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.