PAGE 2 | March 20, 2020 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
NORTHWEST
LABOR
PRESS
Support your transit workers!
(International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X)
Times must be tough at The
Columbian. Vancouver’s daily pa-
per — where workers voted 19 to
8 to unionize last October — an-
nounced three layoffs on March 16.
Two of them were members of the
union bargaining team and leaders
of the union campaign, including
photographer Nathan Howard, the
union’s spokesperson. What are the
odds? Surely owner Scott Camp-
bell wouldn’t use layoffs to get rid
of union supporters, would he? Pa-
cific Northwest Newspaper Guild
is filing unfair labor practice
charges.
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
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gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in
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Vancouver Columbian
newspaper gets rid of
union supporters
CORRECTION
About 100 members and supporters of Amalga-
mated Transit Union Local 757 rallied at rush hour
March 9 at Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square
to protest TriMet positions in collective bargaining.
Among other things, the tax-supported public
transit agency is proposing to eliminate its long-
standing apprenticeship programs for light rail and
bus mechanics.
Local 757 is also challenging what union officers
say is a scheme to privatize bus service for the ben-
efit of big companies like Amazon and FedEx.
TriMet received state funds to expand transit serv-
ice, and passed those funds to Multnomah County,
which subcontracted with a private company
called ecoShuttle to provide free weekend bus
service from Gresham Transit Center to the Amazon
and FedEx facilities in Troutdale. The shuttle follows
the route of TriMet Bus #81, driven by nonunion
drivers who are paid as little as $15 an hour.
The rally date marked 150 days since TriMet and Lo-
cal 757 began bargaining a new contract, and it’s
the point at which either side could declare im-
passe and set a clock ticking toward mediation and
binding arbitration. So far, neither side has pulled
that trigger, and further negotiations took place
March 12 and were scheduled for March 19. TriMet
is saying it doesn’t have to negotiate over the ap-
prenticeship program, but Local 757 is disputing
that before the Oregon Employment Relations
Board. A decision may come by mid-April.
In our March 6 edition we reported that
there are fewer than 40 daily newspaper
editorial cartoonists today, down from
2,000 in 2000. That was in error. The 2,000
figure was for 1900.
Low Prices!
Coats, etc.
Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6
Glazier
Apprenticeship
Accepting
Applications
The Oregon & SW Washington
Glaziers, Architectural Metal &
Glass Workers Joint
Apprenticeship & Journeyman
Training Program will be open
to accept applications to create
a pool of eligible applicants.
Applicants must be at least 18
years old. Must apply in
person and furnish a copy of a
high school diploma and grade
transcript or GED and test
scores at time of application.
Applications will be taken
April 6 through April 17, 2020
Monday through Friday,
9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Glaziers Training Center
Mt. Hood Community College
Room GE 108
26000 SE Stark St., Gresham,
OR
Women and minorities are
encouraged to apply;
Veterans’ GI Benefits may apply