NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
Union coalition says it’s time to restore
legal rights for workers and consumers
Companies are increasingly in-
sisting that workers and con-
sumers waive their legal rights
through arbitration clauses.
Workers and consumers ought
to have the right to use the
courts, and to sue if they’re
wronged by corporations. But
increasingly, corporations are
locking employees and cus-
tomers out of those rights by
requiring them to sign arbitra-
tion clauses as a condition of
employment or doing business.
On Labor Day, a union-
backed campaign launched in
order to end that practice by
passing a bill called the Ore-
gon Corporate Accountability
Act in next year’s legislative
session. It’s a coalition effort
by the Oregon AFL-CIO,
United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 555, PCUN,
and the Oregon Working Fam-
ilies Party, together with the
September 7, 2018 | PAGE 7
UNIONIZATION ] JUL-AUG 2018
The following are Oregon and Southwest Washington workplaces where workers have decided
whether to be represented by a union. The thumbs-up symbol means workers will be union-
represented. Thumbs-down means they’ll be on their own. “Decert” means a decertification
election, where union-represented workers voted whether to remain union. The information
comes from the National Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board.
Union election results
Employer (Location) Union
Yes-No
VCA NW Veterinary Specialists (Clackamas) ILWU Local 5
54-53 ^
■ 13 veterinary technicians and other support staff
Tillamook Dairy (Tillamook) IUOE Local 701
10-19 %
DECERT
■ 31 maintenance technicians at the Tillamook cheese plant
Swire Coca-Cola (Bend) Teamsters Local 962
5-13 %
DECERT
■ 19 drivers, loaders, and merchandisers
Providence Milwaukie Hospital (Milwaukie) IUOE Local 701
4-1
^
■ 5 skilled maintenance employees
21-25 %
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland) IATSE Local 154
■ 50 costume department employees
Adam Bristow, Sydney Scout, and Hannah Taube of the Oregon Working
Families Party helped get the word out about the campaign at the Port-
land Labor Day picnic in Oaks Park.
Oregon Trial Lawyers Associ-
ation, the Northwest Worker
Justice Project and the Center
for Popular Democracy.
Campaign manager Sydney
Scout says the coalition would
like to see a bill modeled on
California’s Private Attorneys
General Act that passed in
2004, which allows private in-
dividuals to sue over labor law
violations on behalf of the
state.
The campaign will be meet-
ing with lawmakers to line up
support for the idea.
Murphy Company (Sweet Home) Machinists Lodge W246
DECERT
24-45 %
■ 80 log yard and mill workers at the Murphy softwood veneer plant
Unionization by majority signup
Employer (Location) Union
Junction City Rural Fire Protection District (Junction City) IAFF Local 851
■ 4 firefighters
Yachats Rural Fire Protection District (Yachats) IAFF Local 4619
■ 7 firefighter/paramedics
Sunset Empire Transportation District (Astoria) ATU Local 757
■ 20 bus drivers and mechanics
Back-To-School-Checkup
Send your child off to school
with a healthy mouth.
Union represented and locally-owned
throughout Washington and Oregon
• Beaverton - 503.914.4003
• Chehalis - 360.639.3377
• Eugene/Springfield - 541.622.0602
• Gresham - 503.914.4005
• Longview - 360.639.3388
• Milwaukie - 503.821.0089 NEW LOCATION!
• Salem - 503.914.4007
• Salmon Creek - 360.639.3399
• Southern Oregon - 541.227.9699 COMING SOON!
• Tualatin - 503.885.8899
NEW LOCATION!