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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2017)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | March 17, 2017 | PAGE 7 IN MEMORIAM LON IMEL Nov. 4, 1929 - Feb. 13, 2017 CWA members at AT&T Mobility rally for fair contract Union members and community supporters joined AT&T Mobil- ity workers in Seattle March 9 to rally for a fair contract. Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents about 21,000 AT&T Mobility workers (formerly Cingular) who work in customer service, telesales, retail, technical sup- port and other positions in 37 states — including Washington and Oregon. They are covered under an “orange contract” that expired Feb. 11. [CWA represents about 45,000 AT&T Mobility employ- ees throughout the country who are covered by different collec- tive bargaining agreements, based on their location.] The Mobility workers cov- ered under the orange contract voted by a 97 percent margin to authorize a strike if a fair con- tract isn’t reached. The last round of talks was held March 8. Key issues include company takeback demands. One would cut paid sick days from 10 to five. Another would increase worker share of health insurance costs by 32 percent. The com- pany also wants to change the commission structure of sales reps in order to cut their pay, and outsource call-center jobs to other countries. While AT&T brings in more than $1 billion a month, it has shifted more than 60 percent of retail jobs to third party dealers, while cutting more than 12,000 call center jobs and sending thousands more to Mexico, the Philippines, the Dominican Re- public, and other countries, CWA said. Kim Anderson, vice president of CWA Local 7803 in Seattle, said in her seven years at the company, she has witnessed AT&T downsize locations. “Everyone is nervous about losing their jobs. There’s a lot of worry out there and that’s why we’re fighting for a fair con- tract,” she said. The company is facing grow- ing opposition for its actions. More than 50,000 customers, workers and community mem- bers recently signed a petition calling on AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to support good jobs. Stephenson reportedly made $25 million in 2015. UNIONIZATION ] JAN-FEB 2017 The following is the only workplace in Oregon and Southwest Washington where workers voted whether to be represented by a union in the months of January and February 2017 — based on information from the National Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board. That’s the lowest level in any two-month period since the Northwest Labor Press began regularly listing local union certification elections in 1999. The thumbs-up symbol means workers will be union-represented. Union election results Employer (Location) Union ColumbiaCare Services (Portland) Operating Engineers Local 701 ■ 6 maintenance techs and housing specialists Yes-No = 5-1 ^ Lon Imel, a retired executive secretary treasurer of the North- west Oregon Labor Council and former congressional labor liai- son, died Feb. 13 after collapsing in his home in Wilsonville, Ore- gon. He was 87. Imel was a longtime member of what is now the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union. He joined Food and Drug Clerks Local 1092 in 1951 while employed as a super- market clerk. The local hired him as a busi- ness agent in 1965. Local 1092 merged with the Meat Cutters and other unions in to form UFCW in 1979. [In 1985, the UFCW locals in Ore- gon and Southwest Washington consolidated to form UFCW Local 555.] Imel served as president of the then-Multnomah County Labor Council from 1978 to 1980, when he was elected to the full time post of executive secretary-treasurer. Under his leadership the council merged with labor councils in Washing- ton, Clackamas and Columbia counties to create the Northwest Oregon Labor Council (NOLC), making it a political and com- munity powerhouse. Imel hired Judy O’Connor as his office secretary at the labor council in 1982. O’Con- nor later served four terms as ex- ecutive secretary- treasurer of NOLC — the first woman to hold the post. Imel stepped down in 1985 to take care of his wife, Diane, who had muscular dystrophy. Diane’s doctor recommended they relocate to Hawaii, where the climate might be beneficial. They returned to Portland several years later, which is when Imel began working as a labor liaison. He worked for U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin from 1988 to 1992, and for U.S. Rep Elizabeth Furse throughout her three-term career from 1993 to 1998. In his years as a congres- sional labor liaison Imel from time to time took leaves of ab- sence to assist in political cam- paigns, including Bill Clinton’s 1992 and ’96 successful runs for president. L ON I MEL graduated from Portland’s Roosevelt High School and served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He attended the University of Portland and Port- land State University. During his union career he served on many labor, civic and government boards and com- missions. He served 10 years on the Oregon AFL-CIO Executive Board and chaired its Finance Review Committee. Gov. Vic Atiyeh appointed him to the Oregon Economic Develop- ment Commission and to the Governor’s Labor Advisory Committee. He spent six years on the United Way of the Co- lumbia-Willamette board of di- rectors, and on its executive committee. And he also was president of Labor’s Commu- nity Service Agency while head of NOLC. On the J P Finley & Son Fu- neral Home web page ‘guest book,’ former Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt posted: “Everything that Lon touched got a little better. He fought for the needs of Oregon’s working citizens and likely never got the credit he deserved for helping engineer improvements to all of our lives. Count me among the lucky Oregonians who knew Lon and got his help on many occasions.” Imel is survived by his wife of 56 years, Diane; daughter Jodi Imel, son-in law Robert Bab- cock, and two granddaughters. A celebration of life was held March 2 at Bethel Congrega- tional UCC Church in Beaverton.
