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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2019)
PAGE 2 | August 16, 2019 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Jill Lukens Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $15 a year for union members, $23 a year for all others. Pay by credit card online at nwlaborpress.org/subscribe, or send a check to our mailing address (above) along with your name, address and union affiliation, if any. Group rates of $11.28 a year per person are available for 25 or more subscriptions; call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you move, let us know at nwlaborpress.org/subscriber-services or by mail at our mailing address (above). Be sure to provide your old and new addresses and the name/number of your local union. Please allow three weeks for the change to take effect. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 OREGONIANS: To cast a vote in the Nov. 6 general election, you must register by Oct. 16! Low Prices! Coats, etc. Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 The Spirit of 76 Union racer represents Local 701 on the speedway By Don McIntosh When Cory Garrison was a kid growing up in McMinnville, he dreamed of becoming a Marine, running freight trains, and oper- ating cranes. At 31, he’s done all three, and added another to the list: race car driver. After 50-hour work weeks operating a tower crane for NessCampbell Crane and Rig- ging, Garrison spends his Satur- days at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks, Oregon, racing a 1970 Monte Carlo that he bought race-ready this April. Spectators notice the car: It’s the one with the three-foot-wide decal of Operating Engineers Training Center on the hood. Garrison is proud to promote his union, Operating Engineers Lo- cal 701, and its training center: They gave him the job he loves, and on the racetrack their sup- port is keeping him safe. The idea of sponsorship came up when Garrison told Local 701 President Darren Glebe about his new passion. Soon af- ter, Garrison heard from Local 701 Business Manager Jimbo Anderson, who also serves as a trustee of the training center. Every Saturday, April to September, Operating Engineers Local 701 member Cory Garrison races his red 1970 Monte Carlo at Sunset Speedway. “I got a phone call from Jimbo [Anderson] asking what I needed,” Garrison recalls. “I was pretty set, except I needed safety gear.” A contribution from the Training Center helped Garrison purchase a five-point harness, a HANS (Head and Neck Sup- port) device, and head-to-toe fire resistant clothing. Now, every Saturday, Garrison’s red Car #76 puts the operators’ logo in front of 500 to 1,500 fans. Garrison sits behind the wheel in a blue fire-rated jump- suit and a helmet decked out in the stars and stripes. “Cory Gar- rison,” in blue cursive, runs along above the door. Seventy- six, the car number, runs in big white letters on the roof and the side. “Being a former Marine, I went with a red white and blue theme,” Garrison said. Garrison spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a maintenance manager and turret gunner running convoys in Iraq, and later operated a yard loco- motive at an Iowa sand mine. But he found a career high up in the cab of a crane after he joined Local 701 in 2016. “I love what I do,” Garrison told the Labor Press. “My num- ber one job is to make sure it’s done safely and there are no in- juries. Every time we pick something up, there’s always a risk in our job that somebody could get hurt or not go home.” After the stress of moving tons of material safely and effi- ciently, auto racing is a kind of Turn to Page 29
