NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
September 7, 2018 | PAGE 3
...Oregon Building Trades: Ready to take it to next level
From Page 1
of projects on the table in Oregon
— including a Major League
Baseball stadium in Portland.
Hans Bernard, assistant vice
president of state affairs at UO,
reported that the first-ever project
labor agreement at the Univer-
sity’s new $1 billion Knight Sci-
ence Campus is working won-
derfully.
“It’s helping set a new frame-
work for the University of Ore-
gon and I’m cautiously opti-
mistic that it is something we can
replicate at other universities,”
Bernard said.
Before the project broke
ground earlier this year, OS-
BCTC signed a project labor
agreement with the university
and general contractor Hoffman
Construction.
“The investment by the state
in our project would not have
been possible without the sup-
port of the building trades,”
Bernard said. “We know it, and
all of our folks in Eugene know
it.”
Joe Esmonde, retired political
coordinator for IBEW Local 48,
reported briefly on an effort to
bring a Major League Baseball
team and a new privately-built
stadium to Portland. Esmonde
and retired Local 48 business
manager Keith Edwards have
been retained by backers for out-
reach to labor and minority com-
munities.
“Major League Baseball
wants to come here. We’re get-
ting all the signals that they want
to bring a team here,” Esmonde
said.
The three teams of interest that
have been discussed on sports
talk radio are Oakland, Tampa
Bay, and Arizona.
Esmonde said principals of the
Portland Diamond Project —
who he did not identify — are re-
viewing a project labor agree-
ment with the building trades on
construction of a new stadium,
the location of which also is still
uncertain.
“This group is committed to
hiring locally, local contractors,
OFFICER ELECTIONS
■ Executive Secretary Robert
Camarillo, Iron Workers Local 29
■ President Jim Anderson, Operating
Engineers Local 701
■ Vice President Russ Garnett, Roofers
Local 49
■ Guard Randy Carmony, Elevator
Constructors Local 23
RESOLUTIONS
Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council
passed the following resolutions at its convention:
Support Legislation to Establish Prevailing Wage Rates Based on
Collective Bargaining Agreements OSBCTC will work with stakeholders to
promote legislation to establish the Prevailing Wage Rates based on Collective
Bargaining Agreements, thereby eliminating the need for a statewide Prevailing
Wage Rate survey system.
Sean McGarvey, president of the National Association of Building Trades
Unions, says his group is focused on getting a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure
package passed in Congress: “Our message to Congress is ‘take action now.’”
Require Project Labor Agreements for Public Projects OSBCTC will work to
pass legislation requiring public works projects currently covered by prevailing
wage law to enter into Project Labor Agreements.
Ask the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to Study the impact of
Prevailing Wage OSBCTC calls on the Commissioner of the Oregon Burea of
Labor and Industries to study the impact of prevailing wage rates, and requests
that the results of the study be presented to a meeting of the Executive Board,
committees of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and other stakeholders.
Survey Members and Pass Statewide Utilization Requirements Calls on
affiliated locals of OSBCTC to survey their active members, asking them to self-
identify their veteran status, gender and race; and to submit the survey data to
the Executive Secretary to aid in the development of public policy on aspirational
goals and utilization requirements.
Expand Apprenticeship Utilization Requirements OSBCTC will work to pass
legislation to expand the apprenticeship utilization requirement by decreasing the
subcontractor threshold as low as can be negotiated through the legislative
process, and work to ensure the Oregon Department of Transportation adopts
similar standards for the Heavy Highway Crafts.
Labor commissioner-elect Val Hoyle thanked the Building Trades Council for
helping get her elected outright in the May primary. The daughter of a union
laborer, Hoyle vowed to “always remember where I came from. I will remem-
ber what you’ve done for me, I will work side by side, and I will ask you to re-
member where you came from and what the unions have done for you.”
minority contractors, local sup-
pliers, as much as they can,” he
said.
As there will be no public
money involved, Esmonde said
he’s also talking to several
money managers regarding pos-
sible pension fund investments in
the stadium. Stay tuned.
Politicians stopped by, includ-
ing Labor Commissioner-elect
Val Hoyle, State Treasurer To-
bias Read, House Speaker Tina
Kotek, and several state senators
and state representatives.
In his first report as executive
secretary, Camarillo said he
wants to help take the Building
Trades Council to the next level.
“I’m going to give it every-
thing I’ve got,” he said. “I won’t
leave anything unturned. We’re
■ Conductor David Winkler, Floor
Coverers Local 1236
■ Trustees Matt Eleazer, Bricklayers Local
1; Geoffrey Kossak, Cement Masons Local
555; Charlie Johnson, Sheet Metal
Workers Local 16; Zack Culver, Laborers
Local 737; Lou Christian, United
Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters
Local 290; Luke Lafley, Boilermakers Local
242; Gary Young, IBEW Local 48.
going to shake things up a little
bit. That’s part of us taking it to
another level.”
OSBCTC gave $1,000 scholar-
ships to Hailey Chrisman, daugh-
ter of UA Local 290 member Ken
Chrisman; and Jamie Grassl,
daughter of Randy Carmony of El-
evator Constructors Local 23. Hai-
ley is attending George Fox Uni-
versity for electrical engineering,
and Jamie is attending Eastern
Oregon University for business ac-
counting and leadership. Winners
were selected by Elana Pirtle-
Guiney, labor liaison to Gov. Kate
Brown. Funding for the scholar-
ships is provided by Ferguson
Wellman Capital Management and
Quest Investment Management.
■ Executive Board members Lane,
Coos, Curry, Douglas BT Council – Jeff
McGillivary, UA Local 290; Southern Oregon
BT Council – Jon Flegel, IBEW Local #659;
Central Oregon BT Council – Dave Burger,
UA Local 290; Salem BT Council – Steven
Purdy, Sprinkler Fitters Local 669; Pendleton
BT Council – Jeff Gritz, Laborers Local 737;
Columbia Pacific BT Council — Willy Myers,
Sheet Metal Workers Local 16.
End Wage Theft OSBCTC swill work to ensure unscrupulous contractors who
engage in wage theft are held to account; and will work to ensure the State of
Oregon creates an unpaid worker fund, which will be paid for by contractors, to
ensure that no worker goes unpaid for work they performed in good faith.
Oppose Healthcare Claims Taxes and Incentivize Companies to Provide
Healthcare Benefits OSBCTC will work to oppose any tax on union healthcare
plans; and will offer an alternative proposal to tax employers who do not provide
health insurance to their workers as a means of funding the Oregon Health Plan;
and will offer an additional proposal to require contractors who bid on public
projects to certify that they provide health insurance to their workers as part of the
responsible bidder process.
Oppose Ballot Measure 105 to Repeal Oregon’s Sanctuary State
Designation Oregon’s statewide sanctuary law has been in place for more than
30 years, and organizations that advocate for immigrants strongly support
sanctuary laws; OSBCTC affiliates have friends and family who are immigrants,
and repeal of Oregon’s sanctuary law would cause hardship for those members.
OSBCTC opposes Ballot Measure 105.
Support the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Export Terminal
and the Pacific Connector Natural Gas Pipeline OSBCTC calls on Gov. Kate
Brown, members of the Oregon Legislature, and members of Oregon’s
Congressional Delegation to fully support the permitting and construction of the
Jordan Cove LNG export terminal at North Bend, Coos County, Oregon, and the
Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline to improve the economy of the Pacific Northwest.
Allow Executive Board Members to Attend Meetings and Vote Remotely
Meetings of the OSBCTC Executive Board may be attended remotely using
communication technology; instructions for participating in meetings remotely
will be sent to members in advance of the meeting; Executive Board members
may cast votes when participating in meetings remotely.
Support Oregonians To Maintain Community Standards The OSBCTC will
levy for one year, starting the date this resolution is adopted, an assessment of $1
per member, per month, for the purpose of supporting the efforts and work of
OMCS, OSBCTC’s political action committee. The Executive Board will review any
further increases or decreases in six months, and have the authority to adjust
according to need.
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