Oregon AFL-CIO
Legislative director Pirtle-Guiney departs for job with governor
Elana Pirtle-Guiney is leaving her
position as Oregon AFL-CIO legisla-
tive and communications director for a
job as labor and workforce policy ad-
viser to Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber.
She’ll replace Duke Shepard as the
governor’s labor liaison.
Pirtle-Guiney joined the Oregon
AFL-CIO staff shortly after graduating
Lewis & Clark College in 2006, and
since then has directed organizing, po-
litical work, legislative work, and com-
munications. Her last day at the labor
federation will be Jan. 6.
She’ll be succeeded as communica-
tion director by Russell Sanders, and
as legislative director by Graham
Trainor.
Sanders is a graphic and web de-
signer. He grew up in Portland in a
union-proud household, graduated
from Southern Oregon University in
2007, and joined the Oregon AFL-CIO
staff in 2010.
Trainor has been with the Oregon
AFL-CIO since 2008, first as field di-
rector, and then political director. Prior
to that he was Oregon state director of
Working America, and in 2008 he
managed the campaign against an anti-
public-worker-union Ballot Measure
64 for Defend Oregon.
Pirtle-Guiney also serves as a labor
representative on the Workers Com-
pensation Management-Labor Advi-
sory Committee, but will have to resign
that position when she goes to work for
the governor.
Shepard, who once worked as field
coordinator for Kitzhaber’s 1994 cam-
paign for governor, went to work for
Chamberlain as Oregon AFL-CIO po-
litical director in 2006, and then was
hired as Kitzhaber’s labor liaison in
2011. He will continue to serve as La-
bor and Human Services adviser until
the end of December, and will become
deputy director at OHSU’s Center for
Evidence-Based Policy in January
2015.
“I’m glad this is Kitzhaber’s last
term, because he keeps stealing my
people,” Chamberlain joked.
Merry Christmas
and Happy
New Year
At the 2013 Oregon AFL-CIO convention, communications and legislative
director Elana Pirtle-Guiney watches as Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber signs
a bill into law.
Seattle bus drivers demand bathroom breaks
SEATTLE — Seattle bus drivers
picketed outside the King County
executive’s office Dec. 8 to demand
that King County Metro Transit do
more to guarantee bathroom and rest
breaks. One protester brought a
package of Depends; it can be so dif-
ficult to get breaks that some drivers
have taken to wearing adult diapers.
Others urinate in bottles or cups.
Organized labor has had a some-
times bumpy relationship with
Kitzhaber, but Pirtle-Guiney’s hire
continues a history of close connec-
tions between the state labor federation
and the governor’s mansion.
Tom Chamberlain was organizing
director under then Oregon AFL-CIO
president Tim Nesbitt, then labor liai-
son for then governor Ted Kulongoski
in 2004, and then succeeded Nesbitt as
Oregon AFL-CIO president in 2005.
Nesbitt himself ended up going to
work as Kulongoski’s deputy chief of
staff in 2007.
Amalgamated Transit Union Lo-
cal 587 — which represents the
2,600 Metro drivers — has said its
maintenance workers annually re-
place 60 urine-soaked driver seats.
Drivers also suffer urinary tract in-
fections and other health problems
related to bathroom access.
Part of the problem is that when
drivers use the bathroom, they can
be disciplined for running late. After
a six-month investigation, the Wash-
ington Department of Labor and In-
dustries last month fined the transit
agency $3,500 for failing to provide
unrestricted access to bathroom fa-
cilities at all hours on each service
route. Metro must correct the viola-
tions by Dec. 22 or face additional
fines.
OREGON STATE
B UILDING & C ONSTRUCTION T RADES C OUNCIL
Executive Secretary John Mohlis
Portland, Oregon, 503-788-7153
www.oregonbuildingtrades.com
Like us on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/oregonbuildingtrad es
The
Executive Board,
Staff and members of
OPEIU Local 11 wish everyone
a Happy and Joy-filled Holiday!
from
Office & Professional
Employees International
Union Local 11
AFT Local 111
DECEMBER 19, 2014
AFT-OREGON · AFT · AFL-CIO
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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