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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2013)
Machinists’ motorcycle Guide Dog Dash brings in $4,000 Fifty-four motorcycle riders participated in the 7th annual Guide Dogs Dash Aug. 25, sponsored by Machinists Lodge 63 and IAM District W24. This year’s event was re-named the Richard Martin Memorial Guide Dog Dash in remem- brance of the long-time union Machinist who died last year following a long battle with cancer. Participants raised $4,000 for Guide Dogs of America. Guide Dogs was founded by the Interna- tional Association of Machinists in 1948 in Syl- mar, California, to provide guide dogs free of charge to the blind community. The organization depends solely on voluntary donations, bequests, and fundraising events, such as the motorcycle poker run. Four “guide dogs in training” were on display at the poker run, including Jilly (pictured below), a one-year-old black lab. The poker run consisted of a 132-mile motorcy- cle ride which started at the IBEW Local 48 union hall in Northeast Portland and ended at Lewisville Park outside of Battle Ground, Washington. In be- tween, riders made stops to draw playing cards for their poker hands. The stops were at the Chevron Station at North Bonneville, the Wind River Inn 12 miles away in Carson, Washington, Couger Store in Cougar, Wash- ington, and Nick’s Bar & Grill in Amboy, Washington. Afterwards, riders en- joyed a barbecue, draw- ings for prizes, and mu- sic by the band “Second Player Score.” Poker run winners were Carol Misfeldt, with a full house of jacks over fives, and Chris Halford, with a lower full house of sevens over tens. The low hand went to Jon Anderson with a pair of twos. John Kleiboeker (right) directs Linda Bender to a parking spot at the conclusion of the Richard Martin Memorial Guide Dog Dash. The motorcycle poker run is a fundraiser for Guide Dogs of America and is sponsored by Machinists Lodge 63 and Machinists District W24. Kleiboeker is president of Lodge 63 and Bender, who designed the 132-mile bike route, is a member. Both have been involved with the fundraiser since its inception seven years ago. Lodge 63 represents workers at Boeing of Portland. Gresham-Barlow campaign to pass construction bond levy says no to PLA If a proposed $210 million school capital construction bond measure in the Gresham-Barlow School District is successful, none of the work will be done under a project labor agreement (PLA). The measure will be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Backers of the bond measure came Lead Carpenter Instructor/ Program Coordinator C ONSTRUCTING H OPE is a pre-apprenticeship training program that targets low-income minorities and those with legal histories. We are seeking a full- time Lead Carpenter Instructor/Program Coordina- tor. Overview of Position The Program Coordinator will supervise and in- struct 3 assistant hands-on trainers, coordinate all hands-on-training for community and in-class projects, ensuring adequate and advanced prepa- ration for projects. The Program Coordinator will work in partnership with the curriculum committee and other staff members to share classroom teach- ing responsibilities. Full-time position with benefits; Salary Range: $41,600 - $45,000 Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m./Mon-Thurs Send a résumé and cover letter that describes your interests and qualifications to: jobs@constructinghope.org. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.17 No phone calls, please. SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 before the executive board of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council Aug 26 seeking an endorsement and finan- cial contribution. During the interview process a question was asked about project labor agreements. Specifically, will there be one if the levy passes. [A PLA is a comprehensive pre-hire col- lective bargaining agreement that es- tablishes basic terms and conditions for labor, including apprenticeship train- ing, in advance for everyone involved in a project.] “We’ve had some discussions, and we’re not going to do a PLA,” John Hartsock, co-finance chair of the Citi- zens for Schools Committee, answered without hesitation. “The amount of work they take could have an impact on those bidding on projects from the Gre- sham area.” “It will all be prevailing wage work,” emphasized campaign manager Daniel Lewkow. Building trades unions have been burned on prevailing wage jobs in the past, supporting tax increases to fund public projects, only to have their sig- natory union contractors left out of the bidding process or undercut by low-ball bids from nonunion subcontractors that don’t employ registered apprentices or pay area standard fringe benefits. NOLC executive board members told Hartsock and Lewkow that it would be difficult for them to ask their members to support a tax increase knowing that a PLA won’t even be considered. The $210 million school capital construction bond measure would cost homeowners $1.56 for every $1,000 of assessed value. Property taxes would increase by $22 a month for a home with a median assessed value of $167,350. Some of the projects planned for the bond include renovations to replace roofs and electrical and plumbing sys- tems, as well as expanding classroom space to allow for increased enroll- ment. None of the money from the bond measure can be used for operat- ing schools. NOLC’s executive board did not en- dorse the bond measure. Instead, board members directed Executive Secretary Bob Tackett to send a letter to the Gre- sham-Barlow school board, and to a half-dozen political allies in the school distict who have endorsed the bond measure, informing them that the AFL- CIO will not support the levy without a PLA, and request that they reconsider their position. Among those on the list are Reps. Shemia Fagan, Chris Gorsek, and Greg Mathews; state Sen. Laurie Monnes-Anderson;Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel; and Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick. (Editor’s Note: NOLC passed a res- olution last year pledging not to support any bond levys that didn’t at least con- sider a project labor agreement.) NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Helping homeless veterans Dan Organ of IBEW Local 48 checks out wiring in a 1907 home in Hillsboro that is undergoing a major remodel. When completed, the home owned by the Oregon Veterans Resource Center will house homeless veterans as they transition back in to civilian life. The group offers counseling, job search assistance, and a food program. Funding for the electrical portion of the work came from the Barnes-Alison Labor Management Cooperation Committee of NECA-IBEW. “We’re making it safe and the electrical as functional for use as possible,” said Organ, who works for West Side Electric. Apprentice Kyle Fetzer also is working on the project. The house has sat vacant for nearly a year, and vandals stole sections of copper wiring. “They ruined all the electrical in the house for basically $5 worth of copper,” said Aaron Watzig, also of West Side Electric. Glenn Shuck, a retired executive director of Labor’s Community Service Agency who now volunteers for the Oregon Military Support Network, put out the call for help to all union crafts. “There is a huge need for sheetrock, roofing, painting, plumbing, heating, cement, and carpentry,” Shuck said. Local 48 organizer Terry Reigle got the ball rolling, forwarding the request to Tim Gauthier, executive manager of the Oregon- Columbia Chapter of NECA. Local 48 worked on the project with Organ. If your local would like to help, call Thuy (Twee) Wise at 503-267-2752. PAGE 11
