PAGE 14 | April 20, 2018 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
IN MEMORIAM
RON HEINTZMAN: Jan. 7, 1953 - April 2, 2018
Ron Heintzman, a former
was born in Edmunds,
president/business agent
North Dakota, on Jan.
of Portland-based Amal-
7, 1953. He spent
gamated Transit Union
most of his childhood
(ATU) Local 757, and a
in North Dakota, but
former ATU international
finished high school
president, lost a three-
in Seattle.
year battle with cancer on
He graduated from
April 2. He was 65.
Washington State
Heintzman served as Ron Heintzman University in Pullman
the elected president/
in 1975 with a bache-
business agent of Local 757 lors’ degree in political science
from 1988 to 2002. He left to on an Army ROTC scholarship,
take an appointment as execu- and then served two years active
tive vice president for the ATU duty as a second lieutenant in
International Union in Washing- the Military Police in Fort
ton, D.C.
Hood, Texas. That was followed
In July 2010, he was ap- by 15 years in the reserves.
pointed ATU international pres-
He moved to Oregon in 1977
ident, completing the term of to take a job as an agent for the
Warren George, who retired. Oregon Liquor Control Com-
The election for a new term was mission, then attended the po-
held at the ATU’s convention in lice academy in Monmouth, and
September. There, Heintzman earned a master’s degree in
lost to current International criminal justice at the University
President Larry Hanley.
of Portland.
Heintzman returned to Ore-
He joined TriMet as a transit
gon, where he worked for Local police officer in 1982, and ran
757, consulting with the union for the top union job in 1988 on
on 24 collective bargaining a platform of drivers’ safety.
agreements.
During Heintzman’s tenure,
R ONALD J AMES H EINTZMAN Local 757 more than doubled in
size, growing to over 5,000
members with 23 separate col-
lective bargaining agreements in
Oregon and southwest Washing-
ton. In recognition of this
achievement, Heintzman and
Local 757 received the AFL-
CIO John Sweeney organizing
award in 1997 and 1998.
In 1997 Heintzman helped
form a “Sister Union Associa-
tion” with Romania’s Uniunea
Sindicatelor Loberedin Metrou.
USLM is a labor federation
founded in the aftermath of the
1989 revolution that toppled
communist dictator Nicolai
Ceauçescu. The association has
been long-lasting. USLM’s
leader, Ion Radoi, attended Lo-
cal 757’s 100th anniversary cel-
ebration last year.
Heintzman is survived by his
wife of 29 years, Linda; and two
adult daughters, Elizabeth and
Kate. He lives in Mt. Angel and
the family raises horses.
A service will be held Satur-
day, May 5, at 1 p.m. at Mt. An-
gel Event Center, 210 Monroe
St., Mt. Angel.