ATU settlement averts school bus driver strike at Portland schools
Two units of school bus drivers at
Portland Public Schools have new
union contracts — a group of over 230
operators driving students for contrac-
tor First Student, and a group of about
70 that work directly for the school dis-
trict driving special education students.
Both units are represented by Amalga-
mated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757.
At First Student, the school bus
contracting division of UK multina-
tional First Transit, drivers came close
Labor Roundtable of
SW Washington taps
Ed Barnes for chair
VANCOUVER — Ed Barnes, a re-
tired business manager of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Electrical Work-
ers (IBEW) Local 48, has been elected
chair of the Labor Roundtable of
Southwest Washington. He succeeds
Phil Parker, who died April 2 of a heart
attack.
The Labor Roundtable meets twice
a month at Hometown Buffet, 7809
NE Vancouver Plaza Dr, Vancouver,
starting at 8 a.m. It is open to union of-
ficials, politicians and business owners
who meet to discuss important issues
in Southwest Washington. It holds an
annual awards banquet in September,
where it honors top union officials,
politicians and union locals.
The Labor Roundtable was created
in 1983 to fill a void for what at the
time was an inactive central labor
council.
Anyone can join the Labor Round-
table. Annual dues are $15 for individ-
uals and $60 for organizations.
to striking over a company demand
that new hires would pay 50 percent of
health insurance premiums (more than
current employees). Such a “two-tier”
provision would have created a perma-
nent division in the workforce.
Nearly 20 months after the expira-
tion of their previous contract, mem-
bers authorized a strike. The union
trained strike leaders, collected food
donations, and set a May 1 deadline for
the company to accept the union’s fi-
nal offer, after which the drivers could
strike at any time. Late in the day May
1, First Student emailed a proposal
without the concessionary two-tier de-
mand.
The new agreement, which mem-
bers ratified May 7 by a 168-to-5 vote,
continues the previous contract’s
“stairstep” schedule in which new em-
ployees pay 35 percent of health pre-
mium first year, and 25, 15, and 5 per-
cent in subsequent years, until the fifth
year, when the company pays the
whole premium.
Wages for the unit currently start at
$12.90 an hour and top out at $15.76
after five years. The new agreement ex-
pires Aug. 31, 2015 and provides for
three annual raises of 2 percent each,
retroactive to the Aug. 31, 2012, expi-
ration of the previous contract.
Portland Public Schools’ in-house
school bus drivers also ratified a new
contract May 7, which rolls over terms
of their previous agreement with the
district. They will get wages of 1.5 per-
cent in the new three-year deal, which
expires June 30, 2017. Wages currently
start at $13.94 and rise to $17.66 after
five years.
Two local unions to take part
in May 31 Starlight Parade
Union members will once again be
a part of the Portland Rose Festival’s
Starlight Parade this year, with entries
from National Association of Letter
Carriers (NALC) Branch 82 and In-
ternational Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW) Local 48.
Members of Branch 82 have been
taking part in the Starlight Parade
since 1989. This year, they took inspi-
ration from a U.S. Postal Service
stamp commemorating the Wizard of
Oz. Their entry is a lit-up float of the
Emerald City, complete with Tin
Man, Cowardly Lion, and flying
monkeys. Dorothy will be played by
Reynolds High School senior Savan-
nah Wilson, daughter of Oak Grove
letter carrier (and parade float artist)
Ken Wilson — and she’ll be singing
Over the Rainbow.
Starlight parade coordinator Sue
Canfield, a retired letter carrier from
the Newberg Post Office, will be the
Wicked Witch of the West. President
PAGE 4
Pippa Pizor (shop steward), Anna Tompte (ATU Executive Board officer), ATU Vice President Jonathan Hunt and
Alex Smith (liaison officer), pose for a picture following a strike vote.
Teachers union to show
film about out-of-control
standardized testing
Following up on a pledge to kick off
a series of public forums, the Portland
Association of Teachers (PAT) is spon-
soring a free documentary film show-
ing and panel discussion May 22 enti-
tled “Standardized: Lies, Money and
Civil Rights — How Testing is Ruin-
ing Public Education.”
In February, PAT won an important
contract concession at Portland Public
Schools when the district, as part of a
settlement to avert a strike, agreed that
student test scores won’t be used in
teacher transfer, layoff, salary or disci-
pline decisions. The use of student test
scores to grade teachers has become
increasingly prevalent in the United
States, and is sparking a backlash over
its unfairness.
The documentary traces the history
and consequences of high-stakes test-
ing, and looks at the big money that’s
involved.
The event takes place 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. May 22 at First Unitarian Church,
1011 SW 12th Ave., Portland. Admis-
sion is free, but event sponsors are ask-
ing that participants register online at
eventbrite.com.
According to The Better Hearing Institute, the #1 reason for hearing loss today is ... NOISE EXPOSURE. In most
cases, it only takes eight total hours of damaging noise exposure to cause hearing loss.
Jim Falvey will be pulling the float in
his vehicle. Most members will be
marching behind the float, as mem-
bers of the Lollipop Guild, the tough-
but-cute union confectioners of
Munchkinland.
IBEW’s entry, meanwhile, will use
electroluminescent tape to highlight
the work its members do — lighting
up the night. Fifty members of IBEW
Local 48 Volunteer Organizing Com-
mittee will march in formation in
matching hard hats, safety vests, and
T-shirts, carrying illuminated signs
with messages of solidarity and com-
munity. It’s their second year in the
parade.
The parade — officially known as
PGE/SOLVE Starlight Parade —
draws more than 250,000 spectators
to downtown Portland. It will take
place Saturday May 31 from 8:30 to
11 p.m. preceded by a costumed 5K
fun run, and it will be broadcast live
on Fox 12 TV.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
MAY 16, 2014