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Opinion
Are the Unions Opening Their Ranks?
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
B ERNIE F OSTER
Founder/Publisher
B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER
Executive Editor
T ED B ANKS
Advertising Manager
J ERRY F OSTER
Account Executive
L ISA L OVING
News Editor
H ELEN S ILVIS
Multimedia Editor
D AVID K IDD
Graphic Designer
M ONICA J. F OSTER
Seattle Office Coordinator
J ULIE K EEFE
S USAN F RIED
Photographers
The Skanner Newspaper, established
in October 1975, is a weekly publica-
tion, published each Wednesday by
IMM Publications Inc.,
415 N. Killingsworth St.,
I
t’s no secret that trades
unions have not always wel-
comed people of color.
Historically, they acted as gate-
keepers,
striking
tough
bargains for their members, but
blocking access to construction
training and jobs for minorities
and women.
As a result generations of
people were prevented from
entering the trades. And minor-
ity communities have been
consistently denied opportuni-
ties to benefit from government
construction projects, even
those intended to boost local
hiring. That’s why last year’s
stimulus package did very little
for minority business.
The Carpenters and Operat-
ing Engineers union wants to
shed that reputation and
remake its image as a friend
and even a champion for
minorities in construction. As
part of that effort, the Carpen-
ters have drawn up a
Community Benefits Agree-
ment that recognizes the
wrongs of the past by making
significant concessions to
minority contractors.
The agreement, designed to
apply to public works projects,
states:
Certified
minority
and
women-owned businesses can
use their own employees with
no requirements to sign collec-
tive bargaining agreements or
pay union benefits.
Public works projects should
spend 20 percent of construc-
tion costs on minority- and
F ROM THE
P UBLISHER
Bernie Foster
woman-owned businesses and
should aim to expand those
businesses.
It also requires public projects
to set aside a percentage of
project costs for a minority
years, he says. So why should
we trust them now?
Well, the Carpenters clearly
understand that without the
participation and support of
Blacks, Latinos and other
minorities, unions cannot sur-
vive in 21st Century America.
Other unions may want to take
note. Attempts to crush union
power once and for all are even
now underway across the
country. Unions are battling for
survival.
For the Carpenters to take
this stand – one that by the way
is not popular with some other
The Carpenters have drawn up a
Community Benefits Agreement that
recognizes the wrongs of the past by
making significant concessions to
minority contractors
worker training fund, prioritize
apprenticeships that reflect
diversity and ensure that con-
tractors and sub-contractors
recruit and hire minorities and
women.
But to minority contractors
the promises in the union pro-
posal still ring hollow. Talk to
contracting advocate James
Posey and he’ll tell you that the
agreement is a Trojan Horse
whose only purpose is to claw
back some of the power unions
have lost. Unions have ignored
minorities for the last 35 to 40
construction unions – signals a
major leap in awareness.
Union leaders say they sincere-
ly want to diversify their ranks
and become a truly inclusive
voice for construction workers.
We believe them.
Is this agreement needed?
Some government projects –
the Sellwood Bridge contract,
for example – already include
similar conditions. Portland
Development Commission con-
tracts seek to deliver
20
percent of project costs to
minority and women-owned
businesses. Oregon Depart-
ment
of
Transportation,
however, is a different story.
Figures released in January
show that participation for
African American contractors
declined, from 1.3 percent to
0.09 percent between 2007
and 2010. That’s at the same
time that state administrators
were assuring us they were
improving these dismal diversi-
ty statistics.
TriMet too could do better
when it comes to minority busi-
nesses. As an agency that
receives federal dollars, it takes
equity seriously. But because
its marketing contracts lack
teeth and hard numbers, minor-
ity business partners have no
comeback when contractors
renege on their commitments
to them.
Unions do provide protection
for workers as well as the raw
strength in numbers bargaining
power that small contractors
lack. That’s a benefit that
almost everyone in the con-
struction trades could value.
So if the Carpenters union can
demonstrate that Black Ameri-
cans and other minorities will
benefit from its clout, everyone
will get on board. In the mean-
time, history is holding us back.
Should other unions follow
the Carpenters? Tell us what
you think!
You can post your comments
on www.theskanner.com
P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228.
Telephone (503) 285-5555.
E-mail: info@theskanner.com
World Wide Web site:
http://www.theskanner.com
Fax: (503) 285-2900
The Skanner is a member of the
National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ-
ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers
Association.
All photos submitted become the
property of The Skanner. We are not re -
spon sible for lost or damaged photos
either solicited or unsolicited.
© 2012 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED.
REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART
WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED.
To see The Skanner
News on your smart
phone go to
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Romney’s Foot-in-Mouth Disease
M
itt Romney may have
made have moved closer
to wrapping up the
Republican nomination for presi-
dent on Tuesday but he can’t seem
to move his foot away from his
mouth whenever he goes off
script. Throughout this campaign,
the former Massachusetts gover-
nor has been his worst enemy as
he struggles to connect with aver-
age voters.
Here are some examples:
April 25, 2011 – In an op-ed in
the Manchester Union Leader,
Romney accused President Obama
of going on “one of the biggest
peacetime spending binges in
American history.”
Simultaneously fighting wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan hardly quali-
fies as “peacetime.”
April 30 – Speaking at an Amer-
icans for Prosperity dinner in
Manchester, N.H., Romney said:
“Reagan came up with this great
thing about the ‘misery index’ and
he hung that around Jimmy
Carter’s neck. Well, we’re going to
have to hang the ‘Obama Misery
Index’ around his neck.” Romney
continued, “…We’re going to
hang him…” After stopping mid-
sentence, Romney added, “So to
speak – metaphorically. You have
to be careful these days.”
Yes, Mitt, you do have to be
careful these days. And saying
even metaphorically that you want
to hang a Black man, in this case
the president of the United States,
shows appalling insensitivity to
Page 4 The Portland Skanner March 7, 2012
T HE C URRY
R EPORT
George E.
Curry
this country’s long and ugly histo-
ry of lynching.
June 16 – Speaking to unem-
ployed workers in Tampa, Fla.,
Romney said, “I am also unem-
“one more indication that Romney
and the Republicans on the cam-
paign trail and in Washington have
misplaced priorities.”
Dec. 10 – During Sioux City
GOP debate: “Rick, I’ll tell you
what, 10,000 bucks, $10,000 bet?”
Oct. 18 – In the GOP debate in
Las Vegas, recalling a conversa-
tion he had with his lawn-care
service that had employed illegal
immigrants: “We went to the
company and we said, look, you
can’t have any illegals working on
our property. I’m running for
office, for Pete’s sake, I can’t have
Saying even metaphorically that you
want to hang a Black man, in this
case the president of the United
States, shows appalling insensitivity to
this country’s long and ugly history of
lynching
ployed.”
When you are worth between
$190 million and $250 million and
receive more than $20 million a
year from investments, you don’t
have to work.
Aug. 11 – At the Iowa State Fair
in Des Moines, Romney said:
“Corporations are people, my
friend.”
Democratic National Committee
Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman
Schultz said the comment was
illegals.”
Would it be alright if Romney
wasn’t running for office?
Jan. 9 – Speaking at a Chamber
of Commerce function in Nashua,
N.H.: “I like being able to fire peo-
ple who provide services to me.”
Jan. 17 – In Greenville, S.C.,
Romney called the $370,000 he
earned in speaking fees in
2011 “not very much money.”
According to the Census Bureau,
that’s more than seven times the
average household income of
$49,445.
Feb. 1 – CNN interview: “I’m in
this race because I care about
Americans. I’m not concerned
about the very poor. We have a
safety net there. If it needs repair,
I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about
the very rich; they’re doing just
fine. I’m concerned about the very
heart of America, the 90 percent,
95 percent of Americans who right
now are struggling.”
Romney made it very clear that
he is no John F. Kennedy. And
although he professed not to be
concerned for the very rich, inde-
pendent analyses of his tax plan
show that’s the group that would
most benefit under his proposal.
Comedian Jon Stewart said on
his Daily Show: “It’s like a doctor
going, ‘I’m not concerned about
the very healthy, because they’re
doing fine, or the very sick
because, you know, morphine.’”
Feb. 24 – Speaking in Detroit:
“I drive a Mustang and a Chevy
pickup. Ann drives a couple of
Cadillacs, actually.”
Way to go Mitt. Remind the
audience that your wife drives two
vehicles that sell for $35,485-
$54,525 each and that you have
two homes, each with its own
Cadillac. Working-class people
can really relate to that.
Despite Romney’s effort to put
his best foot forward, he usually
sticks it in his mouth.