NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
Northwest Oregon Labor Council
adds more primary endorsements
Delegates to the Northwest
Oregon Labor Council
(NOLC) added more political
endorsements for the May 15
primary election. NOLC has
jurisdiction in Multnomah,
Clackamas, Washington, and
Columbia counties.
At its monthly meeting
March 26 the labor council
endorsed Susheela Jayapal for
Multnomah County Commis-
sioner, District 2, and Jennifer
McGuirk for Multnomah
County auditor. Jayapal is
running against three other
candidates for the seat being
vacated by Loretta Smith.
Smith, who is term limited, is
seeking a seat on the Portland
NOLC has so far endorsed:
City of Portland
Nick Fish, City Council, Pos. 2
Loretta Smith, City Council, Pos. 3
Metro
Lynn Peterson, President
Shirley Craddick, Councilor, Dist. 1
Christine Lewis, Councilor, Dist. 2
Multnomah County
Deborah Kafoury, County Chair
Susheela Jayapal, Commissioner
Mike Reese, Sheriff
Jennifer McGuirk, Auditor
City Council. Her campaign
was endorsed by NOLC ear-
lier this year. McGuirk, senior
performance auditor at Mult-
nomah County, faces two op-
ponents in her bid to succeed
auditor Steve March, who is
not seeking re-election. Both
County seats are nonpartisan.
In nonpartisan races with
more than two candidates, if
no one wins a majority, the
top two finishers advance to
the November general elec-
tion.
Ballots for the May 15 pri-
mary will be mailed April 25.
The last day to register as a
new voter or to change party
affiliation is April 24.
Clackamas County
Paul Savas, Commissioner, Pos. 2
Sonya Fischer, Commissioner, Pos. 5
Pamela Clark, County Clerk
Ann Lininger, Judge
Washington County
Kathryn Harrington, County Chair
Greg Malinowski, Commissioner, Dist. 2
Kimberly Culbertson, Commissioner, Dist. 4
Columbia County
Henry Heimuller, Commissioner, Pos. 2
April 6, 2018 | PAGE 5
PEOPLE
Unger named to top post at SEIU Local 503
Oregon’s largest union has a gon House Democrats in 2011,
new top officer. Melissa and then directed SEIU’s Ore-
Unger, 38, was sworn in gon State Council before be-
March 10 as executive director coming Local 503 political di-
of Service Employees Interna- rector in June 2014.
tional Union (SEIU)
Local 503 is one
Local 503. She’ll
of Oregon’s most
oversee 140 union
politically active
staff serving more
unions, and has been
than 58,000 union
a major force behind
members — state and
ballot measure cam-
local government
paigns in recent
workers, and non-
decades. Unger is
profit and home care
also the sister of for-
workers.
mer state representa-
Unger was serving Melissa Unger tive Ben Unger, who
as Local 503’s political direc- now leads Our Oregon, a
tor. She succeeds Brian Rudi- union-backed group that fights
ger, who announced his resig- for economic and social justice
nation in November. Unger via ballot measure campaigns.
was appointed by the local’s
At Local 503, Melissa
executive board to serve the re- Unger led a 2011 effort to so-
minder of Rudiger's elected licit ideas from state workers
term of office, which runs about how to save taxpayer
through September.
dollars and make government
A native Oregonian, Unger more efficient. That resulted in
grew up on a wheat and clover several pieces of legislation,
farm in western Washington including a law setting goals
County. After attending the for the minimum number of
University of Oregon, she led workers per manager at state
the Oregon Student Associa- agencies.
tion for five years. She went to
In 2013, Unger helped set
work for Local 503 in 2007 as up the Oregon Homecare
a political organizer, left for a Worker Supplemental and
six-month stint with the Ore- Benefits Trusts. The Trusts
now provide paid time off,
dental, vision, and supplemen-
tal health benefits to over
20,000 home care workers.
Unger comes into leader-
ship at a critical moment for
Local 503 and public sector
unions in general, with the
U.S. Supreme Court about to
decide whether to prohibit
mandatory union fees for all
public sector unions nation-
wide. A decision in the Janus v
AFSCME case is expected by
the end of June, and it’s con-
sidered likely that a 5-4 major-
ity will side with the anti-union
National Right to Work Legal
Foundation. But Unger says
Local 503 has experience get-
ting ready for an “open shop”
workplace with voluntary
dues, because its home care
worker members have oper-
ated in that environment since
a 2014 Supreme Court deci-
sion in a cased called Harris v
Quinn.
“We’ve learned that the
thing you’ve got to do to make
sure people want to be mem-
bers is talk with them and have
one-on-one conversations,”
Unger told the Labor Press.
Glazier
Apprenticeship
Accepting
Applications
The Oregon & SW Washington
Glaziers, Architectural Metal
& Glass Workers Joint
Apprenticeship &
Journeyman Training
Program will be open to
accept applications to create a
pool of eligible applicants.
Applicants must be at least 18
years old. Must apply in
person and furnish a copy of a
high school diploma and grade
transcript or GED and test
scores at time of application.
Applications will be taken
Jill Alcantar
360.787.6975
12/31/18
May 14 through May 25, 2018
Monday through Friday,
9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Glaziers Training Center
Mt. Hood Community College
Room GE 108
26000 SE Stark St.,
Gresham, Oregon
2018
Women and minorities are
encouraged to apply.
Veterans’ GI Benefits may apply
