Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2020)
PAGE 32 | August 21, 2020 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Host of unionists served Labor Press board over the decades Many, many union leaders over the last 120 years have played an impor- tant role in the growth and continuity of the Labor Press as elected mem- bers of its board of directors. The Portland Labor Press was es- tablished as a non-profit corporation whose shares were owned by vari- ous local unions and the Portland area central labor council. The Northwest Labor Press still operates that way through the non-profit Ore- gon Labor Press Publishing Com- pany, Inc., whose shares are owned by AFL-CIO and Change to Win af- filiated local unions and councils. The newspaper’s first board of control, as it was then called, was comprised of E. Edwards of the Ci- gar Makers, the president; J.A. Goldrainer of the Barbers; J.A. Bushman of the Millworkers, who was president of the Portland Feder- ated Trades Assembly; John Beigi of the Brewers; George M. Orton of the Pressmen; B. Hesselberg of the Typographers; C.H. Weber of the Clerks; Frank Allert of the Ma- chinists; W.H. Robertson of the Letter Carriers; and August Eachie of the Beer Drivers. Today’s board is comprised of Chair Bob Petroff, a business rep for Machinists District Lodge W24; Treasurer Bob Tackett, executive secretary-treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council; Vice Presi- dents Jeff Anderson, secretary-trea- surer of United Food and Commer- cial Workers Local 555; Ed Barnes, retired business manager of IBEW Local 48; and Secretary Everice Moro, retired officer of Oregon School Employees Association and current president of the Oregon Al- liance for Retired Americans. Barnes is the longest serving board member, having first been elected in 1991. Another long-serving board member was E.J. Stack of Portland Cigar Makers Local 202. He served from 1915 until his death in 1950. He was secretary of the Portland La- bor Council and later was executive secretary-treasurer of the Oregon State Federation of Labor. Another mainstay was A.R. Clayton, a longtime leader of Mult- nomah Typographical Union No. 58, who was on the Labor Press board from the 1930s until his death in 1967. R.C. Henarie succeeded Clayton as head of Local 58 and on the Labor Press board and was asso- ciated with the paper for two decades until he retired. G.O. Hunter of Portland-based Electrical Workers Local 125 helped oversee this newspaper from the 1930s to the ’50s, and was succeeded by Floyd Parker of Local 125. Parker served nearly 20 years by the time he stepped down in 1971, and was fol- lowed on the board by Jack Kegg, then Local 125’s business manager. A 25-year member of the board was Charles T. Crane, whose tenure covered the years from 1930 to 1955. He was secretary-treasurer of Portland Barbers Local 75 for 35 years. Seven women unionists from Portland Waitresses Local 305 fur- nished leadership for the Labor Press as board members or trustees for a half-century starting in the 1920s. First came Agnes Quinn, followed by Mary Todd, Rose Johansen, Alice Wesling, Mary Jackson, May Strand, and Ellen Hender- son. Local 305 later became part of Local 9 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union when the Culinary Union’s four Portland locals merged. Ben Osborne, head of Iron Workers Local 29 (who also was an international vice president), sat on the Labor Press board for many years starting shortly after the pa- per’s birth. From 1926 until his death in 1938 he was the leader of the Oregon State Federation of La- bor, serving as its executive secre- tary-treasurer. Other Iron Workers who’ve provided guidance for the paper include LeRoy Worley, a business manager of Local 29 who later moved up the international lad- der to general secretary; Sid Stod- dard, business manager of Iron Workers Shopmen’s Local 516, who became a general organizer for the international after serving as Secre- tary of Labor Ray Marshall’s Seattle regional director during the Carter Administration; and Tony Mongelli, also a former business manager of Local 516. Food industry unionists who de- voted their energies to the Labor Press board included George Lightowler and Gordon Swope of Food and Drug Clerks Local 1092; Keith Jons of United Food and Commercial Workers Local Ten- Eleven (father of former Labor Press staffer Cheri Rice); and previous UFCW Local 555 presidents Ken MacKillop and Gene Pronovost. Machinists John Petroff, an of- ficer of Willamette Lodge 63 and a business representative of District 24, was a stalwart supporter of the Labor Press throughout his long ca- reer in the labor movement. He’s the only outgoing director who was ac- corded emeritus status after retiring in 1985. George Miller, directing business representative of District 24, succeeded Petroff on the board, and Bob Petroff, John’s son, suc- ceeded Miller on the board. Two Musicians Local 99 presi- dents who were major chords on the Labor Press board over a span of 40 years were Herman Kenin, a lawyer who went on to become his union’s international president in 1958, and Joe Dardis, a popular swing band leader who chaired the board for a decade. Communications Workers of America Local 7901 provided two board members in Linda Ras- mussen, a retired international rep- resentative, and former Labor Press staffer Gail Rosebrook. Local 7901’s membership includes former members of Typographical No. 58. Also providing leadership and support as board members were Gary D. Kirkland, former chief ex- ecutive officer/secretary-treasurer of Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 11, who went on to work for the interna- tional; Judy O’Connor, a retired executive secretary-treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, and Jeff Richardson, former finan- cial secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 9. Space does not permit listing all those who have served the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. as board members. This anniversary issue is dedicated to all of them and all staff members and freelancers who’ve been associated with the Labor Press the last 120 years.
