NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | April 17, 2015 | PAGE 15
Clark County residents blast proposed R-T-W resolution
for women working in the construction
By Michael Gutwig
Union members
Editor & Manager
and their allies
industry, especially nonunion. You can’t
wearing “Union
speak
out
if
a
job
is
unsafe,
for
fear
of
be-
VANCOUVER, Wash.— Union mem-
YES” buttons
ing
fired,
she
said.
And
pay
isn’t
always
bers in Clark County, Washington,
packed the Clark
packed a hearing room at the Board of equal. “If you take away the union, you
County Board of
County Councilors meeting April 7 to take away the voice that women have out
Councilors meet-
oppose a pair of proposed anti-union res- there,” she said.
ing April 7 to
IBEW Local 48 member Kevin Lux of
olutions. One resolution would make it
protest a pair of
policy “to advocate against requiring Vancouver told councilors that he is from
proposed anti-
union resolutions.
county employees to join a union as a a conservative Republican family—all of
There are about
condition of employment.” The other whom are or were union members. Lux
then
read
pro-union
quotes
from
Presi-
1,120 union em-
would open collective bargaining nego-
ployees at Clark
dents
Eisenhower
and
Lincoln.
“So,
if
tiations to the general public.
County, repre-
you
can’t
believe
us
as
Democrats
or
la-
The resolutions are nearly identical to
sented by 14
bor
people,
look
to
those
Republicans
right-to-work resolutions, ordinances,
unions.
and propositions that have been intro- from the past—the stances they took, and
duced in other municipalities nationwide the elections they won.”
Retired Laborers Union official Dave
—the sole purpose of which is to weaken
Vancouver resident Sid Clark, a mem- Ed Barnes, a 60-year member of IBEW
Letinich
of Vancouver reminded coun- ber of Teamsters Local 117, said coun- Local 48 and a former county councilor.
labor unions. They are the product of the
American Legislative Exchange Council cilors that union members make up a cilors opened a pandora’s box.”The peo-
Several citizens who came to the
(ALEC), a corporate-funded anti-union large portion of the “citizens “of Clark ple of Clark County, we’re Republicans, meeting to discuss other issues made a
organization. In Washington, the Free- County. He said he was offended by a we’re Democrats, and we’re independ- point to tell councilors that they, too, op-
dom Foundation, an Olympia-based con- councilor’s remark at a previous meeting ents, but when we come together for a posed the anti-union resolutions.
servative group with close ties to ALEC, complaining that they (councilors) hadn’t common cause ... we’re going to stand
After nearly two hours of public com-
heard much from regular citizens.
also is involved.
up,” he said.
ment, Chair David Madore said most of
“You look at the hundreds of us here
Neither resolution has been formally
“You guys keep bringing up things the accusations he’d heard weren’t true.
that
are opposed to these resolutions— that cause dissension in the community. The multimillionaire business owner
introduced in Clark County, but union
leaders want to get ahead of the game. we are the citizens. Just because we’re in It’s not healthy. It’s not necessary,” added serving in his first term said he respects
Citizens have packed three councilor the union ...”
union members, and that they
meetings since they first got
shouldn’t assume to be adver-
wind of the proposals. At each
saries.
meeting they have used the pub-
“Don’t lose hope. We respect
lic comment period to urge the
you. We will continue to learn.
three Republican councilors
We’ll listen,” he said. “But,
who make up the board to drop
please don’t listen to some of this
the resolutions.
stuff that’s been told, because it’s
“These resolutions are of no
not true.”
value to this community. They
Madore said he wasn’t “com-
serve no purpose other than to be
pelled” by the number of people
destructive to a current work-
in the room talking against the
force that works very hard and
resolutions.
has been very successful,” said
“A packed hearing room does
Vancouver resident Mike
not an election make,” he said.
Richards, executive secretary of
“What it really is, more than any-
Office and Professional Employ-
thing else, it’s a measure of how
ees Local 11. Local 11 represents
well people can organize—and
some Clark County employees.
you’re pretty well organized.”
Union Carpenter Ron Rob- Mike Richards, executive secretary of Office and Professional Employees Local 11, gives public testimony opposing anti-
Madore continued: “What
bins of Camas said right-to- union resolutions being considered in Clark County, Wash, by Councilors Dave Madore and Tom Mielke.
I’m looking for is people that
work isn’t about rights and it
share compelling reasons to
isn’t about work.
somehow help us know what we don’t
“Right-to-work, let’s not kid ourselves
know. Because we don’t know every-
about it—lowers wages. There’s not a
thing. We don’t know what we don’t
state in this union where that experi-
know.”
ment’s been tried that it hasn’t. So it’s
There are about 1,120 employees at
complete B.S. to say that isn’t what it is.
Clark County represented by 14 unions.
It’s about lowering the wages of the
A Coalition of Unions contract at the
working man,” he said.
county expires June 30.
Robbins pointed to Idaho, a right-to-
work state since the mid-’80s. “They
have the lowest personal income of any
“What I’m looking for is people
state in the union. They passed up Mis-
sissippi last year ... congratulations.”
that share compelling reasons to
Idaho’s number one export, he said, “is
somehow help us know what
their young people. They have to get out
we don’t know. Because we
of there, or they can’t survive.”
don’t know everything. We don’t
Beatrice Jenkins, a 20-year member of
know what we don’t know.”
Operating Engineers Local 701 who
lives in Woodland, said “people who
think we don’t need unions any more are
— Clark County Councilor Dave
wrong.”
Chris Montgomery and Beatrice Jenkins of Operating Engineers Local 701 make a protest sign before
Madore
She told councilors how difficult it is a Clark County Commission meeting.