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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2015)
NLRB rules adjunct faculty can unionize at private, religious colleges, universities TACOMA — In a groundbreaking decision with national implications, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled Dec. 19 that full-time, non-tenure-track faculty members at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) can form a union with Service Employees International Union Local 925. The ruling — backed by three of the five board members — comes months after PLU’s administration blocked the counting of ballots, asserting that its re- ligious affiliation makes it exempt from federal labor law. The administration also claimed that full-time contingent faculty (or adjunct faculty) were mana- gerial employees under the 1980 Supreme Court decision NLRB v. Yeshiva and could not unionize. The NLRB sided with the contin- gent faculty, ruling they can organize. In deciding the questions of religious exemption and managerial status, the Board established new tests for exam- ining the role of faculty at universities. Under the new tests, faculty must carry out a religious function to be denied the right to collective bargaining, not merely teach at a religiously-affiliated college; and, they must exercise effec- tive managerial control to be consid- ered management employees. The NLRB decision has far-reach- ing implications for religiously affili- ated colleges and universities nation- wide that have tried to keep faculty from unionizing. “Today, institutions of higher learn- ing look increasingly like big busi- nesses because corporate boards and administrations have marginalized the most important job on campus — teaching,” SEIU President Mary Kay Henry said in a statement. In a statement, PLU said it will de- cide whether or not to appeal the ruling after the union election results are final. Elliott elected director of Machinist District W24 ists (IAM) District W24. Chip Elliott was elected Officers were appointed to president/directing business their respective posts at the representative (DBR) of time of the merger. Machinists District W24. Prior to the merger, El- He ran unopposed in a dele- liott was the assistant DBR gates’ election held Dec. 6. to Wilson at Woodworkers Elliott has been serving Lodge W1. in the post since July 2013, This is the first outright when he was appointed by election since the district the Executive Board to fin- C HIP E LLIOTT lodges joined together. ish out the term of DBR In other election results, Robert Wilson, who retired. That term expired in December 2014. Noel Willet of Woodworkers Local Prior to that, Elliott was one of three 130 was elected assistant directing assistant directing business represen- business representative. He defeated the incumbent, Robert Petroff of Ma- tatives of District W24. Machinists District Lodge 24 and chinists Lodge 63. Petroff, who serves as president of Woodworkers District Lodge W1 merged in January 2011 to create the the Northwest Oregon Labor Coun- International Association of Machin- cil, was DBR of Machinists District Lodge 24 prior to the merger. He served as an assistant DBR following the merger. He will remain on staff assigned as a business representative. Marv Abbott of Woodworkers Lo- cal 157 outpolled three other candi- dates for secretary treasurer. Chris Taylor of IAM Lodge 1005 had been serving in that post since the retire- ment in July of longtime secretary- treasurer Dan Sass. Taylor, Pat Mal- oney of IAM Lodge 63, and John Hall of Lodge 63, ran for the full- time job. Elected as trustees were Les Au- man of Woodworkers Local 536 and Mike Hicks Jr. of Woodworkers Lo- cal 98, (representing Wood); and John Kleiboeker of IAM Lodge 63 and Ray Simonis of IAM Lodge 1005, (representing Metal). Other candidates running were Tom Thede of Woodworkers Local 246; Aaron Arnold of Woodworkers Local 38, Tim Timmreck of Woodworkers Lo- cal 38, and Jeff Wagner of Wood- workers Local 130; and Frank Rouse of IAM Lodge 1005. Caryn Kaufmann of Woodwork- ers Local 261, Larry Hendrickson of IAM Local 1432, and Kelly Zink of Woodworkers Local 536, were elected to one-year terms as auditors. All officers and trustees were sworn in Dec. 6 by IAM Western Territory Grand Lodge Representa- tive Kevin Cummings. Terms of office are four years. Its first large carhaul company in decades Teamsters organize Seattle-based Selland Auto Transport SEATTLE — The Teamsters Union won an election Dec. 16 at Selland Auto Transport. The bargaining unit covers 240 drivers and shop workers in Washington, Oregon, California, Mon- tana and Utah. The workers will be represented by Teamsters locals 174, 63, 315, 690, 223, 222, and 190. IRS PROBLEMS? • Haven’t filed for ... years? • Lost records? • Liens - Levies - Garnishments? • Negotiate settlements. • Prepare offer in Compromise. “The workers at Selland have made history,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said in a press statement. “This victory is historic because it is the first large carhaul organizing vic- tory in decades. The Teamsters have been organizing in freight and now with this carhaul victory at Selland, we are growing our core industries.” Headquartered in Seattle, Selland contracts with 11 foreign and domestic automobile manufacturers to move new cars, by truck, from ports and rail yards to auto dealerships in the West- ern United States. Drivers performing the work operate out of eight terminals: Seattle, Renton, Kent, and Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; San Bernardino and Richmond, California; Laurel, Montana; and Salt Lake City, Utah. Thirteen mechanics are in the bargaining unit. Fairness, low pay and potential for improved benefits were the key issues in the campaign, said Teamsters Carhaul Division Director Kevin Moore. “It feels great to be a Teamster,” said Tim Vires, a driver in Portland. “Orga- nizing with the Teamsters and negoti- ating a contract is the only way we can get the company to provide us with what is important and not be able to take it away later.” The union calculates Selland work- ers earn about 70 percent of the indus- try average in overall compensation. The owner challenged the bargain- ing unit, claiming 44 drivers were in- dependent contractors. The National Labor Relations Board didn’t buy it, and allowed the misclassified owner- operators to vote in the union election. (Editor’s Note: Press Associates Inc. Union News Service contributed to this report.) Call Nancy D. Anderson Enrolled Agent NPTI Fellow/America’s Tax Expert LTC-1807 www.nancydanderson.com 503-244-2577 A work injury may involve workers’ compensation, Social Security and personal injury, the three main areas of concentration for our law firm. P ROUDLY S ERVING P ORTLAND W ORKERS F OR O VER 32 Y EARS PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS JANUARY 2 2015
