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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1983)
Season’s greetings fr o m the Observer sta ff * O'Jays boycott Kwanzaa South Africa calendar Page 2 Page 2 Margaret Carter announces race Page 3 PORTLAND OBSERVER U *P S 959-680-855 © Volume XIV, Number 9 December 21, 1983 25C Per Copy Two Section» Pubtatunt Ce. /<* Christmas layoffs: Greyhound sells Armour long-term workers fired by Robert Lothian Union workers who lost their jobs at the Armour meat processing plant in North Portland think that old Scrooge could take a few lessons from the managers of Greyhound and ConAgra corporations. Eight days before Christmas, as the thermometer dipped into the 20s, 190 Armour employees were put out of work as Greyhound made good on its plan to sell its Armour subsidiary to ConAgra, a chemical and processed food conglomerate. th e plant on North Tyndall Avenue and Columbia Blvd., which produces hams, wieners, sausage and lunchmeat, was closed on Dec. 17th, then reopened two days later with new owners and a new work force. ••They’re all gone, all fired, all laid o ff,” said Keith Jons, presi dent of United Food and Commer cial Workers Union Local 1011, re ferring to the former Armour em- ¿sloyees Most have reapplied for woik with the new company, he said. Greyhound, which won eight per cent wage cuts in the recent settle idea what they’re up against,” she ment with striking drivers and bag said. “ It ’s cold, heavy, fast work. gage handlers, says the sale of Ar Nobody should have to work for mour, including 13 plants across the $5.00 an hour under those condi nation, was forced by a union mas tions.” ter agreement which made it impos Jons added that workers at the sible for Armour to compete with other 12 plants around the country non-union meat packers. are “ all in the same boat as this When workers rejected a contract one.” calling for wage and benefit cuts, Donna Cost’s husband, Dave ConAgra decided to close down and Cost, had worked for Armour for hire a new workforce. Greyhound 27 years, starting at age 18. He said retains an estimated 34 percent of that in the two months leading up to ConAgra stock. the takeover, he had worked 10 " It's definitely a union-busting hours a day seven days a week as the strategy,” said Jons. Former em company built up a stockpile to last ployees, some of whom had been on into the spring. the job for 30 years, "don't particu County Commissioners smoothed larly like it, but there’s not a whole ConAgra’s acquisition of the Port lot they can do about it,” he said. land Armour plant by approving the “ They’re victims of another con company’s request for $3.5 million glomerate and our phony labor in s.ate industrial revenue bonds. As laws.” Commissioner Gordon Shadburne New non-union workers are re put it, “ I t ’s better to have jobs than ceiving an average of $5.50 per hour no jobs.” while union workers had received an Jons said that union representa average of $10.69 per hour, he said. tives will be out in the morning to Armour chief shop steward, Don pass out union literature to the new na Cost, said that inadequate train workers in hopes of reorganizing the ing and longer shifts means that ac cidents are likely. " I feel very sorry . union. " I don't care if the snow is a foot deep," he said. for these new people— they have no Portlander wins race bias suit Portlanders won 7 be teeing Ed Whelan again. The entertaining, freestyle sportscaster is leaving Newsroom 6 for a spot on NBC Sports in Clave land. Ohio. We ll mist you. Ed. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Sportscaster Ed Whelan takes "milk run" to Ohio by l.anita Duke Grassroot News. N. W. —One of T .V .’s most colorful local sports personalities, Ed Whelan, is packing up his “ milk run” and moving to Cleveland, Ohio. Whelan made K O IN ’s weekend sportscast something to look for ward to. His lively reporting style created a dual audience for Whel an—one who wanted the results of the games and the other who wanted to hear how Whelan reported these results. If a team was beaten badly or shut out of a game, Whelan would say, "The other team gave them what a fat boy should have for lunch,” or, "The other team beat them like a chain-gang boss.” Whelan came to K O IN in 1976 from a background in radio. In 1980 he started reporting sports. He brought not only the experiences of a news reporter but also the oral his tory tradition of Afro-Americans to reporting current sports scores. He said. "When you are talking sports you are talking games, and games are the place for jive, show ing off, and those kinds of things.” Born in Florida and raised in Spo kane. Washington, Whelan played on a football scholarship for Florida A & M The sparks now glowing in the reporting style of other sports casters compliments Whelan. He said, “ Imitation is one of the best forms of flattery. If they cause people to watch them instead of be ing dull then it’s better for every body." His unique style of broadcasting earned him Oregon Magazine's 1983 Sportscaster of the Year award By the time this story is read, Whelan will be in Cleveland thawing out his boisterous style of broad casting. He was hired by NBC Sports and hopes to use Cleveland to launch into NBC's national net work. To say he is excited about the promotion is an understatement. He does not see his departure as part of a brain drain among Black professionals in Portland. “ People are sad to see me go but happy for me because of the opportunity.” A federal jury has awarded $101,- 250 in damages to Tura M . Kantora. a Black Portlander, concluding that employees at a downtown Denny's Restaurant discriminated against him on the basis of race. The all-white, six-person jury re turned its verdict after nearly 18 hours of deliberation and after a one and-one-half-day trial before U.S. District Judge Owen M. Pan- ncr. The jury disallowed a compan ion claim of malicious prosecution that Kantora had filed. There was evidence at trial that Kantora, a resident of Northeast Portland, had married a white wom an that he had met in 1977 at the res taurant, 330 S.W. Lincoln St., and that he lived nearby and went there frequently, either with or without his wife. Kantora testified that one wait ress at the restaurant gave him bad service and made some racial slurs toward him. He said that on Feb. 15, 1981, another waitress asked him to give his phone number in conjunction with his use of a credit card. Kan tora testified that when he refused and offered other identification, an assistant manager came out and de manded his phone number. Kantora said that when he again refused, the manager told him to leave. When Kantora refused to leave without the restaurant accepting payment by credit card, the police were called. There was testimony by Denny’s employees and the police that Kantora was then told he was banned from the restaurant. Kantora testified that he went to the restaurant again March 2, 1981, and was served but that the assistant manager involved in the earlier inci dent took his food away and told him to get out. He said that when he again attempted to pay with his credit card, police were called and he was arrested on accusations of disorderly conduct and second-de gree criminal trespass. Kantora was acquitted of those charges June 24, 1981. He then filed his suit against Denny’s Restaur ants, Inc., in federal court, where he was represented by Portland lawyer Michael E. Haglund. Veterans' income report due Jan. “ist Democratic Senator Margie Hendrikaen of Eugana. Oregon, announced this weak her Inten tion to run for the United States Senats seat currently held by Mark Hatfield (R OR). Hendrik sen has served In the Oegon State Legislature since 1880 The Veterans Administration is reminding pensioners who have re ceived the agency's Annual Income Questionnaire (A IQ ) to be sure to return it immediately to avoid bene fit interruption on January 1, 1984. The A IQ was mailed to VA pen sioners on or about November I. If you did not receive a questionnaire, you should contact the nearest VA regional office either in person or by telephone. VA also has counselors standing by if you need help in com pleting the questionnaire. Veterans can call VA toll-free; just consult your local phone directory under the U.S. Government listing. Also, any accredited veterans service organiza lion can help you fill out the ques tionnaire. Veterans should not delay return of the A IQ if they do not know the amount of unreimbursed medical expenses paid or expect to pay in 1983. Complete and return the ques tionnaire now and report these ex penses later if you do not have the figures available at this time. For more information about the annual A IQ , contact the nearest VA regional office or a veterans service organization, and remember, be sure to mail it to VA before January I, 1984! » A. 4 How do kids see Christmas and Kwanzaa? What ara thair hopes and draama? The Portland Observer prasants a kids eye view of the holiday season in the special section of this issue (Photo: Richard J. Brown)
