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.