlement is delayed. “Never before has the City denied union workers a retroactive COLA settlement. This is a dramatic incen- tive for the City not to bargain in good faith and reach a timely agreement,” DCTU said in a statement on its web- site. The seven unions are getting ready to take their case to the public with a rally Aug. 14 at 4 p.m. at Chapman Square, SW 3rd Ave. and Main St., near City Hall. A mediated bargaining session was held July 30, after this issue went to press. CLC’s choices for Aug. 6 primary VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Southwest Washington Central Labor Council has issued endorsements for the Aug. 6 primary election in the state of Washington. Ballots were mailed July 17. The labor council endorsed the re- election of Tim Leavitt for mayor of Vancouver and the re-election of Jack Burkman for Vancouver City Council, Position 1. Leavitt is being challenged by city councilor Bill Turlay. Burkman faces three challengers in the primary. The top two vote getters move on to the general election Nov. 5. Union delegates issued dual en- dorsements for two separate Vancouver City Council races. For Position 2, the labor council is backing political newcomers Alishia Topper and Ty Stober. They are chal- lenging incumbent Jeanne E. Stewart. For Position 3, the labor council has endorsed Anne McEnerny Ogle and Galina Burley. They are among four candidates trying to unseat incumbent Jeanne M. Harris. IN MEMORIAM T OM G ATES , a leader in the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), died at his home along the Mohawk River in Springfield, Oregon, July 2. He was 69. Gates had a 35-year postal career. He was a past president of NALC Branch 916 in Eugene, and served as education director for the Oregon State Association of Letter Car- riers. T HOMAS E UGENE G ATES was born Dec. 5, 1943, in Corvallis, Oregon. A graduate of North Eugene High School, Gates served in the U.S. Navy from 1961-1963. He received a bache- lor of science degree in 1970 from the University of Oregon, where he later earned his master’s degree in business administration. Prior to working for the Post Office, Gates was a supervisor for Ore-Ida Foods in the early 1970s. Gates was hired as a letter carrier in 1978. “Tom was a great NALC leader/ mentor/ advocate, a generous and car- ing friend, a successful rancher, and a stubborn crusader for justice for those unjustly treated,” said Mary Martinez, Region 2 national business agent’s lead assistant for the NALC. Gates is survived by his wife, Jan, of 33 years; daughter Kristine Johnson of Tigard, Oregon; son, Jeff; three grandchildren; and brother William Gates of Eugene. His son, Randy Dix, pre-deceased him. A memorial service and pig roast were held July 14 at his ranch outside Springfield. Donations may be made in memory of Gates in care of NALC Branch 916 at: NALC Branch 916, 931 River Road, Eugene, Oregon 97404. AFL-CIO Summer School Aug. 9-11 at UO in Eugene EUGENE — The annual AFL-CIO Summer School will be held Aug. 9-11 at the University of Oregon in Eugene. The weekend event, coordinated by the Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) of the UO, offers classes on labor history, labor issues and strategies, health care reform laws, stopping workplace discrimination, and more. Participants also will have lots of opportunities to connect with union members from around the state to share insights and ideas. There will be a book exchange, labor film fest, a solidarity picnic, and music. Summer school courses and work- shops qualify for a maximum of eight hours toward LERC’s Union Leader- ship Education and Development (U- LEAD) certificate. For more information or to register, go online to http://pages.uoregon.edu/ lerc/ Stamper tribute Aug. 10 in Eugene EUGENE — A celebration of the musical and literary legacy of ac- claimed songwriter, folksinger, long- shoreman, and community and labor activist Harry S. Stamper Jr. will be held Saturday, Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m., at the Wesley Center, 1236 Kincaid St., on the University of Oregon campus in Eu- gene. The event will feature a screening of “We Just Come to Work Here: The Mu- sic of Harry Stamper,” a short docu- mentary film by Nathan Moore, and performances of Stamper’s songs by lo- cal musicians David Rogers, Late For Dinner, and Low Tide Drifters. The event marks the opening and ex- hibit of the Harry S. Stamper Jr. Papers, recently acquired by the University of Oregon’s Special Collections and Uni- versity Archives, housed in Knight Li- brary. Stamper hailed from Coos Bay, Oregon. For more information, go to: http://library.uoregon.edu/node/3593. Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call Expires 08/31/2013 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland AUGUST 2, 2013 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 11
