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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2014)
Shipyard workers hold short ULP strikes at 6 Vigor properties Several hundred shipyard workers at six Vigor Industrial facilities in Oregon and Washington conducted unfair labor practice (ULP) strikes Sept. 25 during their lunch break and at the afternoon shift change. The Metal Trades Council of Port- land & Vicinity and the Puget Sound Metal Trades Council filed an unfair la- bor practice complaint with the Na- tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after Vigor Industrial implemented a to- bacco free policy Sept. 1 at all of its lo- cations without bargaining in good faith. The job action involves workers at Cascade General, Vigor Marine and Vigor Fab at Portland’s Swan Island ship repair yard. Vigor Industrial employs approxi- mately 1,700 workers in facilities in Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bre- merton and Port Angeles. They are members of various craft unions, and work under a master labor agreement negotiated and administered by the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO. [The Carpenters Union represents some employees under a separate agreement.] The Portland Metal Trades Council bargains local terms and conditions in Oregon (at Swan Island). The respec- tive Metal Trades Councils in Wash- ington bargain local terms and condi- tions for workers in those cities. “Implementing a tobacco-free pol- icy is absolutely a mandatory subject of bargaining, and Vigor knows it,” said Brian Opland, business manager of Seattle-based Boilermakers Local 104. Local 104 represents all welders, ship fitters, riggers and helpers in Oregon and Washington, as well as several other job classifications. Speaking at a lunchtime picket at Swan Island, Opland explained to nearly 100 workers that tobacco use has never been an issue in the past. In 2013 Vigor was concerned about trash and litter (cigarette butts, etc.), so the union and company agreed on a process for corrective action. Last year the company spent nearly $20,000 to build a covered designated smoking area for its employees at Swan Island. Opland said the company has ex- panded tremendously over the last sev- eral years, and with that growth it has begun operating “more and more like a dictatorship.” Last year, Vigor Shipyard in Seattle implemented its last, best and final of- fer after the sides couldn’t come to terms on a deal, and workers decided not to strike. It takes a two-thirds ma- jority vote to strike. The Portland Metal Trades Council contract at Cascade General expires in Nov. 30 of this year. The master agreement with the na- tional Metal Trades Department ex- pires June 1, 2017. Opland said the NLRB is currently investigating the charges and has not yet set a timeline as to when it may is- sue a ULP complaint. Meantime, future job actions and additionaly ULP charges are being discussed. Joe Loennig, a member of IBEW Local 48, joins about 75 co-workers from various craft unions on a picket line Sept. 25 at the Portland shipyards on Swan Island. Portland and Puget Sound metal trades councils filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Vigor Industrial after the company implemented a tobacco free policy at all of its properties without bargaining with the union. Unfair labor practice strikes were held during lunch break and afternoon shift-change at Vigor properties in Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bremerton and Port Angeles. TRUST AND EXPERIENCE MAKE EXPERIENC A STRONG UNION. U Administering labor management funds is a complex process. At Union Bank,® we’ve made it more eff icient for Taft-Hartley clients for over 60 years. We off er specialized collection and disbursement services that are tailored to serve the needs of benefit administrators—from a customized lockbox that improves the employer remittance process, to state-of-the-art electronic receivables. Our experienced deposit specialists will help you identify your specific commercial banking needs and design a plan to streamline your banking experience, increase eff iciency, and reduce costs. Union Bank is proud to provide commercial banking services to nearly 250 labor management clients of every size, representing over $525 million in deposits. Please contact us today for more information. unionbank.com/labor Collette Witting Labor Industry Manager 949-553-4302 Armand Antonian Sr. Relationship Manager 213-236-5046 Southern California, Southwest, Midwest John Mendoza Sr. Relationship Manager 415-705-7112 Northern California, Pacific Northwest, East Coast ©2014 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. unionbank.com OCTOBER 3, 2014 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 7
