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