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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2015)
By Portland City Council Do-Not-Buy Walmart policy extended Portland City Council voted unani- mously Dec. 17 to keep Walmart on its “Do-Not-Buy” list — because of its la- bor abuses, tax avoidance, and un- healthy market dominance. In 2013, Commissioner Steve Novick learned that the City’s asset portfolio included Walmart bonds, and in October 2013 he led passage of a resolution calling on the City to divest. Under that ordinance, when $10 million in Walmart securities matured in May 2014, the City sold them and did not reinvest in the company. The City still owns $27 million in Walmart bonds, all of which will mature by April 2016. The Dec. 17 Council vote extends the original resolution through the end of 2015. The original resolution also author- ized a five-member volunteer citizen committee to devise a socially respon- sible investments policy. That commit- tee delivered a report to the City in Au- gust 2014. Service Employees Local 49 political director Felisa Hagins was the voice of organized labor on the com- mittee, and Bernie Bottomly of the Portland Business Alliance was the voice of organized business (though he only came to one meeting). The com- mittee recommended that the City form Minimum wage inches up in 2015 The minimum wage in Oregon and Washington inched up 15 cents an hour on Jan. 1. Oregon’s minimum wage is now $9.25 an hour, and Washington’s is $9.47 — the highest in the nation. The increases are the result of state laws that tie the minimum wage to inflation. Washington’s minimum wage ap- plies to workers in both agriculture and non-agricultural jobs, though 14- and 15-year olds may be paid 85 percent of the minimum ($8.05). JANUARY 2, 2015 In the new year, the minimum wage increased in 19 other states. In Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota, voters approved ballot measures to in- crease the minimum wage. In Con- necticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachu- setts, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia, legislators approved the wage increases. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have mini- mum wages higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. a permanent, standing public commit- tee to advise the City on socially re- sponsible investment policies. A second resolution passed Dec. 17 does that. The resolution declares that City Council has an ethical obligation to avoid adding to its portfolio any securi- ties issued by corporations that damage the environment and health, engage in abusive labor practices, violate corpo- rate ethical and governance standards, engage in extreme tax avoidance, or ex- ercise such a level of market domi- nance as to disrupt normal competitive market forces. For now, Walmart is the only com- pany on the City’s “Corporate Securi- ties Do Not Buy List.” As spelled out in the ordinance, that’s because the company’s “business model exerts con- siderable downward pressure on wages throughout the retail sector and the broader economy,” and because “Wal- mart’s anti-union posture has dimin- ished the exercise of workers’ rights.” Among other evidence, the resolu- tion cites 39 complaints issued against the company by the National Labor Re- lations Board between 2000 and 2005, for illegal firings, disciplinary action and discrimination against union sup- porters. The complete resolution is available at http://bit.ly/1r3YOfE . NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS EE R F BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Ads MUST include area code or they will not be published H OUSING ROCKAWAY BEACH rental, 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 10, Jacuzzi, 5 min to beach/shops; Vacationhomerentals. com/43026 ROCKAWAY ocean front, 503-777-5076, 5 bdrms/2 bath, book now for summer! http://rockawaybeachfrontrental.com W ANTED OLD woodworking tools, planes, leather tools, levels, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, rulers, chests. 503-659- 0009 U.S., GERMAN, Japanese military, avia- tion, uniforms, helmets, swords, daggers, bayonets, rifles, pistols. 503-852-6791 BUYING US & world coins to add to col- lection, paying fairly, any amount wel- come. 503-939-8835 COLLECtOR, cash paid, old fishing tackle, wood plugs, reels, creels, salmon fishing photos, etc. 503-775-4166 COLLECtOR PAYS cash for older toys, oil paintings, American art pottery, and costume jewelry. 503-703-5952 MOtORCYCLES running or not, boats, tractors, trailers, lawn mowers, car and bike magazines, cash paid. 503-880-8183 HAM RADIO and short wave radio equip- ment (no CBs). 503-823-4577 1947 FRANKLIN HIGH School yearbook. 503-522-6542 OLDER RUGER 10/22 blued, older Ruger standard MkI or MkII 4 in barrel 22 lr. 503- 804-6360 1947 FRANKLIN High School yearbook. 503-522-6542 M ISCELLANEOUS OLD tRIMEt FAREBOx, $100 obo; re- spond to jean at organplayer3@live.com BRASS tRIMMED sliding glass shower doors, fits 5’ tub, excellent condition, $75. 503-320-5724 30 tEACUPS & SAUCERS, “fancy,” $200. 503-254-8948 S PORTING G OODS SKS MAGAzINES, new, 2-20 rnd, 1 30- rnd, $30 for all. 360-836-7512 GOLF CLUBS, left-hand topFlite tour, 3- PW, 17 & 21 degree hybrids, SW, putter, $35. 503-522-6542 140 PAGE 7
