Turnout is good at first Strong Voice Summit
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Over 70
union members, activists and representa-
tives from more than 30 partner organiza-
tions attended the first Oregon Strong
Voice Summit here March 22.
Oregon Strong Voice is a coalition of
unions and community-based organiza-
tions that have formed regional “tables” to
build power across the state on issues
where no single group is large enough to
make change alone. The tables work on lo-
cal and statewide issues to build stronger
communities, and ultimately, a stronger
state, and each table takes on different pri-
orities depending on the groups involved.
The Summit was the first time that
members from all of the tables have come
together to discuss their efforts.
“We can win if we coordinate. We can
win if we learn from each other, when
we’re inter-connected, when we com-
bine our fights,” said Oregon AFL-
CIO President Tom Chamberlain.
“We can win when we understand that
‘we’ can build power.”
National AFL-CIO Executive Vice
President Tefere Gebre challenged
participants to talk to friends, family
members and neighbors “about what
you feel is right. Don’t take your
neighbors for granted.”
The Summit featured workshops to
increase skill building and collabora-
tion, a panel of representatives from
National AFL-CIO Vice President different regional tables, and speeches
Tefere Gebre speaks at Oregon from Oregon Labor Commissioner
Strong Voice Summit. Photo by Brad Avakian and PCUN President Ra-
mon Ramirez.
Russell Sanders, Oregon AFL-CIO
Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad
Avakian was on hand to congratulate
new journeymen painters and tapers at
a graduation dinner March 20 in Port-
land.
In the photo right, Avakian presents
a plaque to painter Doug
Bartholomew. In the background is
Bud Bartunek, area director of
Painters and Allied Trades District
Council 5.
In the photo above, Bartholomew
is pictured with new journeymen Jose
Ruiz and Peter Halterman. Ruiz is a
taper and member of Salem Local
724. Halterman is a painter and, like
Bartholomew, is a member of Local
10 in Portland.
The graduates each received a
plaque, Carhartt jacket, and a bucket
of paint brushes and other tools.
The graduating class of apprentices
is the smallest in decades — a linger-
ing result of the Great Recession. Bar-
tunek said the current class of appren-
tices is the largest in more than six
P ROUDLY S ERVING
P ORTLAND W ORKERS
F OR O VER 32 Y EARS
PAGE 8
New journeymen painters and
tapers recognized at dinner
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
years. However, most are in their first
term.
The Painter/ Decorator and Dry-
wall Finisher Apprenticeship Program
requires a minimum of 144 hours per
year of related classroom training and
a total of 6,000 hours of on-the-job
training. When work is good, the pro-
gram can be completed in three years.
Apprentices receive wages and bene-
fits while in training.
APRIL 4, 2014