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June 2, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
$21,000!
Labor Appreciation banquet
recognizes union supporters,
raises cash for labor charity
The Labor Appreciation and
Recognition Night banquet spon-
sored by the Northwest Oregon
Labor Council
(NOLC) raised a
record $21,000
for Labor’s Com-
munity Serv-
ice Agency
(LCSA).
The an-
n u a l
event
recog-
nizes people
and busi-
Rob Williamson
nesses for
DEL RICKS AWARD
their com-
mitment to helping better the lives
of workers and people in their
communities. It also doubles as a
fundraiser for LCSA. More than
300 people gathered May 20 at
the IBEW Local 48 Hall in North-
east Portland. The theme this year
was Hawaiian.
Top recognition is the Del
Ricks Community Service
Award in honor of the late Del
Ricks, who was LCSA’s executive
director for 17 years. The 2017 re-
cipient is Rob Williamson, an
associate member of Office and
Professional Employees Local
11. Williamson spent nearly 20
years at the IBEW and United
Workers Federal Credit Union. He
is constantly volunteering and
fundraising at union and com-
munity events, including the
Unions for Kids motorcycle poker
run and LCSA’s Presents from
Partners holiday program.
The “Heritage Award” was
presented to Ben Fain, a retired
member of Amalgamated Transit
Union (ATU) Local 757, and
Linda Jauron-Mills, also a
member of ATU Local 757. A
posthumous award went to Leota
Clark of the Oregon School Em-
ployees Association (OSEA) Lo-
cal 6732-American Federation of
Teachers. Fain is is a volunteer
driver for the Bus Project and “a
local legend in Oregon’s activist
and labor communities.” Jauron-
Mills is a TriMet bus operator and
volunteer coordinator for Local
757. She is active with Jobs with
Justice and Labor’s Community
Service Agency. Clark was a re-
tired library assistant at Estacada
High School and a former OSEA
president and field rep. She
passed away earlier this year.
Spin Catering received the
Business Award. Owner Steve
Brown has been a labor ally for
many years, serving many labor
council events, meetings, and spe-
cial occasions, such as LCSA’s
annual Presents from Partners
holiday event. “They have always
gone above and beyond what was
expected, and have become a big
supporter of the labor family,” the
award stated.
RECOGNITION AWARDS
went to: Rick Ohmie of Laborers
Local 737; Michael Pucik,
Joshua Taverne, and Rolando
Smith-Gloria, members of ATU
Local 757; Nate Stokes, a busi-
ness representative of Operating
Engineers Local 701; Scott Old-
ham, a business representative of
Painters Local 10; Lisa Gourley,
president of the Linn, Benton,
Lincoln Labor Chapter and mem-
ber of OSEA Local 6732 — and
a Sweet Home City Councilor;
Amanda Hill and Anna Bene-
fiel, both of the Oregon Federa-
tion of Nurses and Health Profes-
sionals Local 5017 (Hill is vice
president for legislation and
COPE at Local 5017, and Bene-
fiel works at Kaiser Permanente.);
Connie Ashbrook, retiring exec-
utive director of Oregon Trades-
women Inc; and Multnomah
County Commissioner Loretta
Smith. Three organizations were
recognized — Laborers Local
737; Machinists Lodge 63 Com-
munity Service Group; and the
Sheet Metal Institute of Port-
land.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
stopped by during the social hour.
Also attending the festivities were
Portland Commissioner Dan Saltz-
man, Clackamas County Chair Jim
Bernard and Commissioners
Martha Schrader, Paul Savas, Ken
Humberston and Sonya Fischer;
Washington County Commis-
sioner Dick Schouten, and State
Rep. Sherri Malstrom.
Jill Alcantar
360.787.6975
12/31/17
2017