NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
June 2, 2017 | PAGE 11
Paint and Floor
Coverer STARS!
COMMITMENT TO TRAINING SETS THESE WORKERS
APART FROM THEIR COMPETITION
Nearly 75 union painters and floor coverers received bonus
checks May 20 at a Safety Training Awards Recognition
(STAR) banquet in Portland. The checks ranged from $400
for Painters to $599 for Floor Coverers. The craftsmen and
women are members of Portland-based Painters Local 10
and Floor Coverers Local 1236 who work for employers of
the Signatory Painting Contractors Organization and the
Signatory Floor Covering Contractors. The union workers
qualified for the bonuses after completing seven classes
(painters only) and 24 hours of voluntary skill-advancement
training and safety courses over a 12-month period.
The STAR program was initiated in 2004 when Painters
and Allied Trades District Council No. 5 and the Signatory
Painting Contractors Organization made a commitment to
each other to field the best-trained, highest educated work-
force in the industry. This led to the creation of the Painters
Union/Management Partnership, or PUMP. The program is
funded by a cents-per-hour contribution negotiated in their
collective bargaining agreement. Local 1236 started fund-
ing its PUMP program in 2010. Bonus checks were awarded
starting in 2012.
The following members received bonus checks:
PAINTERS — Jorge Arellano, William Barney, Eraclio Ben-
itez, Juan Bernal, Joe Bishop, Mike Bokamper, Timothy
Bradfield, Brian “Tim” Chung, Leordan Cruz, Angel Cuellar,
Gregory Cunningham, John Daniels, Frances Delandro, Ger-
ald Dooley, Foo-Beng “Allen” Foong, Jaime Garcia, Hector
Gonzalez, Sergio Gonzales, Timothy Goodnight, Jason Gra-
ham, Eileen Grigat, Carlos Hernandez, Micah Herrera, Dar-
rell Holbrook, Alan Jackson, Brian Jackson, Jonathan
Jaimez, William Johnston, Damon Keene, Roger
Kennedy, Joesph Langley, Michael Llanos, Hernando
Magallanes, Jose Maldonado, Justin Manning, Higinio
Marcos-Jimenez, Julio Mena Fuentes, Richard Mentzer,
David Mercado, Moises Mercado, James Meyer, Joel
Miller, Alin Muresan, Daniel Norman, Ronald Pearson,
Charles Pennell, Rudy Ponder, Kenneth Rheel, Francisco
Rico, Steven Rodriguez, Joel Roman-Fernandez, Moises
Romero, Matthew Sauer, Amber Schaeffer, Steven Smart,
Roger “Skip” Smith, Vincent Spillman, Jeff Splichal, Todd
Stange, Herb Steffl, Amber Vankuren, Juan Carlos Vay-
lon, Chris Vezaldenos, Seth Wannamaker, Robert Woods,
and Juan Zepeda.
Several Painter apprentices were recognized for per-
fect attendance. Receiving awards were Michael Antrim,
Jermie Ali, Maria Guevara, Steven Kauffman, James
McClara, and Lacie Robinson.
FLOOR COVERERS — Rodrigo Morales-Corona,
Jonathan Doran, Michael Nguyen, Daniel Ramirez, An-
drew Sparks, Brent Tompkins, Ryan Weeks, and Robert
Wheeler.
IBEW Local 125 appeals for funds for man
burned in an unprovoked attack at Denny’s
where he is still be-
IBEW Local 125 has is-
ing treated for his in-
sued a $100,000 challenge
juries. Initial esti-
to union members and in-
mates indicate that
dustry partners to help a
bills will approach
Portland man who was se-
$100,000 or more.
riously burned in an unpro-
“Instead of enjoy-
voked assault at a restau-
ing this phase of his
rant.
life, Mr. Ranstrom
On the night of March 4,
Scott Ranstrom, a 69-year- Scott Ranstrom must now fight to re-
cover from this dev-
old man from Happy Val-
ley, was drinking coffee and astating act of violence,” said
playing on his computer at the Marcy Grail, assistant business
neighborhood Denny’s restau- manager of Local 125.
Local 125, which represents
rant, where he is a regular. A
short while later, 24-year-old outside linemen and women,
Deshawn Swanger came into the knows that Ranstrom is in good
restaurant and sat down in the hands at the Burn Center. Over
booth next to Ranstrom. the years members who have
Swanger then committed one of sustained severe burns on the
the most heinous acts of random job have recovered there. And a
violence anyone has ever heard good portion of Local 125
when he allegedly threw gaso- fundraising events goes to help
line on Ranstrom and lit him on expand the Burn Center and its
services.
fire.
Now, Local 125 is asking
Ranstrom was taken to
Legacy Emanuel Burn Center, union members and industry
partners for help to support a
member of the community. Last
month at a shop steward train-
ing, a number of Local 125
members donated either their ex-
penses and/or wages to the
cause. To date, the union has
raised $2,000.
Grail said that although there
is a GoFundMe account set up to
help Ranstrom, the union prefers
to self-fundraise in order to save
the roughly 10 percent that Go-
FundMe charges for its service.
If excess funds are raised,
they will go to the Legacy Fam-
ily House project on behalf of
the Pacific Northwest Lineman
Rodeo.
For more information, call
503-262-9125.
Send donations to:
IBEW Local 125, 17200 N.E. Sacra-
mento St., Portland, OR 97230 c/o
IBEW Local 125 $100K Challenge
ALL IN THE FAMILY. Painters Local 10 STAR re-
cipient Hector Gonzales (right), brought his fa-
ther to the awards banquet. Pete Gonzales, 70,
is a 46-year member of Local 10. He worked at
several large manufacturing companies, and at
the Portland shipyard before becoming a union
instructor for the Job Corp. Now retired and liv-
ing in Woodburn, the elder Gonzales says he is
grateful for his union pension.
BUILDING COMMUNITY
National Nurses Week event at Local 5017. The Oregon Federation of
Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5017 teamed up with local women’s shel-
ters for a special Mother’s Day project to celebrate National Nurses Week. Union
members assembled 75 gift baskets with locally sourced goods and treats for
children at three area shelters to give to their mamas on Mother’s Day. The gift
bags included chocolates, body wash and lotion, and movie tickets. Local 5017
donated to Monica’s House in Washington County, Portland Rescue Mission
“Shepherd’s Door” in Multnomah County, and a Safe Place Family Justice Center
in Clackamas, Oregon.
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