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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2014)
Washington State Labor Council lays out agenda for Legislature Who’s On Our Side? By Tom Chamberlain Livability has been a buzz word of the last two decades. The ability to encourage and accommodate various forms of transportation de- fines a city: buses, light rail, cars and bikes. Maintaining green space, while encouraging development that increases population density, has put Portland on the map as a premier city. Magazines rank cities by activities, museums, public art, and great schools. Locally, Port- landia, Grimm and various movies and television programs have in- creased our national profile and in- creased the city’s reputation as a great place to live, raise your family and retire. People are moving to Portland. A recent report found that in 2013 more people moved to Oregon than any other state. Those new Orego- nians’ final destination more often than not is the Portland Metro area. By 2060, the Portland Metro area population is projected to double. In just 46 years the population in the Portland area will be equivalent to Oregon’s current population of 3.9 million. With two rail lines, one on each side of the Columbia, a deep-water port, and two freeways, Portland is often the gateway to Oregon, and, more importantly, Oregon’s econ- omy. Often times that the City of Port- land is so focused on improving Portland’s national reputation that it forgets its responsibility to plan and grow our region, state and north- west economy. We claim rightfully deserved victories as small high tech firms move to the Pearl Dis- trict. But those small wins are not enough to grow a middle class economy. Portland’s ability to cre- ate and maintain a thriving middle class is tied to its history as a manu- facturing city. Portland makes things — from streetcars to trucks, medical equipment to microchips, solar panels, and aviation parts. Most folks would be surprised to find that Portland is Ford’s only West Coast export facility to Asian markets. Meeting the challenges of a re- gion that will see its population double in the next half-century will require long term planning and leadership: • Leadership that understands that the gentrification of Portland’s intercity neighborhoods has forced communities of color and the work- ing poor into the only affordable housing that is left — east of 82nd Avenue, far from services and jobs; • Leadership that understands that a middle class job is the answer to the low-income housing shortage and the path to a quality education system; • Leadership that knows a job decreases the crime rate, and in- creases revenue for the state and city. We cannot answer Portland’s, Oregon’s or this country’s problems until we increase employment, and grow high-wage jobs. Portland’s lack of leadership was never as apparent as in its recent in- ability to find reasonable solutions to the development of West Hayden Island after years of work. For decades this area has been identified as industrial land earmarked for Port expansion. It is the only site that the Port of Portland can de- velop as a new deep-water facility. The construction of the facility would employ hundreds, perhaps thousands, of workers, while the fa- cility would employ 400 longshore- men and others, not to mention jobs created for truckers, railroad work- ers, and service sector workers. The expansion of the Port would not only add jobs but give farmers and manufacturers access to a port that keeps up with their expanding needs. A good job is the real key to liv- ability. Portland lacks the leadership to continue our race to be the most livable city in the country. Yes, we have great parks, lo- cally-made streetcars, and a won- derful view of mountains and rivers and of the city itself. But without long-term planning for the creation of middle-class jobs, we are creat- ing a city where working people have poverty with a view. That just doesn’t work for our side. Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Wash- ington State Labor Council is calling on lawmakers to step up to the plate and pass pro-worker legislation In the 2014 session of the Washington Legis- lature. There’s no significant budget crunch this year, so fewer defensive fights are anticipated during the short, 90-day session that opened Jan. 13. In- stead, the state labor federation is pro- moting what it’s calling a “Shared Prosperity Agenda to Rebuild the Mid- dle Class,” a proactive list of policies to advance the interests of working people in the Evergreen State. Some of the many proposals WSLC has on the list: • Passing a uniform statewide paid sick leave standard, taking as a starting EE R F BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published A UTOMOTIVE H OUSING Randy Carmony elected to top post at Elevator Constructors Local 23 in run-off agreement runs through July Randy Carmony has 8, 2017. been elected business repre- Local 23 represents 215 sentative of Portland-based members with jurisdiction in Elevator Constructors Local all of Oregon plus six south- 23. He defeated Dave west Washington counties. Tremain in a run-off elec- Carmony 49, got his start tion. Ballots were counted in the trade in 1982 as an ap- Jan. 9. prentice in Seattle Local 19. Carmony, who previ- A native of Sandy, Oregon, ously served as president of RANDY he returned to the state and Local 23, succeeds Mike Bo- dendorfer, who retired. (See CARMONY joined Elevator Constructors Local 23 in 1986. NW Labor Press ‘Runoff for He has served Local 23 as a trustee, top officer at Elevator Constructors,’ Dec. 20, 2013.) Tremain left his post on the Executive Board, and as presi- as vice presient of the local to run for dent. “I’m one of those people who does- business manager. Elevator construction is a special- n’t like to sit back and complain. I’m ized trade building and maintaining el- willing to step in and try to be a part of evators, escalators, moving walkways, the solution,” Carmony said. Outside of the union Carmony and dumbwaiters. Local 23 members work under a nationwide labor agree- serves as chair of the Oregon Trail ment with the National Elevator Indus- School Board. He has been on the try, Inc. employer group. The master school board for seven years. PAGE 6 “Four generations of my family have gone through Sandy. The school district, like my union, have done so much for me and my family. It’s time to return the favor and give something back.” Carmony said the local is in good shape and th work is strong. “I look forward to a productive year,” he said. Carmony was installed into office on Jan. 9, along with other officers. Business representative, a full-time paid position, was the only contested race in the officer elections held Dec. 9. Also sworn in on Jan 9 were: pres- ident, Dan Coyle; vice president, Scott Augst; treasurer, Bob Pyne; recording secretary, Dan Garrett; warden, Gene Stratton; correspondent, Dan Coyle; Executive Board members Lance Mar- tin and Lonnie Mathews; and trustee, Les Johns. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS point the sick leave ordinance Seattle passed in 2012. • Raising the minimum wage to a “living wage” of $15 an hour within three years. • Allow courts to triple damages for wage theft. • Passing a comprehensive trans- portation funding package to reduce traffic congestion and create jobs; • Giving state employees a long- overdue cost-of-living increase. Though the Senate is still in Repub- lican hands thanks to the 2012 defec- tion of two Democrats, the House is led by Democrats, and WSLC wants to see on-the-record votes so that union members can see who’s with and who’s against working people. 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