NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | June 19, 2015 | PAGE 9
United Way names Portland Federation of
School Professionals #111 top labor partner
United Way of the Columbia-
Willamette raised a record-
breaking $25.7 million during
its 2014-15 fundraising cam-
paign. That’s an increase of $3.3
million over last year’s revenue.
The announcement was made
at the annual “Spirit of Generos-
ity” awards banquet held June 3
to honor donors, companies,
and volunteers that contributed
to the campaign’s success.
Portland Federation of
School Professionals Local 111
was named Labor Partner of the
Year. The union represents clas-
sified employees in the Portland
Public School District.
Of the total amount raised, a
little over half, or $13.5 million,
goes directly to United Way and
helps support the nonprofit’s
work and 10-year commitment
to break the cycle of childhood
poverty in Multnomah, Clacka-
mas, and Washington counties
in Oregon, and Clark County,
Washington. The remaining
amount of $12.2 million is dis-
tributed directly to the individ-
ual nonprofits designated by
donors on their pledge forms, a
service made possible by United
Way’s Cornerstone Program.
The record fundraiser is good
news for Labor’s Community
Service Agency (LCSA), a la-
bor partner of United Way since
1974. The non-profit organiza-
tion, which operates under the
auspices of the Northwest Ore-
gon Labor Council and a 16-
person board of directors, gets
much of its funding from United
Way.
LCSA receives an annual al-
location of $125,000 from
LOCAL MOTION
MAY 2015
The following are Oregon and Southwest Washington workplaces where workers are determining
whether to be represented by a union. The thumbs-up symbol means workers will be union-
represented. Thumbs-down means they’ll be on their own. Decert means a decertification
election, where union-represented workers vote whether to remain union. The information comes
from the National Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board.
Election Requests
Employer (Location) Union
Southern Wine and Spirits (Wilsonville) Teamsters Local 162
■ 23 drivers
PeaceHealth (Springfield and Eugene) SEIU Local 49
■ 1,040 hospital support workers in 40 classifications, from CNAs to techs to food service
Food Front Cooperative Grocery (Portland) UFCW Local 555
■ 86 workers – all full-time, part-time, and on-call workers
First Student (Dillard) Oregon School Employees Association (AFT Local 6732)
■ 15 full-time and part-time drivers and bus aides
Unionization by majority signup
Employer (Location) Union
Keith Thomajan, president and CEO of United Way of the Columbia-
Willamette, presents Portland Federation of School Professionals Local
111 President Belinda Reagan with United Way’s “Labor Partner of the
Year” award at the June 6 Labor Appreciation and Recognition Night
banquet.
United Way’s general cam-
paign. This year it received an
additional $60,000 in direct des-
ignations from donors who
checked a box on the United
Way pledge card.
LCSA works with an array of
community-based and govern-
mental organizations through-
out Oregon and Southwest
Washington to provide educa-
tion, information, referral serv-
ices, and social service pro-
grams to citizens. It operates
with a two-person staff of Exec-
utive Director Vickie Burns and
Office Manager Eryn Byram.
“It’s inspiring to see such
strong support of United Way
from every sector, every com-
munity in our four counties,”
said Keith Thomajan, president
and CEO of United Way of the
Columbia-Willamette. “We are
especially grateful to the em-
ployees and retirees of our cor-
porate partners who so gra-
ciously donated their time and
talent in developing innovative
campaigns that inspire thou-
sands of others to give, advocate
and volunteer in service to our
region.”
Metro/MERC (Portland) IATSE
■ 28 workers –patrol and investigative sergeants
City of Hubbard (Hubbard) Fraternal Order of Police
■ 4 sworn police officers
Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue (Florence) Fire Fighters Local 851
■ 3 firefighters
Election Results
Employer (Location) Union
Yes-No =
Quality Custom Distribution (Tigard) Teamsters Local 305
14-7
Glacier Northwest/CalPortland (Hillsboro) Teamsters Local 162 5-7
Southern Wine & Spirits (Wilsonville) Teamsters Local 162
13-13
Providence Newberg Medical Center (Newberg) ONA
80-48
Firestop (Vancouver) UA Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669
1-2
PeaceHealth (Springfield and Eugene) SEIU Local 49
527-367
FERC revises schedule on Jordan Cove LNG
COOS BAY—The Federal En-
ergy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) has issued a revised
schedule for the environmental
review of the Jordan Cove liq-
uefied natural gas (LNG) export
terminal and Pacific Connector
Gas Pipeline. The final Environ-
mental Impact Statement (EIS)
will now be issued on Sept. 30,
2015 rather than the previous
date of June 12, 2015.
According to Veresen, the
Calgary, Alberta, British Co-
lumbia-based company that
owns the projects, the delay in
issuing the final EIS is primarily
due to the FERC’s evaluation of
an alternative pipeline route,
known as the Blue Ridge route,
which consists of approximately
14 miles of the 232-mile natural
gas pipeline route.
Don Althoff, president and
CEO of Veresen, said the com-
pany supports the alternative
route, which was proposed by
community members in South-
west Oregon.
Given the change in the
FERC schedule for issuing the
final EIS, Veresen is currently
reviewing any potential impacts
on the project schedule.
The terminal and supporting
power plant will cost roughly $6
billion, and will be built under a
project labor agreement (PLA)
with the Oregon State Building
and Construction Trades Coun-
cil (OSBCTC) and the North-
west National Construction Al-
liance, which consists of the
Carpenters Union and Operat-
ing Engineers Local 701.
Construction is anticipated to
span 42 months, with an aver-
age workforce of 900, and a
peak workforce of approxi-
mately 2,100. The average con-
struction wage will be $85,000
per year, including benefits.
The general contractors are
Black & Veatch Corporation,
Inc. and Kiewit Power Con-
structors.
The Pacific Connector Gas
Pipeline is an additional $1.5
billion project. Construction
will employ 1,400 at peak, with
an average of 800 workers. A
general contractor has not been
selected, but John Mohlis, exec-
utive secretary of OSBCTC, is
“99.9 percent” certain it will be
built under a PLA.
The terminal will be owned
and operated by Veresen. The
pipeline will be owned 50-50 by
Veresen and Tulsa, Okla.-based
Williams Partners Operating.