Tacoma voters may get to
decide $15 minimum wage
Getting books into the hands of kids
Portland Federation of School
Professionals (PFSP) Local 111
sponsored a book giveaway for
students of North Portland’s Boise-
Eliot School Dec. 9. Each student at
the K-8 school got to take home a
brand-new book, choosing from
piles arrayed on tables in the school
library. The event is part of a
campaign by the non-profit group
First Book to encourage reading by
getting books in the hands of kids.
PFSP, an affiliate of the American
Federation of Teachers, represents
classified support staff at Portland
Public Schools, including Boise-Eliot
library assistant Carol Whiteside,
who oversaw the giveaway. Pictured
left is first grade teacher Diana
Peters.
The activist group 15 Now Tacoma filed a local initiative last month to
raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and index it to inflation. If they
collect at least 3,160 valid signatures by mid-June, voters would decide the
issue next November. Under the proposed ballot measure, small businesses
making gross revenues of under $300,000 per year would be exempt. But
employers who violate the law would face tough penalties: Employers who
withhold more than $5,000 from an employee would be charged with
felony first-degree theft, facing possible jail time and fines of $100 per day
per employee.
Season’s Greetings
from the
THE KORPI LAW
FIRM PLLC
Michael H. Korpi
Attorney at Law
Representing employee benefit
plans in Oregon and Washington
for more than 20 years
135 Second Avenue North, Suite 202,
Edmonds, WA 98020
(425) 582-8935
Email: mikek@korpilaw.com
At annual holiday gathering
Trowel trades recognize longtime members
Victor Marquez (pictured) received
a 50-year Gold Card and plaque from
Cement Masons Local 555 at the lo-
cal’s annual holiday Christmas Party
Dec. 6.
Local 555 and Plasterers Local 82
presented pins and Gold Cards to long-
time members, and they recognized
graduates of their respective appren-
ticeship training programs at the event.
Local 555 member John Garnek
also was recognized for his 50 years of
membership. He was unable to attend.
Forty-year cards were awarded to
Abner Childress, Larry Richardson,
Jeff Thorgerson and William Wynn.
Thirty-year recognition pins went to
Robert Childers, Mark Farley, James
Hagler, Jeff Morrison and Greg Peter-
son.
Twenty-Five-year pins were pre-
sented to David Barnd, Dennis Brown,
William Burdick, Ron Chambers,
Mike Fultz, Kenneth Johnson, T. Lynn
Jones, Bud Peter-
son and Ivan Tay-
Victor
lor.
Marquez
Shane
Jennings
was rec-
ognized
as a new
journey-
m a n ,
having
completed
the Cement Masons apprenticeship
training program.
Plasterers Local 82 recognized
James McCarty and Mike Phengsy-
nath for 30 years of membership.
Twenty-five year pins went to Rance
Danielson, Tony Jackson, Joe Rask
and Mike Whitney.
Graduates of the 2014 apprentice-
ship class and new journeymen are
Mario Espinoza and Bryant Mikkola.
This year marks the 150th anniver-
sary of the Operative Plasterers and
Cement Masons International Associa-
tion of the United States and Canada.
Lewis & Clark grad joins
Portland labor law firm
Sydney Monta-
naro has joined
Swanson, Thomas,
Coon & Newton as
an associate repre-
senting injured
workers in work-
ers’ compensation
claims.
Montanaro graduated from Lewis
& Clark law school in Portland in
May 2014. During law school she fo-
cused on public interest law and
clerked for various non-profit organi-
zations and offices dedicated to repre-
senting low income people and advo-
cating for employment rights.
PAGE 20
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
DECEMBER 19, 2014