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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2014)
300-member AFSCME #3580 reaches tentative deal at Metro AFSCME Local 3580 and Metro reached tentative agreement July 17 on a new three-year contract covering over 300 Metro employees. Union members will vote Aug. 11-15 on whether to rat- ify the agreement. If approved, it will provide immedi- ate cost-of-living raises of 2.82 percent as of ratification, plus increases July 1, 2015 and 2016 equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index, with a min- imum of 1.5 percent and a maximum of 3.25 percent. Metro also agreed to reset the step pay scale, at a cost of about $140,000 the first year. The step scale’s logic is that new hires start at the bottom and receive annual increases of 5 percent until they reach the top of the scale in seven years, but those proportions were compressed when previous cost-of-liv- ing increases were incorrectly applied. The union bargaining team made one significant concession: increasing the employee share of the health insur- ance premium. Currently workers pay 6 percent. Metro proposed they pay 10 percent, but settled for 8 percent. Pre- miums vary depending on family size and which plan members choose. Separately from contract bargain- ing, Local 3580 and Metro agreed to terminate PacificSource as a health in- surance option effective Jan. 1, because of unsustainable premium increases. It’s being replaced with a Kaiser Per- manente’s “Added Choice” plan, which is like a preferred provider insurance plan. Members of the bargaining unit can also enroll in the Kaiser Perma- nente health maintenance organization. Other improvements in the tentative contract include a fairer policy on sick leave abuse, an increased clothing al- lowance for some workers, and a bank of paid time to partially compensate union member volunteers for their service on the union bargaining team. The agreement commits Metro to notify the union when new employees are hired, and give the new hires 30 minutes of paid time to attend a union orientation. It also contains an “ever- green” clause that would allow one- year extensions of the contract, with the same cost-of-living raises, if neither side wants to open the contract for renegotiation in 2017. Local 3580 President Matt Tracy, a principal planner in Metro’s solid waste ...Union pension funds help create jobs (From Page 1) tor for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, added that “Nothing quite demonstrates our com- mitment to the City of Portland like this does — when we put our pension funds out there, those are dollars that hard- working Carpenter have earned on the jobsites. “We’re ecstatic with the team that’s been assembled for this project.We know this is a winning group of folks. We’ve seen it again and again.” Pearl West is being developed by BPM Real Estate Group. Howard S. Wright (HSW) Constructors is the gen- eral contractor. Design-build partners with HSW are McKinstry Mechanical, Dynalectric and Viking Sprinkler. HSW announced at the ground- breaking that it will relocate its head- quarters to the fourth floor of Pearl West after the project is completed. HSW has 150 employees. Pearl West is slated for completion in early 2016. (Editor’s Note: LEED — or Lead- ership in Energy and Environmental Design — is a green building certifica- tion program. Phil Beyl of GBD archi- tects said there is a “strong passion” to get Pearl West to the LEED Gold level. He also announced at the ground- breaking that he is in discussions with program leaders in New York to have Pearl West be a pilot project for a new national certification process called the Well Building Standard. The Well Building Standard focuses on human wellness within a building’s environment. It identifies specific con- ditions, that when holistically inte- grated into building architecture and design, enhances the health and well- being of the occupants. “It works in careful alignment with LEED — it builds on LEED,” Beyl said. If talks are successful, Pearl West would be the first building in Oregon — and possibly the first office building in the U.S., to implement the Well Building Standard.) division, called it a good agreement in today’s climate. Tracy said union-man- agement relations have improved since last November, when at the union’s ini- tiation, union Executive Board mem- bers began meeting with senior man- agers informally every two to three months, the first two times with the help E E FR 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 1996 DoDge Ram SeatS, driver and passenger, $250 for the set. 503-658-6053 ‘86 Skyline alijo, 5th-wheel, good condition, microwave, new water heater, new air conditioner. 503-474-8469 ’94 CHeVy 2500 4x4, ex-cab, 5.7 auto, was fleet vehicle, all records, 165k miles, good shape, $6,100. 360-265-0869 H OUSING RoCkaWay BeaCH rental, 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 10, jacuzzi, 5 min to beach/shops; Vacationhomerentals. com/43026 RoCkaWay ocean front, 503-777-5076, 5 bdrms/2 ba, call for Fisherman’s Special. http://rockawaybeachfrontrental.com 6 aCReS with 30’ x 48’ shop, well, power and new septic, longview, Wa. $125,000 360-577-5231 W ANTED olD woodworking tools, planes, leather tools, levels, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, rulers, chests. 503-659- 0009 U.S., geRman, japanese military, avia- tion, uniforms, helmets, swords, daggers, bayonets, rifles, pistols. 503-852-6791 BUying US & world coins to add to col- lection, paying fairly, any amount welcome. 503-939-8835 ColleCtoR, cash paid, old fishing tackle, wood plugs, reels, creels, salmon fishing photos, etc. 503-775-4166 When you are unable to work full time anymore, we’re here to help with benefits. of a professional facilitator. Tracy said the meetings help eliminate rumors and mistrust, and have contributed to a less adversarial relationship. Negotiations continue between Metro and Laborers Local 483 over a new contract for 500 employees of the Oregon Zoo and regional parks. ColleCtoR PayS cash for older toys, oil paintings, american art pottery, and cos- tume jewelry. 503-703-5952 motoRCyCleS running or not, boats, tractors, trailers, lawn mowers, car and bike magazines, cash paid. 503-880-8183 Small BReeD dog, 12–20 pounds, 3 month to 3 years, reasonably priced. 503- 654-7941 S PORTING G OODS golF ClUBS, left-hand w/ bags; topFlite tour 3-PW, 17 & 21 degree hybrids, SW, putter, $40; adams a2 irons/hybrids, SW, putter, $55. 503-522-6542 16 ga. SPRingFielD single shot, tenite stock, 28” barrel, pre-1948, excellent bore, nice gun, $75.503-286-5901 300 SaVage, drilled for scope, great con- dition, $350. 503-926-3253 Vintage 1971 HaRley DaViDSon (FXSgt), would like to trade for 22-24’ travel trailer in good condition. 503-440- 5751 H&R 22/22mag ReVolVeR, model 927, 5.5” barrel, $225, firm. 503-699-5802 M ISCELLANEOUS HoBaRt m. CaBle console piano with bench and books, $300, gresham. 503- 799-1715 2 oH gaRage doors, 9’ x 7’ recessed pnl w/all hardware, great condition, $95 each. 503-667-1093 Low Prices! Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 PAGE 10 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS AUGUST 1, 2014
