Portland Observar, October 22,1981 Page 3
BETTER LATE
THAN NEVER
AND CHEAPER
ro a
Lewis W inchester, executive director of the A l
bine Hum an Resource Center, dlscusees the Cen-
ter's operation w ith Qovernor Victor Atlyeh.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
ALBANY, OK
Aid provided with respect
The A lbina Human Resource
Center is unique in Oregon, pro
viding coordination o f services of
governmental and private agencies
that serve the Albina area.
The Center was conceived by the
Model Cities Health, Social and Le
gal Services Working Committee to
fill the void in community services.
Although Albina was the most de
pressed area of the city, the welfare
and employment offices and health
agencies were located in Southwest
Portland with bus access difficult
and others were scattered through
out the country.
Albina was afflicted with sub
standard housing, substantive
health problems, high infant mor
tality and tuberculosis rates, low im
munization levels, high incidence of
communicable disease, abnormal
amounts of dental defects, poor nu
trition, unemployment, and social
deprivation.
"Previous efforts could not alle
viate these conditions to any great
extent," l ewis Winchester, current
executive director of the Center ex
plained. " A t the bottom of the lad
der were multi-problem families, the
sick, elderly, untrained, unem
ployed, the socially and the cultural
ly deprived.
"Public services were formalized,
scattered over a great distance. They
were a serious source of frustration.
It was clear that effective addressing
o f needs demanded a coordinated
effort by public and private services
that were available but inefficient.
They were not innovative and not
responsive to the whole person.”
The human resqurces center con
cept provides an array of service or
ganizations in a convenient, easy to
reach location. Persons who need
services from more than one agency
can be served under one roof.
W hat makes the A lbina center
different from other buildings that
house multiple agencies is the man
agement unit. " I t is important to
maintain a management system that
sustains the cooperation o f the
agencies,” Winchester explained.
The administration maintains coor
dination and handles the technical
aspects o f center operation that
allow the agency managers to
concentrate on serving the public.
The management advocates for
center clients, ensuring that they
reach the right agency and receive
the service they need. Advocacy for
minority clients is especially import
ant since the system trad itio n ally
works to their disadvantage.
"Given the direction the country
is headed—with Reaganomics— it is
even more critical from the stand
point of minorities that services be
maintained. Our clients will be dis
advantaged terribly." It is import
ant to maintan the liaison with the
agencies to ensure that they are
given a reasonable measure of ser-
vice within agency capability and to
communicate and interpret the rea
sons why certain things cannot be
done.
The service unit o f three people
provided services to 579 people in
August. These include emergency
housing, emergency food referral,
emergency clothing, transportation.
They also counsel clients on fiscal
management, housing and utilities,
intercede with u tility companies,
and find resources for prescriptions.
A housing specialist develops and
maintains a list o f houses, and aids
purchase by low income persons.
The Center staff also attempts to
insure that clients are treated with
respect and obtains the services to
which they are entitled. "This is es
pecially important for people who
are quiet or withdrawn, who might
feel that whatever they are told is ac
curate and accept it without ques
tion.”
Request* for emergency service* '
have increased since August when
mailing o f food stamps began.
Many of the food stamps were late
or missent. Changes in welfare eligi
bility requirements also increased
the need for emergency aid to per
sons no longer eligible.
Among the agencies housed at the
Center are the A dult and Family
Services, Division of Vocational Re
habilitation, and Multnomah Coun
ty Primary Care Unit.
NLRB hears Parent/Child case
By Nathaniel Scott
The N ational Labor Relations
Board, Region 19 in Seattle, Wash
ington has notified Parent Child
Services Inc., Portland, of a hearing
date set for June 2, 1982 for unfair
labor practices.
The NLRB ruling was in response
to charges filed with the N L R B ’ s
Portland office on August 12, 1981
by Anthony Stiudamire in behalf of
himself, Cassandra Wallen, Wilma
Morrison, Joan Bailey, Mina Sum
mers, Cheryl Anakcr and Devon
Davis.
Pargraphs four and five o f the
finding read:
" 4 (a ) On or about August 10,
1981, respondent (Parent Child Ser
vices, Inc.) terminated the employ
ment of its employees Stoudamire,
W allen, M orrison, Bailey, Sum
mers, Anaker and Davis, and has
not since offered them reinstate
ment to their former or equivalent
positions.
"4(b ) Respondent (Parent Child
Services Inc.) took the action above
G rand O pening
Friday. O c to b e r 23
described in sub-paragraphs 5(a) in
direct retaliation for the protected
concerted activities of said employ
ees in signing and sending a letter to
an H E W (H ealth Education and
Welfare) representative complaining
o f certain conditions and places
maintained by respondent (Parent
Child Services Inc.).
"5. By the acts described above in
paragraphs 4 and by each o f said
acts, respondent (Parent Child Ser
vices Inc.) did engage in, and is en
gaging in, unfair labor practices af
fecting commerce within the mean
ing of Section 8(a) ( I) and Section 2
(6) and (7) of the act."
The hearing date was set for June
2, 1982 at 9 a.m. in room 827, Pit-
tock Block, 921 S.W . Washington,
Portland, Oregon before a duly des
ignated Administrative Law Judge
of the NLRB.
Roger Burke, spokesperson for
Parent Child SErvices Inc. said,
"It's a very complicated matter. Be
cause if we don’t follow the proce
dures o f A C Y F (A dult Children
Youth and Family! we are in viola
tion of their standards.”
According to Burke, if the plain
tiff prevails Parent Child Services
Inc. can't pay the back pay without
permission from A C Y F through an
emergency budget item, which must
go through a lot of channels.
In addition he said, " I t appears
that the Reagan administration is
going to cancel all funding to Parent
Child Services Inc. program.”
Parent Child Services Inc. accord
ing to Region 19 o f the N LR B is a
"h ead start" pre-school program
operating on a $325,000 budget allo
cated from the United States De
partment of Health Education and
Welfare.
Joan Bailey in response to the
NLRB’s finding, said, "1 know that
it was a violation of my rights as an
employee and I am delighted that
NLRB is looking into and pursuing
the matter.”
In addition she added, " I am also
hoping (hat the matter will be re
solved before the appointed hearing
date.”
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