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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2017)
PAGE 2 | June 16, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Drawn-out bargaining at City of Portland NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $13.75 per year for union members, $20 a year for all others. Send a check for that amount, indicating mailing address and union affilia- tion, to P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213. For 25 or more subscriptions, group rates of $9.60 a year per person are available to trade union organizations. Call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When or- dering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 Low Prices! Negotiators for the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) report that bargaining with the City of Portland has been moving at a snail’s pace. DCTU bargains jointly for about 1,200 City workers in six unions: AFSCME Local 189, IBEW Local 48, Machinists District Lodge W24, Operating Engineers Local 701, Painters Local 10, and Plumbers and Fitters Local 290. Their con- tract expires June 30. DCTU is proposing annual 3 percent raises on top of infla- tion-based cost-of-living in- creases, plus selective increases for some of the lowest-paid classifications, and spot in- creases for classifications like electricians that are in high de- mand. The unions argue that bigger-than-inflation raises are needed because housing costs are going up so much more quickly than overall inflation in Portland. The two sides have been meeting once a week for up to four hours, but Oregon AF- SCME representative Rob Wheaton, DCTU chief negotia- tor, said progress has been slow. “I’ve never been in a situa- tion where I’ve been at the 150- day mark and not known how AFSCME Local 189 president Rob Martineau addresses a June 7 rally of about 100 City employees in a park across the street from the Portland Building. The rally’s message: “Bring us a counterproposal.” far apart we are because we haven’t seen any comprehen- sive counter-offer from the City,” Wheaton said. The 150- day mark is the point, under state law, at which either side can declare impasse and call for mediation. In the case of the DCTU negotiations, that was June 11. The City is proposing to re- quire employees to get a com- prehensive medical exam. If they fail to do so, the City would increase the employee share of health care costs. Wheaton said the union would like to see something other than a penalty-only model to get employees to get the checkup. The City also wants to end a provision that gives existing employees first chance at pro- motions, Wheaton said. In- stead, managers would have free rein to hire from outside. City negotiators say that’s so the City can increase diversity, but Wheaton says the City is most diverse at the lowest ranks, and argues those em- ployees deserve an opportunity for advancement. ONLINE EXTRA Keep tabs on the union negotiations at DCTUpdx.org, or by liking the city union coalition’s Facebook page at facebook.com/DCTUnited Former Trump nominee will headline anti-union group’s fundraiser in Portland Remember Andy Puzder, Presi- dent Trump’s first nominee for U.S. Secre- tary of La- bor? Puzder was CEO of the company that owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast food chains, and a big Andy Puzder critic of rais- ing the minimum wage. He withdrew from consideration to be America’s top labor law en- forcer after it came out that he’d employed an undocumented im- migrant housekeeper, and had been accused by his ex-wife of domestic abuse. Then he lost his job as CEO. But he’s been keep- ing busy with media appear- ances on MSNBC and Fox. And in September, he’ll be the fea- tured speaker at an annual din- ner to raise funds for the Free- dom Foundation, a group whose sworn mission is to undermine organized labor and talk work- ers into dropping union mem- bership. Union foes will pay $115 to hear him speak Sept. 28 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, or $150 for a VIP recep- tion and photo. Thanks to all of our partners in helping us have a successful Annual Meeting! Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 140 PLEASE SHOW OUR ADVERTISERS YOU APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS LABOR MOVEMENT NEWSPAPER! IBEW Local 48 Insulators Local 36 Carpenters Local 1503 Bakers Local 114 Monti Electric Finance of America Hollywood Impress Daren Tanner, PC Allied Solutions Northwest Labor Press NECA/IBEW Electrical Training Center Cement Masons Local 555 Roofers Local 49 West Side Electric Foresters Financial Platt Electric Legal Shield CUDL Masonry Industry Trust Administration Northwest Oregon Labor Council SWBC
