PAGE 18 | October 5, 2018 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
...Bricklayers Local 1 celebrates 125 years
From Page 14
When the Local began, bricklay-
ers were making $6 a day and
working six 10-hour days a
week. Over the next two
decades, the union fought and
won first the nine-hour work
day, and then the eight-hour day.
That took strikes. Local 1’s
first strike was Nov. 22, 1894 at
East Side Water Plant; it failed.
Many more were to follow. In
May 1902 they took part in a
building trades wide strike in
support of millworkers. In April
1903, they backed a strike of the
painters. On Jan. 3, 1907, they
struck the Wells Fargo building
when a nonunion apprentice
showed up on the job.
In 1917, tilesetters were
added to the union, and on Dec.
16 that year, union members
struck the 15-story Yeon Build-
ing, which was using nonunion
workers to set tile.
Over the years, the trowel
trades union expanded to take in
many other “allied crafts.” To-
day, BAC is a union of bricklay-
ers, stone and marble masons,
tilesetters, terrazzo workers,
pointers/cleaners/caulkers, re-
fractory specialists, and finish-
ers.
In 1975 Local 1 merged with
BAC Local 5 of Salem.
In the mid-1990s, to combat
the encroachment of non-union
competitors, the local teamed up
with union contractors to create
a Market Recovery Program.
Contributions of up to $2.25 an
hour created a pool to subsidize
bids so that quality union con-
tractors could win the work.
Brick by brick and tile by tile,
BAC 1 members have left their
mark on Portland and the region.
If there’s a local landmark build-
ing made of brick or with a brick
facade, chances are it was union
labor that laid it, from the Mult-
nomah County Central Library
to the downtown Nordstrom de-
partment store (and brick-built
Pioneer Courthouse Square
across the street from it) to the
15-story Portland Building
where the Portlandia statue sits.
The 125 year mark arrives at
a time when the local is thriving,
with 648 members and full em-
ployment, new contractors sign-
ing up, and 113 apprentices en-
tering the trade. In the last six
years, overall compensation has
increased $11.60 an hour, and
the current contract will increase
compensation another $2.75.
On Sept. 22, Local 1 mem-
bers and their spouses celebrated
the local’s 125th anniversary
with a dinner at the union-repre-
sented Vancouver Hilton. The
dinner — sponsored by Scott
Wealth Management and Oper-
ating Engineers Local 701 —
also honored longtime members
with pins for their years of serv-
ice.
Photos, tools, and other arti-
facts were displayed along the
wall, and each attendee received
a commemorative history book
the local commissioned from
Union Histories, a union-repre-
sented Cleveland-based com-
pany that specializes in research-
ing and presenting the histories
of local unions. To produce the
account, company historian
Calvin Jefferson spent several
days combing through Local 1
archives and the records at the
Oregon Historical Society and
Multnomah County Library, in-
cluding accounts in the union
newspaper that is today known
as the Northwest Labor Press.
—Don McIntosh
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U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership,
Management and Circulation
Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685.
1. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press. 2. Publication No.: ISSN 0894-444X.
3. Filing Date: Sept. 21, 2018.
4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly basis on first and third Fridays of each month.
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $15.
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of Publisher:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor.
Publisher: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co., Inc., 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Ore-
gon 97213.
Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Managing Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
10. Owner: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Company, Inc., (a non-profit corporation)
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Shareholders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of shares are: Musicians Mutual Associ-
ation No. 99 (Bruce Fife, trustee); IBEW Local 125 (Travis Eri, trustee); Oregon AFL-CIO (Tom Chamberlain,
trustee); United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 (Jeff Anderson, vice president); Northwest Oregon Labor
Council (Bob Tackett, treasurer); Label Trades Section, Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett); Oregon
School Employees Association (Everice Moro, recording secretary); Iron Workers Local 29 (Joe Bowers, trustee);
Iron Workers Shopmen’s Local 516 (Phillip Casciato trustee); Machinists District W 24 (Bob Petroff, president); Ma-
chinists Lodge 63 (John Hall, trustee); United Association Local 290 (Lou Christian, trustee); Sheet Metal Workers
Local 16 (Charlie Johnson, trustee); IBEW Local 48 (Ed Barnes, vice president); Office & Professional Employees
Local 11 (Maureen Colvert, trustee); Communications Workers Local 7901 (Celeste Jones, trustee); Auto Mechan-
ics Lodge 1005 (Chris Taylor, trustee); Columbia-Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council, (Willy Myers,
trustee); Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (Robert Camarillo, trustee).
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The purpose, function, and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax pur-
poses has not changed during preceding 12 months.
13. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 21, 2018
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation
Date
Average No. Copies
Each Issue During
Actual No. Copies of
Single Issue Published
Preceding 12 Months
A. Total No. Copies (net press run) .............................................................. 54,368
B. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail):
1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 ......53,029
3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales........
436
C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4)..............................53,465
D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution..........................................................................
1. Outside-county copies included on PS form 3541 ...........................................0
2. In-county copies included on PS Form 3541 ...................................................0
3. Mailed at other classes through the USPS ......................................................0
4. Outside the mail (carriers and other means)................................................125
E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution ..........................................................125
F. Total Distribution ......................................................................................53,590
G. Copies not Distributed...................................................................................778
H. TOTAL.....................................................................................................54,368
I. Percent Paid
99.7%
16. Publication of Statement of Ownership............................................Oct. 5, 2018----
17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Michael Gutwig, Editor
Nearest to Filing
36,791
36,150
241
36,391
0
0
0
125
125
36,516
275
36,791
99.6%