Northwest labor press., July 19, 2019, Page 5, Image 5

NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | July 19, 2019 | PAGE 5
PEOPLE
The top Washington, D.C., lob-
byist for North America’s Build-
ing Trades Unions (NABTU) is
starting a new assignment: Ore-
gon Wage and Hour Administra-
tor. Hired by Oregon Labor
Commissioner Val Hoyle, Sonia
Ramirez began her new position
July 8.
Wage and Hour administrator
oversees staff responsible for
enforcing a range of vital work-
ers’ rights laws, from minimum
wage and overtime rules to child
labor, farm and forest labor con-
tracting laws, and requirements
that contractors pay the prevail-
ing wage on public construction
projects.
As NABTU government af-
fairs director in Washington,
D.C., Ramirez fought to defend
the federal prevailing wage law,
known as Davis-Bacon, from at-
tacks by union foes in Congress.
She served nine years in that ca-
pacity. Before that, she was a
lobbyist on immigration policy
for the national AFL-CIO.
Raymond Thomas
Cynthia Newton
Melissa Haggerty
Photo courtesy of Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
New wage and hour chief comes to Oregon
from the national union movement
Sonia Ramirez is a former top lobby-
ist for the national building trades.
Ramirez met Hoyle through
NABTU when Hoyle went to
Washington as a state legislator,
but Hoyle was as surprised as
any when Ramirez decided to
make a career change and apply
for the job in Oregon. Ramirez
sees it as a continuation by other
means of her work on behalf of
working people.
Ramirez grew up bilingual in
a building trades union house-
hold in Los Angeles, the
youngest of nine children of par-
ents who immigrated to the
United States from Mexico. Her
father, formerly a union member
in Mexico, was a member of La-
borers Local 300 in Los Angeles
for 50 years.
Growing up, her father’s
union meant food on the table,
and a chance to see Santa Claus
at the union hall every year.
Later, at NABTU, she be-
came a journeyman member of
her father’s local by invitation of
national Laborers Union presi-
dent Terry O’Sullivan. Even
now as wage and hour adminis-
trator, she maintains her mem-
bership in the union.
“I’m well aware of what is at
stake, and the political forces
that pile up against workers,”
Ramirez told the Labor Press
about her new position. “En-
forcing [these laws] is a very
significant responsibility that I
take wholeheartedly.”
James Coon
Chris Frost
Sydney Montanaro
Injured workers
may have a
“third party case”
if someone other
than their employer
was negligent
for damages not
available in the
workers’
compensation
claim.
820 SW Second Ave., Suite 200,
Portland, OR 97204
Scott Sell
Chris Thomas
www.tcnf.legal
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UNION DEMOCRACY
Challenger outpolls incumbent in
IBEW Local 48 officer elections
Members of one of Oregon’s and-a-half years as an em-
biggest construction unions ployee of OEG. For the last
have voted to replace
three years, Bach-
an incumbent with
man has served as an
new leadership. In
elected member of
mail ballots counted
the Local 48 Exam-
June 21, Garth Bach-
ining Board, which
administers an elec-
man was elected busi-
trical knowledge test
ness manager of Inter-
to applicants for
national Brotherhood
membership who
of Electrical Workers
haven’t
gone
(IBEW) Local 48,
outpolling two-term in- Garth Bachman through the union’s
regular apprentice-
cumbent Gary Young
ship program.
by 11 votes; the tally
As business man-
was 624 to 613.
ager, Bachman said
Wayne Chow was
he wants to make
re-elected to a second
sure union represen-
term as president of
tatives make a bigger
the local.
presence on job sites,
Business manager
talking to members
is a full-time posi-
and stewards to
tion, responsible for
overseeing union reps, Wayne Chow make sure the contract
organizers, and support staff. is enforced. He wants to im-
Local 48 represents over 5,000 prove representation of ap-
electricians in Oregon and prentices and material handlers
Southwest Washington. It is so they know their rights as
headquartered in Northeast union members. And he wants
Portland.
to work to improve funding of
Bachman grew up in Port- the union-sponsored Edison
land in a union household. His pension plan.
father worked at the Freight-
He also wants to implement
liner truck plant and the ship- “reverse book layoff” in which
yard as a member of the Ma- traveling electricians would be
chinists, and his mother was a let go before local electricians
clerk in the maintenance de- who are members of Local 48
partment at Portland Public … if and when the construc-
Schools.
tion boom ends and layoffs
“I remember my dad coming start to occur.
home on a Saturday soaking
Most Local 48 members
wet from walking a picket work under a master agree-
line,” Bachman told the Labor ment with the National Electri-
Press. “If the grocery workers cal Contractors Association
were on strike, he would go and (NECA), the union-signatory
volunteer help them picket.”
employer group. The current
Bachman’s interest in elec- agreement opens up for rene-
trical work was sparked by a gotiation of wages in the next
shop class at Benson Polytech- few months, and expires Dec.
nic High School. In his senior 31, 2020. Bachman says he’d
year, he got an after school job like to push in the next contract
at Friberg Electric, and after for later start times and restora-
graduation, he went on to earn tion of shift differential pay,
an associates degree in Indus- among other things.
Other officers elected or re-
trial Automation and Robotics
Technology at Mt. Hood Com- elected were:
munity College. He became a Vice President Dave Jacobsen
Local 48 apprentice in 1989 Recording Secretary Kennitha Wade
and got active in the union af- Treasurer John Sargent
ter becoming a journeyman in
Executive Board Christina Daniels,
October 1990.
Marshall McGrady, Steve Hussey, Kat
One son followed him into
Smith, Jakob Juntunen, Paul C. New
the trade and is a Local 48
Examining
Board Alan Davidson
member; another is a member
of Sheet Metal Workers Local Delegate to the International
Convention Scott Zadow, Marshall
16.
McGrady, Dave Jacobsen, Kat Smith,
In his 30-year electrical ca-
Kennitha Wade, Donna Hammond, Paul
reer, Bachman has mostly
New, Steven Hussey.
worked at Intel, the last two-