NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | July 6, 2018 | PAGE 9
WORKER SAFETY
UNION DEMOCRACY
Longview dock worker killed
Block slate re-elected at ATU Local 757
Longview longshore worker
Byron Jacobs was killed early
in the morning June 28 when
he was struck by a vessel line
that snapped in half and re-
coiled. At 2:40 a.m, the
Panama-flagged bulk cargo
ship MV ANSAC Splendor
was moving from one loading
hatch to another along the
dock at the Port of Longview
when a braided maritime-
grade line snapped and flew
back toward the dock and the
ship.
Three others were hurt.
Chief Mate Pingshan Li of
China, 41, was taken to the
hospital and died later in the
day of his injuries. A second
longshoreman and a security
guard suffered minor injuries.
Jacobs, 34, was a third-gen-
eration longshoreman, and had
worked at the Port of Longview
Byron Jacobs, with his children and
union gear
for 16 years. An active member
of ILWU Local 21, he formerly
served as secretary of the local.
He left behind a wife and three
young children.
A fund has been set up to
benefit the family. Contribu-
tions can be sent to the Lower
Columbia Longshoremen’s
Federal Credit Union, Attn:
Byron Jacobs Family Fund,
629 14th Ave., Longview, WA
98632.
In union election results announced June 13,
members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
Local 757 re-elected a slate of incumbent officers
to top positions.
Incumbent president and business representa-
tive Shirley Block was re-elected with 55 percent
of the vote, outpolling four challengers: former
president Bruce Hansen got 22 percent, followed
by Henry Beasley, 16 percent, Christopher Day, 5
percent; and Heidi Shelton, 2 percent.
In the race for vice president and assistant busi-
ness representative, incumbent Jon Hunt won
with 52 percent against challengers Gordon Dun-
can and John Wold.
And incumbent financial secretary-treasurer
and recording secretary Mary Longoria out-
polled challenger Ryan Viken 66 to 34 percent.
All three of the top offices are full-time paid
positions.
All told over 2,200 ballots were cast.
Local 757 represents 5,584 bus drivers, me-
chanics, dispatchers and others at public transit
agencies and school districts in Oregon and
Southwest Washington.
Members also elected 25 members to serve as
liaison officers, as well as 14 members of the
union executive board:
C-TRAN James Bennett
Lane Transit District Bill Bradley
Portland Public Schools Jimmy Appelhanz
Portland Public Schools (First Student) Anna M. Tompte
Re-elected ATU Local 757 top officers, from left: vice
president Jon Hunt, treasurer Mary Longoria and presi-
dent Shirley Block.
Salem-Keizer Transit District Mikel Burke
TriMet Center Street Transportation Darin Hagey
TriMet Center Street Maintenance Kevin Kinoshita
TriMet Merlo Transportation Michael McCurry
TriMet Merlo Maintenance Kerry Montgomery
TriMet Powell Transportation Khris Alexander
TriMet Powell Maintenance Mike Francois
TriMet Light Rail TransportationTerrance Howard
TriMet Light Rail Maintenance Joe E. Ruffin III
TriMet Represented Staff Frederick Casey
COMPLETE ELECTION RESULTS
http://www.atu757.org/atu-election-results/
Roofers Local 49 re-elects Russ Garnett to third term
Russ Garnett
Russ Garnett was re-elected to a third
term as business manager of Roofers
Local 49. He ran unopposed. Garnett
has held the post since April 2011,
when he was appointed on an interim
basis. He won election in a 5-person
race in August. He previously served
two terms as president in the late ’90s
and early 2000s, and one term as vice
president.
Also re-elected by acclamation were
Travis Hopkins, president; Ray Carpen-
ter, vice president; Darrell Hopkins Sr.,
recording secretary; and James Brene-
man, warden.
Elected to Local 49’s Executive
Board were: Ray Carpenter- chair,
Travis Hopkins, James Breneman,
James Dittemore, Sean Maybee, Jason
Barthel, and Ryan Hoover.
Washington AFL-CIO president Jeff Johnson to retire
Washington State Labor Coun- WSLC helped to win major im-
cil (WSLC) president Jeff provements for working Wash-
Johnson announced
ingtonians. Washing-
June 13 that he’ll retire
ton became the first
at the end of the year
state to index its min-
and won’t seek re-elec-
imum wage to infla-
tion.
tion, and today has
WSLC is the state-
the highest minimum
level body of the AFL-
wage in the country.
CIO union federation,
WSLC also helped
and helps coordinate
pass legislation ex-
the political and leg-
panding public sector
Jeff Johnson
islative efforts of
collective bargaining
roughly 600 affiliated local rights, and it fought success-
unions with 450,000 members fully to pass a ballot initiative
in all.
mandating paid sick leave.
Johnson, 66, has worked for
Johnson got his start in the
WSLC since 1986. Before be- union movement in 1979 as a
coming WSLC president in labor educator at Empire State
2011, he served as WSLC’s College Center for Labor Stud-
lead lobbyist and as its research ies in New York City, where he
and organizing director.
was a member of American
During his years there, Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Local 2190.
In a tweet reacting to news
of Johnson’s retirement, Wash-
ington Governor Jay Inslee
called him “a true champion for
all workers and their families,”
and a leader on minimum
wage, paid family and medical
leave, and clean energy jobs.
To replace him, Johnson said
he’ll support WSLC secretary-
treasurer Lynne Dodson, and
WSLC Political and Strategic
Campaign Director April Sims
is running to succeed Dodson.
The election will take place this
fall. At least one other candi-
date is considering running for
WSLC president: Machinists
District Lodge 751 Legislative
and Political Director Larry
Brown, who’s also a member
of Auburn City Council.