To break into Portland residential market,
an electricians union offers incentives
International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local
48 has launched a campaign to in-
crease its presence in residential
work. Known as the +5 Residential
program, or Plus5PDX, it offers
customers a service agreement that
adds five years to the standard one-
year warranty. The program also of-
fers, free of charge: five low-voltage
cable hookups, a $250 credit the
homebuyer can use for future elec-
trical work, and a Legrand On-Q
Enclosure, which is a central con-
nection point for things like inter-
com, camera, and internet systems.
Plus5PDX is targeted at home
builders or homeowners doing re-
models or additions. It’s expected to
be something union contractors can
use as a selling point when compet-
ing for new business.
Indiana IBEW Local 697 came
up with the idea, which has also
been taken up by IBEW Local 46 in
Seattle. IBEW’s international office
is encouraging other locals to offer
the program. Expenses are covered
through the Electrical Industry Ad-
vancement Fund, which is adminis-
tered jointly by the union and the
National Electrical Contractors As-
sociation (NECA).
Just 9 percent of residential elec-
trical work in the Portland area is
currently performed by union-sig-
natory contractors, says Local 48 or-
ganizer Oscar Mérida, and most of
that is in larger multi-family hous-
At Portland’s Fall Home and Garden Show Oct. 3, Oscar Mérida and
Sue Harris of IBEW Local 48 debut a new incentive program for
builders and homeowners to consider union contractors.
ing construction. The Local 48 resi-
dential agreement, which includes a
union scale of $28.25 an hour plus
$11.85 an hour in benefits covers
about 45 members of Local 48 who
are on its residential list. Thirty-
seven contractors are signed on to
the agreement.
“With a lot of people, as soon as
they hear union they assume it’s go-
ing to be overpriced,” Mérida told
the Labor Press. “But there’s a rea-
son we get paid what we get paid.
We train the best, and perform the
best work possible.”
The Plus5PDX campaign de-
buted with a booth at the Portland
Fall Home and Garden Show Octo-
ber 2-5. It will also be promoted
with yard signs and window decals.
So far, 11 contractors have signed
up to take part. The campaign has a
web site, plus5pdx.org, and a hot-
line, 1-844-plus5pdx, where a list of
participating contractors is avail-
able.
Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler
proposes Ballot Measure 86
By JEFF KLATKE,
Oregon AFSCME president
Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler has
come up with another good idea. His
proposed Ballot Measure 86 would au-
thorize a fund that would provide fi-
nancial assistance to students pursuing
career training, technical or profes-
sional education.
As the costs of education continue
to rise, education beyond high school
has become cost-prohibitive for many,
limiting career paths of workers in
nearly every field. Measure 86 gives
students of all ages an opportunity to
pursue that education that might other-
wise be out of reach.
Measure 86 amends the Oregon
Constitution to allow the state to issue
bonds to create an endowment fund
that remains in perpetuity. The interest
earnings from this fund would be used
to provide financial assistance to stu-
dents at public colleges and universi-
ties in Oregon. The bonds that could
be issued could only be a tiny fraction
of the state’s debt capacity, but could
result in hundreds of millions of dol-
lars for the endowment and tens of mil-
lions of dollars available every year for
students.
The fund would also be eligible to
accept charitable contributions and
grow beyond the value of the original
bond issuance.
There are universities that have cre-
ated similar funds and use them to of-
fer various forms of financial assis-
tance like loans or grants or a
combination of loans and grants. The
final products that would be available
in Oregon would be the decision of the
Oregon Legislature. Measure 86 re-
quires the creation of this fund and al-
lows bonds to be issued to create it.
Why would this kind of financial
assistance be a good investment in
Oregon’s work force? The growth in
the Oregon economy and the Oregon
job market is based on skills. The need
for unskilled labor will always exist,
but advancement in a trade, craft or
profession is based on the acquisition
of skills. These skills can be acquired
both inside and outside the classroom.
This fund gives people seeking acces-
sible and affordable.
For these and other reasons, the
Portland Tribune, the Salem States-
man-Journal, the Eugene Register-
Guard, the Portland City Club, the
American Federation of Teachers, the
Oregon Education Association, the
Oregon Nurses Association, Service
Employees International Union Local
503, and Oregon AFSCME encourage
you to vote yes on Ballot Measure 86.
Doorknocking with Working America
(From Page 1)
“I’m giving people an opportunity to
participate.”
At 4:30 p.m., a voter named Paul
is home and answers the door. A Re-
publican, he says he doesn’t vote the
party line, but considers candidates
on their merits. “Schools and jobs,”
he answers, when Qolus asks what
issues are most important to him.
Qolus next names the candidates for
state house and senate in his district,
and asks if he knows which one he’ll
vote for. He favors Democrat Barton
for House, but is thinking about vot-
ing for the Republican for Senate.
Qolus explains that Working
America, a nonpartisan organiza-
tion, has endorsed Barton and Da-
mon, both Democrats. Damon is a
professional mediator, and that may
be just what the closely divided Sen-
ate needs to get any work done, Qo-
lus says. Paul takes her flier, prom-
ises to consider it, and agrees to
share his email address. She thanks
him, and is on her way to the next
door, making notes on her tablet
about the encounter.
Next to answer the door is Lois,
OCTOBER 17, 2014
an 83-year-old Republican who says
national security is her top issue.
"What about issues for the state
legislature?" Qolus asks.
Jobs and schools, Lois replies.
She thinks schools could use more
money.
Qolus delivers a rap about Bar-
ton: He helped get more money for
schools this year.
The money will probably go to
overpaid higher-ups, Lois says.
Actually, Qolus says, the Legis-
lature told districts the extra money
had to be used to reduce class size.
In other words: Hire teachers. Bar-
ton also got the state to commit $5
million to redevelop a closed-down
paper mill nearby, Qolus adds, and
required that any work done on the
site be paid a living wage.
That sounds fine, Lois says … if
it ever gets built. Lois says she
watches Fox News, and is fed up
with all the political negativity.
“You haven’t heard me say any-
thing negative, have you?” Qolus
asks. Qolus says she’s met Barton.
He’s direct and honest and ap-
proachable.
Lois takes some literature and
follows Qolus out to the street,
adding that she doesn’t like Obama,
or Obamacare, or Clinton. Maybe
they don't agree on some things, Qo-
lus says. But Lois can tell Qolus be-
lieves in what she's doing.
“It’s our impression that matters,”
Qolus tells the Labor Press after-
ward.
Qolus and her coworkers have
been out helping candidates in close
races since Aug. 25, talking to Dem-
ocratic, Republican and independent
voters.
For the state labor federation, it’s
an investment in people power.
Gone are the days when an Oregon
AFL-CIO endorsement meant a
check to a candidate’s coffers. To-
day, the labor federation wages its
own election campaign, in which
union volunteers and employees
supplement a full-time field opera-
tion — staffed by Chellema Qolus
and 24 other Working America can-
vassers.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 5