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May 5, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Building trades, labor council
back Mt. Hood CC bond effort
Labor unions are backing a $75
million bond measure at Mt.
Hood Community College
(MHCC). The Northwest Ore-
gon Labor Council and the Co-
lumbia Pacific Building Trades
Council both endorsed Measure
96-120 with unanimous support
from their affiliated unions. The
measure is on the May Special
District Election ballot.
The $75 million general obli-
gation (GO) bond will fund a
number of projects, including:
• Building a new Workforce and
Applied Technology Center on
the Gresham campus, which
would house laboratories and
classrooms, and expand the col-
lege’s efforts in providing ap-
plied technology careers.
• Upgrading and improving the col-
lege’s safety and security infra-
structure, including the use of
new technologies, and seismic
upgrades and retrofitting to pro-
tect against earthquakes.
• Securing $8 million in state
matching funds to be used for
additional support for the Work-
force and Applied Technology
Center.
• Freeing up more operating funds
by refinancing existing capital
obligations.
An oversight committee,
made up in part by community
and business leaders, would be
required to oversee the funds to
ensure they are spent correctly.
If voters approve Measure 96-
120, it would be the first time
new money would come to the
college since a $6 million bond
passed in 1974. Last May, voters
rejected a $125 million GO
bond.
For the average homeowner,
the bond’s impact would be de-
termined by the assessed value
of their house — not the market
value. The estimated tax rate per
$100,000 of assessed value is
$23. The cost to a typical home-
owner with an as home value of
$200,000 would be $46 per year.
The MHCC campus opened
in 1966 at 26000 SE Stark St.,
Gresham. Today it has a student
population of more than 25,000.
It employs 1,200 faculty and of-
fers 120 degree and certificate
programs.
Ballots must be received at
county election offices by 8 p.m.
on Tuesday, May 16.
Operating
Engineers
#701 picket
filed ulp against con-
tractor at gresham
wastewater treatment
plant. Operating Engi-
neers Local 701 put up an
unfair labor practice (ULP)
picket April 25 at the Gre-
sham Wastewater Treat-
ment Plant on Northeast Sandy Blvd. The target of the picket is Veolia North America, which contracts
with the City of Gresham to operate and maintain the facility. The plant treats 13 million gallons of wa-
ter daily and serves 114,000 customers in the cities of Gresham, Fairview and Wood Village.
The three-year union contract for the 10 stationary employees at the plant expires on June 30, 2017.
Talks opened April 17 with Local 701 presenting its proposal to the company. Sitting at the bargaining
table the following day, the union was expecting a counter-proposal. Instead, they were handed a
new policy that significantly changed hours and working conditions for most of the bargaining unit,
said Local 701 attorney Nicole Rappaport.
“I said to them, ‘you mean proposed new policy,’ ” Rappaport told the Labor Press, reminding them
that they were in the middle of bargaining. But Veolia’s representative made it clear that this was not
a proposal.
The company unilaterally implemented the new policy that day. The union responded on April 19 by
filing an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. “We’re going to pro-
tect our members, no matter what,” said Local 701 Business Manager Jim Anderson.
The new policy includes controversial on-call scheduling. Workers almost went on strike over the issue
during contract negotiations three years ago. A memorandum of understanding was reached, Rap-
paport said, but the company didn’t comply with it, which resulted in Local 701 filing a grievance. The
case lingered for more than a year — until last December, when an arbitrator voided the MOU.
“So now we’re back to square one,” Rappaport said.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume later this month.