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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2016)
PAGE 2 | March 4 , 2016 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $13.75 per year for union members, $20 a year for all others. Send a check for that amount, indicating mailing address and union affilia- tion, to P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213. For 25 or more subscriptions, group rates of $9.60 a year per person are available to trade union organizations. Call 503-288-3311 for de- tails. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When or- dering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 IRS PROBLEMS? • Haven’t filed for ... years? • Lost records? • Liens - Garnishments? Call Me to Compare Prices with those you See on TV Nancy D. Anderson Enrolled Agent www.nancydanderson.com 503-244-2577 Portland Parks & Rec to end use of ‘permatemps’ By Oct. 1, at least 130 more workers at City of Portland recreation and community cen- ters will have union wages and benefits than a year ago — thanks to an agreement with La- borers Local 483 that was rati- fied by Portland City Council Feb. 17. The agreement is the result of a decade-long campaign by the union to end the City’s over-use of temp and casual workers. Last May, an arbitrator ruled that the city was violating its collective bargaining agreement with Local 483 by assigning bargaining unit work to low- wage nonunion employees at the rec centers. The agreement City Council ratified on Feb. 17 spells out how the city will com- ply with the arbitrator’s order to “cease and desist” doing that. “For years, so-called ‘casual’ staff working in our recreation centers have been doing the same work as their permanent counterparts for almost half the pay,” Local 483 President Wes- ley Buchholz told City Council Feb. 17. “These casual staff — many who have worked for the city nine, 10, even 24 years, year after year — have had to make Local 483 President Wesley Buchholz and Business Manager Erica Askin speak to Portland CIty Council before a Feb. 17 vote on a settlement. do with poverty wages in a city the city agreed that pre-school that now has the fastest rising teachers, assistant pool man- rents in the nation.… City em- agers, and customer service reps ployees, like should be in any type of the Parks and worker, de- Rec bargaining “City employees, like any serve a wage unit. The two that allows sides then con- type of worker, deserve them to live in tinued to nego- a wage that allows them the city they tiate over what to live in the City they serve.” kinds of work serve.” Last July, in will be union- — Local 483 president a first phase of represented, Wesley Buchholz complying and the agree- with the arbi- ment approved trator’s ruling, Feb. 17 codi- fies what they agreed to. Managers estimate the bureau will need an additional $4.4 mil- lion a year to fund all the new positions. If economic condi- tions prevent the city from fund- ing all the new permanent posi- tions, union, management, and City Council agree to discuss al- ternatives to reducing the work- force. Mayor Charlie Hales praised Local 483 for conducting itself in an honorable way, and all five members of City Council praised union and management for their work on the deal before voting for the agreement. “I consider this agreement one of the most significant achievements of my service on the City Council,” said Com- missioner Amanda Fritz. Commissioner Steve Novick was the one killjoy amid all the praise, warning that funding the Parks arbitration settlement has to compete with other budgetary priorities, like the Bureau of Emergency Communications, which he oversees. “We are going to have to cut services somewhere unless we come up with additional rev- enue somehow,” Novick said.
