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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2018)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | October 5, 2018 | PAGE 19 UNION DEMOCRACY Guest Opinion Melissa Unger wins election at SEIU 503 By Mike Bridges President, Kelso/Longview Building Trades Council West Coast aligned against new coal terminal As a labor leader and a resident of the Longview-Kelso area, I have supported the Millennium Bulk Export Terminals project since the company arrived in 2011 and negotiated a Project Labor Agree- ment with our Building Trades Council. The majority of the community hoped that this facility, which would create 2,650 local family-wage construction jobs as well as 300 permanent jobs, and pro- vide ongoing economic benefits through increased tax revenue, would be fully op- erational by now. But because the project would ship coal, it has endured the most extensive project review in the history of Washington State. I think a thorough review is appropriate for all projects, but that review also needs to be fair, consistent, and timely. What Millennium has been subjected to is far beyond the normal scope of the permit- ting process and has resulted in a water permit being denied not because of water quality concerns, but because of increased rail and ship traffic. This conflict over the project review process prompted project funder, Light- house Resources, to sue the Governor and the state, claiming the state violated the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. This small but vital part of the Constitu- tion gives Congress the power to “regu- late commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states.” It prohibits states from restricting the ability of other states to trade freely, while also ensuring that the U.S. is a reliable trading partner. Last spring, the National Association of Manufacturers, along with six landlocked states (Montana, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska) filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the project and Lighthouse Resources. Those states understood the potential harm of es- sential trade being restricted just because of the commodity being shipped. But this August, six states — California, Oregon, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts — all filed briefs in sup- port of the denial of Millennium’s permit. In effect, Washington, Oregon and Cali- fornia are trying to form a wall that could prevent landlocked states from shipping their goods out of the West Coast, de- pending on the product. This could be harmful for workers and businesses throughout the country. I continue to support this project be- cause the results of this permitting process could create not only a trade wall, but a wall for future infrastructure projects. In- vestors may think twice before moving forward with projects in Washington State, having seen what Millennium has been through. If Millennium is now the standard against which other projects will be judged, it doesn’t paint a bright picture for growth in Washington, nor for the prosperity of our Brothers and Sisters in Labor and the communities in which we live. I also continue to support Millennium because they have proven to be a good community partner and a quality em- ployer. I want more companies like Mil- lennium to choose Washington State, not drive them away with a biased permitting process. I hope you will join me in sup- porting Millennium, and please watch for opportunities to make your voice heard for a fair process. Mike Bridges is president of the Longview/Kelso Build- ing and Construction Trades Council, and is a business rep. for IBEW Local 48. Rob Etulain 360.666.8944 Longtime political organizer Melissa Unger outpolled two challengers to win elec- tion as execu- tive direc- tor of O r e g o n ’s largest union, Service Em- ployees Inter- national U n i o n Melissa Unger (SEIU) Local 503. Unger, age 38, was appointed by the union executive board to the post in March after the resignation of Brian Rudiger. In mail ballots counted Sept. 27, Unger got 1,515 votes, compared to 709 for home care worker Holly Garland and 623 for child abuse hotline worker Shamus Cooke, chief steward at the Oregon De- partment of Human Services. Voter turnout was 5 percent. As executive director, Unger oversees about 140 union staff who work on behalf of over 58,000 union members — state and local government workers, and non-profit and home care workers. Unger came to Local 503 in 2007 as a political organ- izer, left for a six-month stint with the Oregon House Democ- rats in 2011, and then directed SEIU’s Oregon State Council before becoming Local 503 po- litical director in June 2014. Unger ran together with in- cumbent union president Steven Demarest, who was also elected, turning back a challenge from home care worker Avery Hor- ton. Members also elected mem- bers of the union Executive Board by industry sector and by region as well as the following statewide officers: ■ Vice President: Homecare worker Rebecca Sandoval outpolled fellow home care worker Echo Stickland, state child welfare worker Guillermo Romero, and Oregon Department of Education employee Blake Whitson. ■ Secretary: University of Oregon employee Theodora Ko Thompson outpolled home care worker Nannett Carter-Jafri. ■ Treasurer: Department of Revenue employee Mary Stewart ran unopposed All offices are for two year terms. 12/31/18 2018
