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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2021)
PAGE 8 | May 7, 2021 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS The Stand: boosting labor and labor’s story Washington’s only news outlet dedicated to unions and working people, The Stand just turned 10. By Don McIntosh There’s almost nothing else like it anywhere in the nation: Five days a week, for free, an email newsletter goes out to anyone who wants it with all the most recent labor news from Wash- ington state and “that Washing- ton.” Known as The Stand, it’s published by the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), AFL-CIO. WSLC communications di- rector David Groves spends four to six hours a day working on it. He starts as early as 4 a.m. every the eclectic tastes weekday, scouring Groves has developed every daily newspaper as a self-described vinyl in Washington—plus a junkie. handful of national On May 1, The publications—on the Stand marked 10 years hunt for labor news. At 10 a.m. it goes out to of publication. nearly 6,000 sub- “It was born out of scribers. They get a cal- frustration at the lack of endar of union events, coverage that unions links and summaries of David Groves, the were getting in the ‘entire staff’ of The each news story from a Stand, lives on commercial press,” union point of view, Bainbridge Island Groves says, looking plus one or two original and takes the ferry back. “As communica- reports authored by to WSLC headquar- tions director, part of Groves. my job has been to get ters in Seattle. The Stand isn’t dry. union news out there, to There’s a voice, a sense of hu- get the general public to see mor, dollops of ridicule for what we’re up to and what we those who deserve it, and every stand for.” Friday, a music video reflecting NATIONAL White House task force will promote union organizing President Joe Biden wants to make it clear: He’s not neutral when it comes to unions. “It is the policy of my admin- istration to encourage worker organizing and collective bar- gaining,” Biden declared in an April 26 executive order. Officially federal labor law is supposed to encourage collec- tive bargaining, but as the Biden order points out, “in the past few decades, the federal government has not used its full authority to promote and implement this policy of support for workers or- ganizing unions and bargaining collectively with their employ- ers.” Biden’s executive order sets up a Task Force on Worker Or- ganizing and Empowerment, headed by Vice President Ka- mala Harris, and made up of two dozen Cabinet members and top administration officials. Within 180 days, they’re sup- posed to recommend executive branch policies and programs that could promote worker power, worker organizing, and collective bargaining. UNION DEMOCRACY Boilermakers Local 242 elect new leadership Brent Stephens won election as business manager of Boilermak- ers Local 242, out- polling Scott Widdi- combe and Luka Bender in ballots counted April 9. Stephens, 50, joined Lo- cal 242 in Brent Stephens 2000. He served as steward and training center in- structor, and was appointed assis- tant business manager by business manager Luke Lafley in 2019. Lafley left to accept a job at the international. Stephens will serve the remaining two years of his three-year term. Headquartered in Spokane, Lo- cal 242 represents 364 workers in Oregon, Eastern Washington and Idaho who build, maintain and re- pair boilers, tanks, and pressure vessels. Journeyman pay is cur- rently $39.46 an hour, plus $31.33 an hour for health, retirement, va- cation, and training benefits. – DM Bethany Sherer 971.978.9534 12/31/20 2020
