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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2014)
Union Veterans Council tackles issues of unionists who are military veterans WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Union Veterans Council (UVC) was es- tablished by the national AFL-CIO via a resolution adopted by the AFL- CIO Executive Council in March 2009. The UVC brings together union leaders and union mem- bers who are veterans to speak out on veterans’ issues and in- fluence public policy to im- prove the quality of life for U.S. veterans and their fami- lies. The two primary areas of focus for veterans are access to good jobs and access to quality health care. The Union Veterans Council holds government officials, candidates and elected officials accountable to the needs of all military veterans and their families. The UVC makes its positions on veterans’ issues known to candi- dates for public office and supports the appointment of labor-friendly vet- erans to government agencies at all levels. The UVC also encourages union veterans to take leadership roles in other veterans’ organizations and strives to form coalitions and alliances with other veteran groups around union vet- erans’ issues. To learn more about the Union Veterans Council, contact James Gilbert, director, at 202-637-5350 or email him at unionveterans@aflcio.org. Vets fundraiser planned Oregon Military Support Network (OMSN) will hold a benefit fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 15, featuring the Nor- man Sylvester Band. Voices for Veter- ans will be held at the Eagles Lodge 3426, 7611 N Exeter Street, Portland, from 7 to 11 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. In addition to the show, there will be a barbecue dinner, a no-host bar, door prizes, and an auction. Tickets are avail- able at www.tickettomato.com ($15 in advance and $20 at the door). For more information, call Glenn Shuck at 503-803-1969 or email him at ggshuck36@aol.com. You can also go on line to omsn.info. Charges against ‘postal defenders’ dropped Ten “postal defenders” won a re- prieve when Multnomah County Cir- cuit Court Judge Karin Immergut dis- missed criminal charges in a two-year-old civil disobedience protest case, saying the defendants’ constitu- tional right to a speedy trial had been violated. The postal defenders immediately turned from celebrating their victory to organizing for a Veteran’s Day action Nov. 11 to call on the postmaster gen- eral to halt the scheduled closure of half the nation’s remaining mail processing plants and to retain existing mail deliv- ery standards. The rally, which will also honor veterans’ involvement with the postal service, is slated for noon at Portland’s Waterfront Park. Ten postal defenders — Rev. John Schwiebert, Jamie Partridge, Jack Her- bert, Trudy Cooper, Rev. Michael Colvin, Tim Flanagan and Ann Hunt- work — were arrested May 24, 2012, on criminal trespass charges inside the now-closed University Station Post Of- fice in downtown Portland. The group was peacefully holding banners that called for “No Closures, No Cuts” and “Occupy the Post Office.” The 10 —members of labor unions, faith groups, neighborhood organiza- tions, small business owners, a dis- abled vet, retirees and the Occupy movement — refused to leave until postal management agreed to keep postal facilities open and full service. More than two years later, after a le- gal fight that went to the Oregon Supreme Court, the postal defenders had hoped to get their day in court be- fore a jury. The activists would have argued that they had tried every other means available — letter writing, phone calls, Congressional visits, ral- lies, marches, petitions, community hearings, city council resolutions — but had been unable to stop the dis- mantling of the postal service by the postmaster general. The postal defenders planned to ar- gue that, in refusing to leave, they were attempting to stop the closure of one- half the nation’s mail processing plants, the gutting of service at half the coun- try’s post offices and the delay of mail. The postal defenders say they will continue to argue that the real criminal is the postmaster general, who is vio- lating the Constitution (Article 1, sec. 8), Title 39 and Title 18, sec. 1701 & 1708 of the US Code by willfully ob- structing and delaying the mail. 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 NOVEMBER 7, 2014 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 5
