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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2013)
NW Oregon Labor Council backs one school, one jail levy The Nov. 5 general election is a quiet one for the Northwest Oregon Labor Council (NOLC). The council has endorsed only two measures this election cycle. NOLC supports renew- ing a Lake Oswego school levy, and it supports a jail operations levy in Co- lumbia County. Operating Engineers Local 701 officers installed Gladstone-based Operating Engineers Local 701 installed new officers at its union meeting Sept. 30. From left to right they are: Dist. 4 Rep. Ray Akers, Dist. 2 Rep. Harold Chevrier, Dist. 1 Rep. Mike Thun, Conductor Nolan David Carter, Vice President Kevin Miller, President Robin Wicklander, Business Manager/Financial Secretary Nelda Wilson, Treasurer Boe Ellis, Dist. 3 Rep. Clifton Smith, Dist. 5 Rep. Richard Lauderback, and Dist. 5 At-Large Rep. Dylan McComiskey. Puerto Rican union mergers with Office & Professional Employees SAN JUAN, P.R. (PAI) — Mem- bers of a union representing 2,000 Puerto Rican telephone workers voted by a 10-1 margin to merge into the Of- fice and Professional Employees (OPEIU). The Independent Union of Tele- phone Workers (UIET) joined the larger union after its members’ em- ployer, the Claro Telephone Company, imposed onerous demands that UIET OCTOBER 18, 2013 felt unable to resist alone, OPEIU Pres- ident Mike Goodwin said. The “terms and conditions elimi- nated the union security and dues check-off provisions,” Goodwin said. “OPEIU will now help UIET reach an agreement with the company that would include restoration of both pro- visions for all 2,000 employees.” The membership benefits OPEIU offered also attracted UIET, he added. OPEIU uses member benefits such as Union Privilege as an organizing tool. UIET will become OPEIU Local 1971 and “will continue to exist as an autonomous labor organization, admin- istrating its own business, but will be assisted by OPEIU in building the or- ganization through organizing, collec- tive bargaining, and legislative and pub- lic relations support,” Goodwin said. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Lake Oswego School District/ Measure 3-434 is a five-year local op- tion levy for school education pro- grams. This is a renewal of the exist- ing school levy, so tax rates will not go up. The levy is $1.39 per $1,000 of as- sessed property value. NOLC endorsed the levy at the re- quest of Melissa Siegel, Chapter 12 president of the Lake Oswego School Employees Association. Columbia County/Measure 5-234 is a four-year local option levy to oper- ate the county jail. If passed, the levy would add 58 cents per $1,000 of as- sessed value to property tax rolls. If it fails, County Commissioner Tony Hyde told union officials the jail is likely to shut down completely. The Portland Tribune reported in September that 600 inmates have been released ahead of sentencing in 2013, eclipsing the 582 early releases in 2012, all because of funding restraints. The proposed levy would restore 75 beds for local use, fund five additional corrections deputies, one technician, and one supervisory position, and pro- vide constitutionally required food, clothing, management, and health care to inmates. Measure 5-234 also has endorse- ments from Oregon AFSCME Coun- cil 75 and United Food and Commer- cial Workers Local 555. CORRECTION In the Oct. 4, 2013, edition of the Northwest Labor Press, an article about the Oregon AFL-CIO convention in- correctly identified Jeff Klatke as pres- ident of AFSCME Local 3135. In the article, Klatke was credited for reach- ing out to the building trades council before the convention to avoid “messy floor fights.” Klatke is a former presi- dent of Local 3135, but was elected president of Oregon AFSCME in April. The distinction is important because Klatke was head of the statewide dele- gation, not just Local 3135, at the con- vention. PAGE 9
