BUSINESS & AG LIFE
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022
LABOR
Continued from Page B1
“COVID has done automation a favor,”
he said. “The pandemic is continuing to
infl uence the reluctance to return to work.
People don’t want to come back.”
Robots have a history in food pro-
cessing that dates back to the 1980s, when
they started stacking boxes on pallets,
LaPlante said. Since then, the machines
have been moving “upstream” to interact
directly with food.
“They are cleanable. They keep things
from coming into them and keep things
from coming out of them,” he said.
Some robots can now learn how to
accomplish tasks by being physically
guided through them, rather than tradi-
tional programming, he said. “It stream-
lines the process, makes it a lot easier.”
In agriculture, robots have already been
deployed to harvest peppers, for example,
but the technology is still at a relatively
“infantile” stage, LaPlante said.
The challenge is creating software for
robots to successfully interact with the
environment, he said. “The robot can do
what you tell it to do, but you need someone
to tell it what to do.”
Robotics off er a way to make up for the
shortfall in workers and automate dull and
unpleasant tasks, LaPlante said. Existing
employees can then engage in more pro-
ductive and rewarding duties.
“It’s not our enemy. Automation is our
friend,” he said. “It’s more of a tool to use
than a threat to people’s jobs.”
Workplace culture is a crucial consid-
eration for employers who are competing
against other companies whose workers
perform similar tasks, said Matt Crabtree,
sales director with Redzone.
Given a choice between fi lling boxes
with products or peeling onions, for
example, a worker may choose the com-
pany “where people want to go and spend
their time,” he said.
“Retention is the cheapest thing you can
do to maintain productivity,” Crabtree said.
It’s worth spending the time to con-
tinuously educate and train employees,
PENSIONS
Continued from Page B1
a plan (Tier 2) that is in
eff ect from January 1996 to
August 2003.
The retirement plan
that applies to most
now blends contribu-
tions from employees and
their employers in what
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Osvaldo Granillo, sales director at Redzone Pro-
duction Systems, speaks about labor shortages at
Food Northwest’s recent process and packaging
expo in Portland.
focusing on communication and soliciting
feedback on work processes, said John
Damon, workforce development manager
for Food Northwest, a food industry group.
Workers are less likely to jump ship
if they see a future at the company, he
said. “In this environment, you’ve got to
keep engaging them and make them feel
important. If they feel like family, they
will stay.”
Bright employees can act out and
become “smart alecks” when they’re bored,
so it helps to provide them with a purpose
and opportunities for advancement, Damon
said. “They see a career path where they
didn’t see one.”
Promoting people from within the com-
pany ensures that employees in leader-
ship roles know “every crack and cranny”
of the operation, said Debbie Radie, vice
president of operations at Boardman Foods
in Boardman.
“My top mechanic today started on my
trim line,” Radie said.
Boardman Foods has a generous paid
time-off policy and started an all-day
child day care program to retain female
employees who’d otherwise be compelled
to stay home during the pandemic, she said.
“We fi nd creative ways for people to
have that work-life balance, even on the
work fl oor trimming onions,” Radie said.
are known as individual
account plans.
Contribution rates for
participating governments
also are “collared,” which
means part of the increase
is carried over into future
budget cycles, so that partic-
ipating governments do not
get hit with the full amount
in a single cycle.
The board approved a
Davis Carbaugh/The Observer
Light pours into the gaming lounge at La Grande Poker Room on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
POKER
Continued from Page B1
Brown then received a
gaming permit at the Feb-
ruary city council session,
in which La Grande Police
Chief Gary Bell informed
the council of permit
requirements in years to
come. The council has the
authority to approve the
opening permit, while the
city’s police chief controls
that authority in the future.
Councilors David Glabe
and Gary Lillard voiced
concern over granting the
gaming permit during the
recent meeting, stating
they did not support the
promotion of gambling in
La Grande.
Brown explained that
he sees La Grande Poker
Room as a social gaming
and entertainment venue,
as opposed to a typical
gambling site.
“We’re not a machine.
I can go put my $100 in
a machine and it doesn’t
care. Here, you have to go
through the dealer and we
know what’s going on,”
Brown said. “There is defi -
nitely more of an atmo-
spheric feel to it. It’s more
hanging out than like a
pure slot machine or some-
thing like that.”
Brown also stated at the
council meeting that sev-
eral of La Grande Poker
Room’s dealers have a
background in addiction
recovery and know what
Still running
unsupported
Windows 7?
We’ll help you
avoid critical
issues by installing
Windows 10!
change last year in how
rates are calculated for the
collar, which limits what
a rate increase would be
otherwise.
“Emotion is not part of
being an actuary,” said Matt
Larrabee, also of Millman.
“But we are happy that the
rate-collar structure is per-
forming for this fi rst bien-
nium (two-year cycle).”
behaviors to look out for.
The business owner
will appear in front of
the city council one more
time, looking to receive an
alcohol license. As of right
now, the social gaming
site has a cooler for soft
drinks.
After having a packed
house for the opening tour-
nament on Feb. 6, Brown
is hopeful La Grande
Poker Room will become
a popular entertainment
venue in the city.
“I think it’s something
that’s going to be a lot
of fun in the La Grande
community,” Brown said.
“We’re going to do our
best to make it a fun atmo-
sphere, and we hope to see
people down here.”
Computer not
running as
fast as when
it was new?
Let us install
lightning-fast
solid state drive!
C lassifieds
Published by The Observer & Baker City Herald - Serving Wallowa, Union and Baker Counties
PLACING YOUR AD IS EASY...Union, Wallowa, and Baker Counties
Phone La
Grande - 541-963-3161 • Baker City - 541-523-3673
On-Line:
www.lagrandeobserver.com
www.bakercityherald.com
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Email:
Classifieds@lagrandeobserver.com
Classifieds@bakercityherald.com
110 Announcements
110 Announcements
To Place a Classified Ad
Please email your contact information and
the content to be included in the ad to:
classifieds@bakercityherald.com
If you are unable to email please call:
(541) 523-3673
Deadlines for Classified Ads
4:00 PM two days prior to publication
Tuesday Publication..........Friday by 4 PM
Thursday Publication.....Tuesday by 4 PM
Saturday Publication....Thursday by 4 PM
110 Announcements
110 Announcements
BROWNING A bolt III .300 Win
Mag NIB $600 OBO 519-3414
Baker City
PULL TABS
ACCEPTED
AT THE FOLLOWING
BAKER CITY LOCATIONS
∙ Baker City Herald
∙ Dollar Tree
∙ Black’s Distributing
∙ Ryder Bros
∙ VFW
∙ Baker Elk’s Lodge
∙ Main Event
∙ Salvation Army
Call 541-963-3161 or 523-3673 to
place your ad.
AL-ANON
Keep Coming Back Family Group
Mondays, 7 pm
at NKWest, 1208 Adams,
La Grande, OR
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Monday, Thursday, & Friday
at 8pm. Episcopal Church
2177 First St.
Baker City
Drug Problem?
We can help!
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 541-805-2229
www.neo-na.org
DO YOU HAVE....HURTS,
HABITS and/or HANG UPS?
12 Step Biblical Support
Harvest Church
3720 Birch St. Baker City
Thurs., 6:30 - 8:30 PM
114 Self-Help
Group Meetings
AA MEETINGS
Wednesday Nights, 7-8:15pm.
Fort Union Grange Hall, corner
of McAlister & Gekeler Lanes.
For more info, call 541-786-1222
Someone’s
drinking a problem?
AL-ANON Meetings
are available by phone
Info for Baker City Meetings
Call: 541-239-7323
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
These little ads really work!
Join the thousands of other
people in this area who are
regular users of the classi-
fied. See how simple and
effective they can be. We're
open from 7:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. for your convenience.
∙ Baker City Fire Dept.
∙ Idle Hour
114 Self-Help
Group Meetings
LA GRANDE
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS
Every Friday Night @ 5pm, 2107
Gekeler Ln, LG, Church of Christ
basement. For more info please
call 971-219-8411
∙ Lefty’s Tap House
∙ Haines Sell-Rite
DEADLINES:
LINE ADS:
Tuesday: 8:30am Monday
Thursday: 8:30 am Wednesday
Saturday: 8:30 am Friday
DISPLAY ADS:
2 Days Prior to
Publication Date
DOES EVERYONE
KNOW YOUR
BUSINESS
Even if you think they do,
you'll have to keep remind-
ing them about it.
Calvary Baptist Church
Third & Broadway
Baker City, OR
EVERY THURSDAY
6:15 - 8:00 PM
AL-ANON Attitude of Gratitude.
Wednesdays, 12:15-1:30pm.
Faith Lutheran Church.
12th & Gekeler, La Grande
Please wear a mask & practice
social distancing
541-786-2051
Check out our classified ads.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Goin’ Straight Group
Meetings:
Mon., Tues. Thurs. & Fri.
Start at 8 PM
Episcopal Church Basement
2177 1st Street, Baker City