NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | October 16 , 2015 | PAGE 3
Biennial Oregon AFL-CIO convention will
draw hundreds of unionists to Seaside
Members of Congress who voted
in favor of Fast Track aren’t
invited this year.
Several hundred delegates from
Oregon labor unions will con-
verge Oct. 23-25 in Seaside for
the biennial convention of the
Oregon AFL-CIO. Among the
highlights: a debate among can-
didates for Oregon secretary of
state, a message of support from
national AFL-CIO Secretary
Treasurer Liz Shuler, and
keynote addresses from Oregon
Gov. Kate Brown, U.S. Sen. Jeff
Merkley, and Oregon House
Speaker Tina Kotek.
The Oregon AFL-CIO is the
premier coordinating body for
the state’s labor movement: Its
affiliates include 274 union lo-
cals from 40 international
unions, representing over
100,000 union members. Its
reach also extends to another
192,000 Oregonians who are
members of Working America,
the AFL-CIO organization for
those who don’t have a union in
their workplace.
At the Seaside Convention
Center, convention delegates
will spend the three days elect-
ing officers, debating official
resolutions, and taking part in
discussions on racial justice, cli-
mate change, and non-tradi-
tional forms of organizing.
Saturday evening they’ll head
out to the streets of Seaside to
circulate cards pledging to sup-
port an increase in the minimum
wage. They’ll unwind at the
opening night party, a comedy
show, and a casino night with
donated union-made products as
prizes.
The debate among candidates
for secretary of state is tenta-
tively scheduled for 11 a.m.,
Saturday, Oct. 24. It will include
Labor Commissioner Brad
Avakian, state Rep. Val Hoyle
(D-Eugene) and state Sen.
Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin).
The stakes are high: Whoever
does best in the debate could
win the prize of the labor feder-
ation’s endorsement, if they can
find a two-thirds majority of
delegates to get behind them.
All three candidates have long-
standing ties to organized labor.
Numerous other elected offi-
cials will turn up to the Seaside
Convention Center. But notably
not invited this year were the
four Oregon Democrats who
voted for Fast Track this June:
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S.
Representatives Earl Blume-
nauer, Suzanne Bonamici, and
Kurt Schrader.
IN MEMORIAM
William James
“Billy” McNicholas
April 12, 1926- Sept. 29, 2015
William “Billy” McNicholas, a
longtime member and officer of
the United Association of
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local
290 (and Local 235 before it
merged) passed away Sept. 29 at
age 89.
McNicholas joined Local 235
as an apprentice in 1946. He
was active in the union, serving
on its executive board, as vice
president, and as a business
agent. In 1966, he was ap-
pointed to the Steamfitters Joint
Apprenticeship Committee and
became its secretary-treasurer.
He served on the committee for
20 years.
He was elected business agent
of Local 235 in 1971. He retired
as a business agent for Local 290
in May 1986. The UA chartered
Local 290 in July 1985, when lo-
cal unions throughout Oregon
were merged.
William James McNicholas
was born on April 12, 1926, in
his family’s home on Northeast
Thompson Street in Portland.
He graduated from Jefferson
High School in 1944, where he
was an All-City second team
football lineman.
For a time, Mc-
Nicholas worked
on the docks as a
longshoreman;
his father and
brother
were
members
of
Longshore Local 8. Later, he
joined the U. S. Army and
served as a staff sergeant in the
China-Burma-lndia World War
II war zone.
In 1946 he returned home and
met Norma Houser, who be-
came his wife. They were mar-
ried for 57 years and had three
sons, five daughters, two foster
children, nine grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren. Two
sons are members of Local 290.
He was preceded in death by
son Tony; daughter Joanna; and
wife Norma. Tony died at age
15 in a 1969 fall off Cape Ki-
wanda on the Oregon Coast.
McNicholas’ lobbying at the
State Capitol in Salem resulted
in the state designating the cape
as a park and fencing it.
During his career, McNi-
cholas served as president of the
Portland Metal Trades Council
and held the post of secretary-
treasurer of the Oregon State
Pipe Trades. After he retired, he
served as president of the Local
290 Retirees for 12 years.
Gov. Tom McCall appointed
him to the Oregon State Appren-
ticeship Center’s Advisory
Committee. Additionally, he
was vice president of the Co-
lumbia Power Trades Council.
McNicholas was honored
with a lifetime membership in
the United Association of
Plumbers and Fitters in 1997.
At the time of his death, Mc-
Nicholas was in his 40th year of
service on the board of directors
of the Union Labor Retirement
Association, which oversees the
construction and operation of
the Union Manors retirement
apartment complexes in the
Portland-Vancouver metro area.
An Irish tenor, McNicholas
sang with the Portland Sym-
phonic Choir, as well as at
many union events, including
the annual holiday party spon-
sored by the Columbia Pacific
and Oregon State building
trades councils.
McNicholas took part in the
Christian Family Movement at
the St. Cecelia Catholic Church
in Beaverton, helping in a pro-
gram that brought families to the
United States from Dutch In-
donesia and helped them find
homes and jobs.
Donations in his memory can
be made to St. Cecilia’s Tuition
Assistance Program.
“The 80 richest individuals on this planet
now have the same wealth as the poorest
50 percent, more than 3.5 billion people.”
W INNIE B YANYIMA , O XFAM I NTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ,
“W ILL G LOBAL G OVERNMENTS H AVE THE C OURAGE TO T AKE ON THE 1 P ERCENT ?”
S EPTEMBER 15, 2015
Endorsed by the
Northwest Oregon
Labor Council
JOB OPENING
IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union
The Credit Union is looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual
to oversee our Relationship Department.
The chosen applicant would coordinate work activities in the department,
planning, scheduling, training; suggest procedure development/mod-
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generate suggestions to increase loan volume, oversee loan promotions,
cross sell Credit Union services and products.
Individual must possess excellent communication skills and have the
ability to lead others in a positive manner. Must possess the ability to
develop a professional relationship with members offering financial
guidance. Must have at least 5 years of progressively increasing experience
in the lending area of a financial institution, preferably a Credit Union,
along with being able to identify and offer solutions for other financial
needs. Excellent salary and benefit package offered.
Please send resume to:
jeaninel@ibewuwfcu.com
VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL
Position #4
Position #5
Position #6
BART HANSEN
TY STOBER
GEORGE FRANCISCO
CLARK COUNTY COUNCIL
Chair, At Large
MIKE DALESANDRO
Councilor, Dist. 2
CHUCK GREEN
BATTLE GROUND CITY COUNCIL
Councilor, Pos. #7
CANDY BONNEVILLE
EVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Representative, Dist. 3
VICTORIA BRADFORD