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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2019)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | March 15, 2019 | PAGE 3 WORKERS RIGHTS AFSCME to Multnomah County: ‘no thanks’ Throop and others in her po- sition fill vacancies when regu- lar employees are attending trainings, on vacation, or out on sick leave. Throop says she’s By Don McIntosh worked 2,000 hours in the last Across Multnomah County 12 months — basically full-time government, about 300 on-call — but unlike the workers she and temporary workers are em- fills in for, she gets no health in- ployed in multiple departments, surance, no retirement benefit, doing the same jobs as union- no shift differential pay, no pay represented regular permanent step increases, and no union rep- employees, but at lower pay, resentation. “We do the same work, in the and without benefits or union representation. Bothered by the same conditions, and yet are disparity, in early 2017 over half treated a lot differently,” Throop of them signed cards to join AF- told the Labor Press. At a Jan. 30 meeting of the SCME Local 88 — the union union organiz- that represents ing committee, 2,600 of their Throop and oth- Multnomah “We do the same work, ers rejected the County co- in the same conditions, county’s offer workers. Based and yet are treated a lot overwhelm- on state law, differently.” ingly. they thought — Celia Throop, on-call at “The County that was all Multnomah County’s men- prides itself on they needed to tal health crisis line being a progres- do to join the sive employer, union. but it’s not act- But attor- ing like it,” said neys for Mult- nomah County filed objections, Jane Corry, a youth librarian arguing that on-call and temp who works on-call at the Mult- workers shouldn’t be in the nomah County Library. “It’s not same bargaining unit as their fair to on-call workers to be permanent co-workers, because treated as though the work they don’t share a “community they’re doing is lesser.” “They need to recognize all of interest.” A state administra- tive law judge bought that argu- on-call workers, not just some,” ment, but was overruled by the said bilingual library assistant Oregon Employment Relations Sara Garcia Gonzalez. Garcia Board (ERB). Now union and Gonzalez used to be a perma- county leaders are trying to set- nent full-time library employee tle the dispute. If they can’t — and a union steward — but agree, leaving it to ERB to re- now works on-call, with no ben- solve might require the two efits, no union representation, sides to litigate the “community and about $3 less in hourly of interest” question for every wages. She and other workers one of 75 separate job classifi- active in the campaign con- cations — a costly and time- cluded that the county’s offer was meant to divide them. consuming prospect. “The county is always talking On Jan. 24, Multnomah County made a settlement offer: about equity, inclusion, diversity add about 95 workers in 10 clas- … I want to see action.” sifications to the union bargain- ing unit, while leaving 219 workers in 65 other classifica- YOU CAN HELP tions still unrepresented. That Local 88 is asking supporters to call didn’t go over well with the Multnomah County Chair Deborah county workers who are active Kafoury’s office at 503-988-3308 in the union campaign. and politely but firmly urge the “That's not what being part of Chair to agree to add all on-call a union is about,” said on-call and temp workers to the union mental health crisis line worker bargaining unit. Find more infor- Celia Throop, who’s in one of mation, and a sample script and the jobs the county agreed to talking points at add to the union. “We’re in this https://bit.ly/2XVyk2i together.” Multnomah County proposes to let 100 on-call workers into the union, while leaving 200 out. MDA Labor Bowl March 31 The 30th annual Labor Bowl Chal- lenge, a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will take place March 31. Coordinated by the National Association of Letter Car- riers (NALC) Branch 82 and the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, the event consists of four-person bowling teams that compete for prizes. Money is raised through pledges and from a silent auction and goes to buy wheelchairs and braces for children, as well as for research and summer camps. Since the Labor Bowl began in 1989, union members have donated $392,119 to MDA. ■ Time: Sunday, March 31, registration 10:30 a.m.; Bowl 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ■ Place: KingPins Family Entertainment Center, 2725 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton ■ Cost: $60 minimum to raise per bowler ■ For more info: Call NALC Branch office at 503-493-5903. Portland Labor Notes School April 6 Union activists from across the Pacific Northwest will build soli- darity with a day-long series of skill-building workshops and strategy discussions April 6. The event is organized by the maga- zine Labor Notes and sponsored by AFSCME Local 88, Amalga- mated Transit Union Local 757, Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Portland Association of Teachers, and Reynolds Edu- cation Association. The keynote will be delivered by a Los Ange- les teachers union member who will talk about the successful teachers strike. Workshop topics include how to organize a union in your workplace, how to beat apathy, how to turn an issue into a campaign, how to build labor- community coalitions, and how to organize contract campaigns that win. ■ Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 6 ■ Place: Pacific Northwest Carpenters Training Center, 4222 NE 158th Ave., Portland ■ Cost: $10, includes a light breakfast, coffee, lunch, and workshop materials ■ Register: Register online at labornotes.org/pdx ■ Info: email labornotespdx@gmail.com or call 971-998-7340 Labor happy hour April 12 to benefit LCSA Labor’s Community Service Agency is hosting a union-wide happy hour on Friday, April 12, at Lagunitas Community Room in Northeast Portland. The evening includes a complimen- tary Spin Catering Taco Bar (sponsored by Kaiser Perma- nente) and $4 craft beers. Non-al- coholic drinks will be provided by American Income Life. All proceeds go to Labor's Commu- nity Service Agency and its soli- darity programs. ■ Time: Friday, April 12, 6-9 p.m. ■ Place: Lagunitas Community Room, 237 NE Broadway, Portland ■ Cost: Complimentary taco bar and $4 pints. Non-alcoholic drinks compliments of American Income Life ■ More info: Call 503-231-4962 or email director@lcsaportland.org Healing the Healthcare Blues’ fest April 27 The 8th Annual Inner City Blues Festival, “Healing the Healthcare Blues,” returns April 27 to the North Portland Eagles Lodge, 7611 N. Exeter (at Lombard). Doors will open at 5 p.m. and mu- sic runs until 11p.m. The Blues Festival is a fundraiser for Health Care for All Oregon (HCAO), an organization working to educate Oregonians and advocate for uni- versal, publicly-funded health care. In addition to music, there will be a silent auction, two bars, dinner and dessert for purchase, as well as a community village. Admission is $25 in advance. Follow on facebook: www.face- book.com/events/211821813842 6966/ Labor history conference in Portland May 3-5 The Pacific Northwest Labor His- tory Association will hold its an- nual conference May 3-5 at the University Place Hotel and Con- vention Center, 310 SW Lincoln, Portland. This year’s theme is “General Strike 1919-2019: Radi- calism, Repression, and Solidar- ity.” PNLHA is still looking for contributions to help put on the conference. Donations can be sent to: PNLHA-2019 Conference, 8734 NW Wood Ave., Portland, OR 97213. For more infor- mation, contact Jim Cook at 503-703-1693, or jmelvincook@gmail.com.
