Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2018)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | January 19, 2018 | PAGE 5 IATSE crews strike Golf Channel HAPPENINGS how to reinvigorate the labor movement as a global move- ment for social and economic equity for workers. ■ Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., White Stag Building 70 N.W. Couch St., Portland. ■ Wednesday, Feb. 21, 4 to 6 p.m., University of Oregon, Straub Hall Room 145, Eugene. For more information, call Sherman Henry at 503-412- 3722. Register online at lerc.uoregon.edu. Black history month University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Cen- ter (LERC) is hosting three events for Black History Month. The events are free and open to the public, and free food will be served. Pioneering a Living Legacy: IBEW Local 48 rep Donna Hammond and Portland State University professor Roberta Hunte will give presentations and take part in a discussion about race. Hammond, who joined the union in 1978, will talk about how she overcame racial and gender barriers in the labor movement. Hunte will talk about her research on women in the trades and pres- ent her short film, “Sista in the Brotherhood” about the expe- rience of a black woman Car- penters apprentice on a con- struction job site. ■ Thursday, Feb. 8, 6 to 8:30 p.m., White Stag Building 70 N.W. Couch St., Portland. Race and Labor – Building a More Just Economy: Au- thor and former national AFL-CIO education director Bill Fletcher Jr. will talk about Out of control drug costs How did drug prices get so extreme in the United States? A new hour-long documen- tary film, “Big Pharma: Mar- ket Failure” fingers pharma- ceutical profiteering as the culprit. It will screen in Port- land at an event hosted by Portland Jobs with Justice Healthcare Committee, and co-sponsored by the union- backed group Health Care for All Oregon and other groups. The film will be followed by a discussion with Oregon Nurses Association union rep (and state representative) Rob Nosse, a leading health policy advocate in the Legislature. ■ When: Sunday, February 18, 7 p.m. ■ Where: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland ■ Tickets: $5-20 sliding scale; purchase online at http://bit.ly/2CWgDWq Pickets at Burgerville Burgerville Workers Union is planning several days of pick- eting to protest multiple fed- eral labor law violations that Burgerville is accused of committing over the last year and a half. ■ Jan. 24 at 4:30 p.m.: Meet at the statue of MLK Jr. by the Oregon Convention Center and march to Convention Center Burgerville by 5 p.m. ■ Jan. 26 at 4 p.m.: Meet at Holladay Park near Lloyd Center and march to the Convention Center Burgerville. Calling all union women Oregon Women Labor Lead- ers (OWLL) is hosting dis- cussions for women union members about how to make work- places and unions safe and inclusive spaces for women. The meetings will also include training opportu- nities, an update on legislative issues of concern to women workers, and a chance to so- cialize and meet other women unionists. ■ When: Feb. 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ■ Portland: Sheet Metal Institute, 2379 NE 178th Avenue ■ Salem: OSEA, 4735 Liberty Road S ■ Eugene: AFSCME, 688 Charnelton St. IATSE-represented employees at the Comcast-NBC Universal ca- ble network Golf Channel went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 14, disrupting coverage of the final round of the PGA’s Sony Open in Hawaii, the second round of the WEB.com Tour in the Ba- hamas, and the non-tour Dia- mond Resorts Invitational in Or- lando, Florida. Sticking points are wages and work hours. “Despite our best effort to reach a fair and equitable deal, and after the unit overwhelm- ingly rejected the company’s lat- est offer and approved a strike, the decision was made to pull the crews from the three Golf Chan- nel productions (Jan. 14),” Gary Kolano, business rep for Seattle’s IATSE Local 793 wrote in an email. “IATSE remains in con- tact with the company, but until we have something to present to the unit that can be approved, the crews will continue to stand down.” Deadline Hollywood reported that at the Sony Open, elements such as ambient sound from the course or close-up shots of play- ers went out the window, with overhead blimp angles getting extra duty. Studio hosts handled the announcing duties from the network’s Orlando, Fla., head- quarters, and some on-air com- mentators tried to operate cam- eras. Deadline Hollywood further reported that golf fans were not pleased with the net- work’s efforts to carry on during the labor dispute, and they ex- pressed their angst on Twitter. Two tweets read: “golf channel right now is kinda like when CNN films trump playing from behind some bushes.” “Meanwhile at the @Sony- OpenHawaii, @GolfChannel coverage looks like it is being shot on an iPhone from the edge of the green. 50% being the backs of caddies.” As of press time on Tuesday morning, no deal had been reached. WORKER SAFETY Seattle contractor faces manslaughter charges over worker’s trench death The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed sec- ond-degree manslaughter charges against Phillip Numrich, owner of Alki Construction, in connection with the death of Harold Felton. Felton, 36, was killed Jan. 26, 2016 when the dirt walls of the trench he was work- ing in collapsed and buried him on a job site in West Seattle. This is the first time a Wash- ington employer has faced felony charges for a workplace fatality. After a state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) inves- tigation of the death, the state cited and fined the company $51,500 for multiple workplace safety violations, including “will- ful” violations — the most se- vere. “There are times when a mon- etary penalty isn’t enough,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks in a press release. “This company knew what the safety risks and requirements were, and ignored them. The felony charges show that employers can be held crim- inally accountable when the tragedy of a preventable work- place death or injury occurs.” ... Democratic retake of Washington Senate means new life for labor bills From Page 1 ■ Jobs and infrastructure Last year’s legislative gridlock prevented passage of $4 billion worth of job-creating public infrastructure projects. Now that capital construction budget bill (HB 1075) is moving. ■ Ban the box SB 6110, sponsored by state senator Rebecca Saldaña, would bar employers from asking about arrests or convictions until after an applicant is determined otherwise qualified for a position. ■ Protect exposed Hanford workers Hanford workers are cleaning up one of the most toxic places on Earth and are routinely exposed to dangerous chemicals and radioactive materials. So when they’re diagnosed with cancers and illnesses that are linked to such exposure, they shouldn’t have to trace their illness to a specific incident or prove their job contributed in order to access the workers’ compensation safety net. SB 5940, sponsored by Sen. Keiser, would create a presumption that those illnesses are work-related for Hanford workers. Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, is hoping to make the most of 2018’s 60-day legislative session, and an- nounced its legislative priorities Jan. 3. Here are some of the highlights of its “Shared Pros- perity Agenda.” ■ No more non-competes Prohibiting “non-compete” agreements that unjustly block workers from seeking better jobs in their industry. ■ Drug price transparency Requiring drug companies to provide transparency and disclose reasons for price hikes. ■ A public infrastructure bank. Establishing a state infrastructure bank to help local governments finance projects — instead of sending tax dollars to Wall Street to finance public infrastructure. Profits on the loans would fund more projects. ■ Prevent pesticide exposure Adopting modern record keeping, notification and reporting requirements to help prevent workers and residents in agricultural communities from being exposed to pesticides and their negative health impacts. ■ Public option health insurance — Establishing a public health insurance offering to compete with private insurance and bring rates down, increasing access and quality of care. ■ Rest for hospital workers Ensuring that healthcare facilities give nurses and technical workers access to the breaks and overtime they have earned. ■ Expand collective bargaining rights Allowing professional port employees, part time workers, and interpreters to have the same rights to join unions as other public workers. The 2018 legislative session is scheduled to run through March 8. HOW TO STAY INFORMED Sign up online for The Stand, Wash- ington State Labor Council’s out- standing daily email newsletter, at http://bit.ly/2r4zX1F
