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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2019)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | August 2, 2019 | PAGE 3 NEXT Renewable Fuels agrees to ‘card-check’ with UFCW #555 Oregon’s first advanced green diesel production facility will likely be staffed by union labor. NEXT Renewable Fuels signed a “peace agreement” with United Food and Commer- cial Workers (UFCW) Local 555. The deal commits the com- pany to recognize a union if a majority of operating staff sign union cards at its planned biofu- els manufacturing plant at Port Westward Industrial Park, along the Columbia River outside Clatskanie. The project is currently in the permitting phase, and the com- pany anticipates opening some- time in 2021. Construction of the facility will also be done with union la- bor under a “memorandum of understanding” with the Colum- bia Pacific Building Trades Council. NEXT Renewable Fu- els anticipates more than 2 mil- lion work-hours for the trades. The company says it will invest more than a billion dollars in the facility, which will turn organic materials—like used cooking oil, white and brown grease, an- imal tallow and a variety of veg- etable oils—into renewable transportation fuels like second- generation advanced green diesel and other products. Once operational, NEXT will employ some 200 full-time workers. “Bringing union jobs to Co- lumbia County is good for the workers, good for the commu- nity and good for the tax base,” said Jeff Anderson, secretary- treasurer for UFCW Local 555. “We’re looking forward to a pos- itive partnership with NEXT.” Company president Lou Soumas said the biofuels plant “cannot be built or operated properly without skilled workers. That’s why we previously agreed to work with regional trade unions for the hiring … to con- struct our facility. Our agreement with UFCW Local 555 extends our commitment to let local unions meet with our future em- ployees to discuss their mutual desire to work together. We know that Oregon’s skilled labor can help us attract the best work- ers, get the work done properly, and bring benefits to Oregon’s economy and environment.” NEXT will pay an estimated $12 million in local property taxes and $5.5 million in port fees annually. The facility will produce mostly advanced green diesel, plus a small amount of renew- able propane and renewable naphtha. It will not be permitted, designed or built to process or produce any fossil fuels. Ini- tially, it will produce more than 37,500 barrels a day of ad- vanced biofuels, growing to more than 50,000 barrels a day at full capacity. The biofuels will be sold throughout the West Coast. NEXT has contracted with BP to supply renewable feedstock. According to the company, a full life-cycle analysis shows that NEXT biofuels will create emis- sions savings equal to removing more than 1 million vehicles from the road. …Unionized C-TRAN wins national award From Page 1 The award encompasses C- TRAN’s achievements during the past three years in 12 core ar- eas: safety, operations, mainte- nance, access, customer service, financial management, sustain- ability, workforce development, attendance and employee costs, minority and women advance- ment, marketing, and commu- nity relations. “This incredible honor exem- plifies the hard work being ac- complished by our world-class employees,” said C-TRAN CEO Shawn M. Donaghy. “It is also a constant reminder that public transportation is much larger than a bus stop—it’s about community engagement, relationships with local busi- ness, providing access to educa- tion, workforce opportunities, and having elected officials who work diligently to make Clark County, Washington, a premier place to live. We’re humbled to receive such a prestigious honor from APTA, and we take pride in serving our community each and every day.” C-TRAN is the regional pub- lic transportation provider for portions of Clark County, Wash- ington. It provides local bus serv- ice within its Clark County serv- ice area, regional bus service to the nearest MAX light rail sta- tion in Portland, and express commuter service to downtown Portland. It also provides con- nector service within the city limits of Camas, La Center, and Ridgefield, Wash. C-TRAN will be honored at the APTA annual meeting in October.
