Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current, August 07, 2020, Image 8

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Northwest labor press., August 07, 2020, Page 8, Image 8

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 8 | August 7, 2020 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS UNION ORGANIZING Enviro nonprofit would rather lay off all staff than deal with union By Noah Wass Last month we reported what happened when all five workers at Center for Sustainable Econ- omy (CSE) announced their in- tent to join Communications Workers of America Local 7901: Management at the tiny climate change nonprofit hired the union-busting law firm Bullard Law, and suspended and threatened key union supporter Nick Caleb. Advised by Bullard, CSE even filed an unfair labor practice charge against itself — alleging to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that Caleb was a supervisor and thus it was illegal for him to support a union drive. All that drew some pretty bad publicity. Since then, CSE dropped Bullard, withdrew the charge, and said it would volun- tarily recognize the union. Time for union supporters to celebrate? Not so fast. Now CSE’s husband-and-wife leader- ship team plans to “restructure” the 25-year-old organization and lay off all staff in September. Citing “human resource chal- lenges” and “growing pains,” a July 22 email from CSE presi- dent John Talberth gives work- ers three options. Option one: Set up their own organization, with CSE man- agers’ help, and migrate CSE’s grant money to fund it. Option two: Go to work for CSE executive director Daphne Wysham at a new non-profit she registered the day before, called Just Climate, Inc. (The email says she commits to voluntarily recognize a union if one appears there.) Option 3: Become independ- ent contractors (no union rights) and continue working for CSE. “But I am not sure that CSE could legally make such a tran- sition right now and want to be clear I am not advocating this change,” Talberth wrote. [No kidding: The NLRB would likely see this as a transparent attempt to evade the union.] Caleb, staff attorney for CSE’s climate justice program, says he was told the restructur- ing plan was in the works a long time. The union isn’t buying it. Local 7901 President A.J. Men- doza believes the announcement is a response to the union’s or- ganizing efforts. THIS NEWSPAPER BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICA'S LABOR MOVEMENT. SHOP LOCAL. AND BUY UNION AND AMERICAN-MADE. University of Oregon and Oregon AFL-CIO host free talks for union members This summer, the Oregon AFL- CIO is teaming up with the La- bor Education and Research Center of the University of Ore- gon to bring national experts and labor leaders to Oregon union members via Zoom calls. Here are the upcoming talks: ■ August 12: Education in the time of COVID Presenters are Diane Ravitch, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education; and Oregon Education Association President John Larson.. ■ August 26: The state of Oregon’s budget and Oregon workers Presented by Oregon AFL-CIO political director Jess Giannettino Villatoro; and an Oregon legislative leader. All talks are free and open to all Oregon union members. Talks will start at 5 p.m. and go for one hour, with time for ques- tions and comments from audi- ence members. Register at https://bit.ly/38Srn8m for one or more of the talks, and you’ll be sent a link to the Zoom call shortly before the event. Bethany Sherer 971.978.9534 12/31/20 2020