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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2016)
SERVING ORGANIZED LABOR IN OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON SINCE 1900 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS IN THIS ISSUE 911 STATE OF CRISIS Bargaining between City of Portland and AFSCME 189 heads to arbitration . | Page 3 Building Trades Convention Report p.4-5 Meetings p.6 PORTLAND, OREGON SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 Photo by Andrea Bakas VOLUME 117, NUMBER 17 WELCOME BACK! After a short hiatus, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 have re-subscribed to NWLP Rock Against the TPP Concert in Portland: As the White House readies a final desperate push for the un- popular Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, a large crowd turned out Aug. 20 for a “Rock Against the TPP” concert at Director Park in Portland. The free event was part of a national tour by a group of musicians, comedians and celebrities, including actress Evangeline Lilly (pictured lower right with campaign director Evan Greer), who are sounding the alarm against the TPP. The trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other countries was negotiated in secret by government officials and hundreds of corporate lobbyists. If it becomes law, it would be the largest deal of its kind in history and would pose a grave threat to good-paying jobs, internet freedom, the environment, access to medicine, food safety, and the future of freedom of expression, tour sponsors said. “Rock Against the TPP” was or- ganized by guitarist Tom Morello (Prophets of Rage, Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), his label, Firebrand Records, and digital rights group Fight for the Future. The tour has sponsorships from several labor organizations, including Communications Workers of America, the Teamsters, and United Steelworkers. Members of the Machinists Union, Bakers Union, and IATSE assisted with the Portland event. In the photo above, the musical lineup of hip-hop artist Talib Kweli, Pittsburgh punk rock band Anti-Flag, Downtown Boys, Greer, and Taina Asili took the stage to close the show in Portland. Mohlis retires from Building Trades Council; Frew tapped as successor BEND—John Mohlis presided over his last convention as exec- utive secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (OSBCTC), held Aug. 11-12 in Bend. Mohlis, 60, retired Sept. 1. Succeeding him is Tim Frew, a member of IBEW Local 280 in Tangent, Oregon. During his 30-plus-year career, Mohlis built a reputation as a hard-working, respected union leader who always brought a bal- anced perspective and unifying voice to contentious issues. He forged relationships with Demo- cratic and Republican lawmak- ers, contractors, business owners, bureaucrats, other union leaders, and rank-and-file members. That was evident at a retiree party Aug. 23 which drew nearly 250 well-wishers from across the political spectrum. “Bipartisanship in the Legis- lature is so important,” Mohlis told the Labor Press. “In all four caucuses the door is open to us. We have friends in all of them. And we have to maintain that. You have to. We can’t rely on one party. We just can’t. And we can’t rely on one chamber. We have to have friends in all of them if we’re going to succeed.” At the OSBCTC convention in Bend, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said Mohlis has been the gold standard for the Congressional John Mohlis (left) welcomes Tim Frew at the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council convention held Aug. 11-12 in Bend. Frew succeeded Mohlis, who retired as executive secretary of the council Sept. 1. delegation. “When John says something, you can just count on it,” he said. Mohlis is the only union offi- cial to ever receive the “Compass Award,” presented annually by the Port of Portland. The award recognizes individuals who serve as civic and/or corporate role models in the community, and who demonstrate exceptional support for the Port of Portland. Last year, Mohlis was named Outstanding Volunteer Fund- raiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Oregon & SW Washington for his work on “Unite for the Knight,” a campaign between business and labor organizations that helped raise $500 million for the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Challenge. Mohlis served three terms on the mayor-appointed Portland De- Turn to Page 5
