InsideInside MEETING NOTICESMEETING NOTICES SeePage 6

Volume 110Number 3February 6, 2009Portland

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The AFL-CIOwants President Barack Obama to use the bullypulpit of the presidency to campaign for passageof the Employee Free ChoiceAct.By “speaking positively about unions and

workers’ rights to organize,” by promising to“stand with and protect” workers’ rights and “bycriticizing employers who interfere” with union-ization, Obama’s administration “can set a newtone and put our nation’s labor-relations systemback on the right track,” the national labor feder-ation said.Looking at history, union officials noted that

as president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt told thecountry that if he worked in a factory, the firstthing he would do is join a union. That led to sig-nificant growth in labor’s ranks.Forty years later, President Ronald Reagan sent

exactly the opposite message when he fired strik-ing air traffic controllers. “That led to employeranti-union tactics at a level not seen in decades,”theAFL-CIO said.“The Obama Administration can make a

tremendous difference by publicly sending themessage that the administration believes in, andsupports, workers’ rights to form and join unions,and the importance of a thriving labor movementto our nation’s economic health and well-being,”theAFL-CIO concluded.Last month, labor rolled out a new $3 million

advertising campaign mobilizing members ofchurches, consumer groups, civil rights groups,and environmental groups to push Congress to en-act the Employee Free ChoiceAct.Pro-EFCA advertisements are airing on na-

tional cable television networks, as well as onnews talk shows, said Mary Beth Maxwell, exec-utive director ofAmerican Rights atWork, whichassembled the coalition.Speakers at a press conference launching the

campaign said giving workers organizing and bar-gaining power raises their standards of living,which in turn injects more money into workers’pockets.“When the law passes and the long decline in

unionization stops, workers will have increased

bargaining power, higher living standards, morehealth care, better pension benefits and higherwages,” said Dean Baker, director of the Centerfor Economic Policy Research.That same point was made by Rhode Island

Price Rite grocery worker Joe Sorrentino, one ofthe campaigners for the United Food and Com-mercial Workers’ organizing drive at the firm. “Idon’t see any big problemwith givingAmericansbetter pay and medical coverage,” he said.Price Rite is resisting the organizing drive,

even though its parent grocery chain operates 95percent union.The Employee Free ChoiceAct would not only

write majority sign-up into labor law — withworkers rather than bosses deciding how to moveforward — it would also impose heftier fines forlabor law breakers, order the National Labor Re-lations Board to get court injunctions against fla-grant violators, and mandate binding arbitrationfor a first contract if the workers’ union and thebosses can’t agree on one within 120 days.AFL-CIO Legislative Director Bill Samuel

said the ad campaign is concentrating on 15 to 16key states whose senators — Democratic and es-pecially Republican — hold the key to overcom-ing a planned GOP filibuster against the law. Amajority of senators supported EFCA last session,but it was procedurally blocked from a vote byRepublicans in the minority.Samuel said backers now count 60 votes to

stop a filibuster, including Senate co-sponsorArlen Specter, R-Pa. But they want to clear thatbarrier with plenty to spare and they have to do soin the face of a multi-million dollar business ad-vertising campaign against it.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indi-

cated that he won’t take up the Employee FreeChoice Act until sometime this summer. It’s an“important piece of legislation,” Reid told the LasVegas Sun newspaper. “We’re going to get tothat.”“It will not be an easy lift,” saidWade Hender-

son, executive director of the Leadership Confer-ence on Civil Rights, who was at the press con-

Employee Free Choice Act

Labor wants Obama to prioritize, help promote EFCA

(Turn to Page 9)

Recession deepensBut help is on the way, say elected leaders

By DONMcINTOSHAssociate Editor

It’s getting scary out there. The re-cession that began officially in Decem-ber 2007 worsened rapidly in Novem-ber and December. Daily announce-ments of business closures and masslayoffs are pushing up unemploymentnumbers to levels not seen in decades.As of December, unemployment

was at 7.2 percent nationally, while inOregon, the figure was 9.0 percent, thehighest level since 1983.As of De-cember, about 175,000 Oregonianswere unemployed, 70,000 more thanthe year before.And sectors where union workers

are concentrated— like manufactur-ing and construction— are some ofthe hardest hit. JohnMohlis, executivesecretary-treasurer of the Columbia-Pacific Building & ConstructionTrades Council, said 10 to 25 percentof local construction union workerswere on their unions’out-of-work listsas of mid-January, depending on thecraft.“My guess is some are going to be

out of work for quite a while,” Mohlissaid— because few projects are in thepipeline for the warm-weather busyseason.“The contractors have nothing to

bid on,” said Frank Regalado, businessmanager of Elevator Constructors Lo-cal 23. “I think by June we’re going tohave problems.”At the Daimler Trucks NorthAmer-

ica Portland truck plant (formerlyFreightliner) 192 workers were laid offJanuary 30, including members of Ma-chinists Lodge1005, Teamsters Local305, Sign Painters and Paint MakersLocal 1094, and Service EmployeesLocal 49. The company had earlierplanned to start week-long shutdownsonce-a-month, but instead decided tolay some workers off.For Daryl Payne, 39, the layoff

means he’ll go from $860 a week to$482— the maximumweekly unem-ployment benefit. Payne, a 15-yearproduction technician, is looking attaking two years of welding classes atClark College inVancouver, which hehopes will help him become a union

steamfitter like his father.Some unions have worked out cre-

ative ways to cushion the blow of lay-offs. In McMinnville, Cascade SteelRollingMills laid off 77 union work-ers in December, leaving just over 300.When United SteelWorkers Local

8378 President Joe Munger learnedfurther layoffs might be coming, hemet with company managers and theycame up with a way to match produc-tion to lowered demand. Members ap-proved a “rolling layoff” by a strongmargin. The way it works, the com-pany shuts down department-by-de-partment for a week or two at a time.Workers get unemployment benefitsfor the weeks they’re off. CascadeSteel guarantees everyone will work atleast two weeks out of every four, andagreed to pay full health care premi-ums for at least the first month. Thetwo sides will meet each month to ex-tend the deal. It’s good for the com-pany because they’ll be ready if andwhen demand rebounds; steel industryanalysts say that could be six to nine

(Turn to Page 11)

Inauguration Day festivitiesRetired International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48business manager Ed Barnes and his wife, Luanne, were amongmany union members from Oregon andWashington to attend theJan. 20 inauguration of President Barack Obama. “It was one ofthe greatest experiences of my 75 years of life,” Barnes said. “Wefinally have an open door policy at theWhite House for labor.” Formore on organized labor’s participation in the inauguration, seePage 12.

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 1

PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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IBEWLocal 48 is installing a 78 kW solar array at its union hall. The all-union project, when completed, will not onlyprovide 40 percent of the local’s electrical usage for the next 30 years, but also will be used to train members on thedesign and installation of solar arrays. Late last month, apprentices from IronWorkers Local 29 — including SethMeeks (kneeling, photo above) andBrandonLesbo—helped put up the steel structure. Installation of some 360 solarpanels will be performed by Local 48 apprentices and volunteers. Electrical equipment and supervision is beingprovided by signatory contractor Dynalectric. The iron beams were designed byOregon IronWorks. AndCampbellCrane donated equipment and an operator to set the steel. “The solar array will be a showcase for all prospectiveparties interested in installing their own solar arrays,” saidDave Johnston, aLocal 48 business rep. “Future apprenticeswill be able see a large solar installation right next door.” The array should be up and running by mid-April. IronWorker apprentices getting class credit for working on the project were: Victor Labach, Brian Russo, Ron Sather,Chris Estoos, Shane Jones, Jake Crow, Kathryn Lakey, Davis Curley, Kyle Schmidt, Brandon Lesbo, Mark Fleet,MikeBilleter,Greg Fitzhugh, and SethMeeks. Assisting the apprenticeswere instructorMarkLautenschlager (projectsupervisor) and IronWorkersApprenticeship Coordinator LeeWorley.

Union membership in the UnitedStates rose from 12.1 percent to 12.4percent last year, according to an annualsurvey released by the U.S. Bureau ofLabor Statistics.The number of all workers covered

by collective bargaining agreements, in-cluding those who choose not to beunionmembers, also grew in 2008, from13.3 percent to 13.7 percent, bringing anadditional 518,000workers under unioncontracts in 2008.Overall, the number of workers be-

longing to a union last year rose to 16.1million. In 1983, the first year forwhichcomparable union data are available, theunion membership rate was 20.1 per-cent, and therewere 17.7million work-ers carrying union cards.“This growth is remarkable given the

overall decline in employment in 2008(a loss of 900,000 jobs in the nonunionsector),” said Lawrence Mishel of theEconomic Policy Institute. “This is alsothe first time in the 30 years of this dataseries that union density rose two yearsin a row.In Oregon, union membership grew

by 32,000— to 259,000, or 16.6 percentof theworkforce.Another 13,000work-ers were represented by a union.Washington State remains ranked

No. 4 in the nation in terms of uniondensity, with the state’s 578,000 mem-bers accounting for 19.8 percent of theoverall workforce.Membership actuallyslipped by 1,000 from a year ago. How-ever, the number ofworkers representedby a union increased from 616,000 to626,000 (21.5 percent of theworkforce).The BLS survey also reported on the

union advantage workers receive onpayday. In 2008, full-time union work-ers earned a median weekly salary of$886while nonunionworkerswere paid28 percent less per week— $691.Union growth was broadly shared

across demographic lines and occupa-tions. Growth was strongest in the pub-lic sector, among Hispanics, and inWestern states.The highest shares of unionization by

age were among workers aged 55-64and 45-54 (nearly 17 percent), while thelowest share (5 percent) was amongworkers aged 16-24.

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FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 2

FEBRUARY 6, 2009 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 3

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By JOYMARGHEIMLet’s say you often bike to work and

your Oldsmobile stays in the garagehalf the work week. On a day whenyou drive, you get into an accident. Al-though you dutifully pay insuranceevery month, your claim gets denied.“Sorry,” your insurer says, “you don’tdrive enough.”It’s crazy, right? But that scenario is

not too different from what many laid-off Oregon workers experience whenattempting to collect unemployment in-surance (UI) benefits.Oregon’s antiquated UI program of-

ten excludes part-time and temporaryworkers whose employers paid into thesystem on their behalf. Modernizing

the program so that it better serves to-day’s workforce is more urgent today,as a severe recession leaves more Ore-gonians without work.UI is good for workers, businesses

and employers. The temporary wagebenefits help keep the families of laid-off workers afloat. Local merchants arebetter off when unemployed workerscontinue spending on housing, gro-ceries and other basic needs.And oncebusiness conditions improve, it helpsemployers call back the experiencedworkers they need.To be more effective, however, the

system must be updated to reflectchanges in the workforce. Establishedin 1935, UI was designed when the la-bor force mostly consisted of malebreadwinners who worked full time.Today’s workplace looks vastly differ-ent, with more women, part-time andtemporary workers.Currently, laid-off part-time work-

ers can collect unemployment benefitsonly if they are willing to accept full-time work. For many, full-time work isnot an option — if they are balancingwork with caretaking responsibilities,for example.Part-timeworkers are a group that is

too big to leave out. One in four Ore-gonworkers labors part time, and those

workers’employers pay into the systemon their behalf, just as they do for full-time workers.UI rules also disregard up to six

months of recent earnings when figur-ing eligibility. Therefore, Oregonianswho work intermittently or have re-cently returned to work after a periodof unemployment or caretaking dutiesmay have difficulty qualifying.These and other UI rules shrink the

pool of workers covered. Today, onlyabout half of unemployed Oregonianscollect UI benefits.That’s bad news for the 46,700 Ore-

gonians who have lost their job sinceFebruary of 2008, when the downturnbegan.According to the latest data fromthe Oregon Employment Department,state unemployment stands at 9 percent,its highest level sinceApril 1985.Now is a good time for Oregon to

upgrade its UI system, not only be-cause of rising unemployment but alsoto take advantage of funding that maycome out of Washington, D.C. Con-gress is considering an economic stim-ulus measure that would offer an in-centive for states to modernize their UIprograms. By modernizing, Oregonwould get about $91 million from thefeds, according to the National Em-ployment Law Project.

To qualify for the federal funding,however, Oregonwould need to changeits UI eligibility criteria to allow work-ers to count more of their recent workexperience. Twenty other states and theDistrict of the Columbia already haveenacted this improvement, which helpsworkers who recently entered the workforce or who work intermittently toqualify for unemployment benefits.Most of those who would benefit arelow-wage workers.Oregon can improve UI further. It

can eliminate barriers for part-timeworkers, allowworkers to get their ben-efits immediately rather than having towait a week for their first check, boostthe benefits for workers who have chil-dren to support, and permit low-wageworkers to complete a job training pro-gramwhile they collect unemploymentbenefits. Other states have taken thosesteps, and so should Oregon.Just as you don’t drive your grand-

father’s Oldsmobile, Oregoniansshouldn’t be stuck with their grandfa-thers’ unemployment insurance sys-tem. The time to bring Oregon’s UIsystem to the 21st century is now.(Editor’s Note: Joy Margheim is a

policy analyst with the Oregon Centerfor Public Policy. She can be reachedat jmargheim@ocpp.org.)

Not your grandfather’s workforce, but it’s stillhis unemployment insurance system in Oregon

Witt sponsors billallowing UI aidfor part-timersSALEM — Oregon State Rep

Brad Witt is sponsoring a bill thatwould allow unemployment insur-ance benefits for part-time workers.Witt, a union rep with United

Food and CommercialWorkers Lo-cal 555 and a former secretary-treas-urer of theOregonAFL-CIO, sits onthe Business and Labor Committee.“The bill is both an economic

stimulus and a safety net issue forthosewho often have towork two ormore part-time jobs,” Witt said.“This will make an important con-tribution towards breaking the econ-omy’s downward spiral caused inpart by inadequate consumer spend-ing. It is also a basic fairness issue:Part-time employees pay into thesystem just like full time employees.Unemployment insurance is wellfunded in Oregon so we can fundthis and still maintain our reserves.”

SALEM—Members of AFSCMELocal 2067 donated $20,000 to four en-ergy assistance agencies that help theelderly and other low-income residentspay their winter heating andwater bills.Donations of $5,000 each went to

Oregon HEAT, a non-profit assistanceagency; Salem Electric, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action,and Salem’s water and sewer depart-ment.AFSCME Local 2067 represents

over 600members at the City of Salem.Since Dec. 1, the local also made

cash donations of $20,000 to variousbranches of theOregon FoodBank net-work.“We believe it’s very important for

us to be good citizens and participantsin our community,” Local 2067 Presi-dent Jack Tucker told e-lert, an onlinenewsletter of OregonAFSCME Coun-cil 75. “City employees are real people,too—we live in the local communities,we pay taxes and we have a vested in-terest in making our communities bet-ter. As a group, we’re always lookingfor ways to give back to our commu-nity. It’s a high priority for this activegroup of union members.”Tucker works in the City of Salem’s

PublicWorks Department.

AFSCME #2067donates $20,000to help elderly,poor heat homes

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 3

By DONMcINTOSHAssociate Editor

OLYMPIA—State lawmakers as-sembled here Jan. 12 for what willsurely be a crisis session of theWash-ington Legislature.Washington stategovernment’s share of the global re-cession is a projected $5.7 billion rev-enue shortfall in the next two-yearbudget. Unlike the federal govern-ment, states have to balance theirbudgets. So unless there’s a full-scalefederal bailout of state governments,Washington lawmakers and Gov.Christine Gregoire will be weighingspending cuts and revenue increases.Workers have a big stake in those

decisions, and representatives of thestate’s labor movement will lobby andtestify in the weeks and months lead-ing up to theApril 26 close of the leg-islative session.Grappling with the budget won’t be

the only topic, though. Organized la-bor also expects the Democratic ma-jority to deliver on reforms— such asextending the right to unionize, settingup a fund to provide paid family leavefor workers, and requiring payment ofthe prevailing wage on mixed public-private construction projects.Most of labor’s political efforts are

coordinated through theWashingtonState Labor Council (WSLC)— thestatewide body chartered by the na-tionalAFL-CIO. In the fourth mostunionized state in the nation,WSLCrepresents most major unions excepttheWashington EducationAssocia-tion, Service Employees InternationalUnion (SEIU), and the United Broth-erhood of Carpenters.About 500 localunions are affiliated, with a combinedmembership of about 400,000.AndWSLC sees itself as the advocate forworking people in general, not just ofunion members, said spokespersonDavid Groves.WSLC is calling on lawmakers to

put more money in the hands of unem-ployed workers, which could helpstimulate the economy.Washington’sunemployment insurance trust fundhas $4 billion in reserves, a muchhigher level than most states. Gov.Gregoire is proposing to tap the fundto add $45 a week to unemploymentinsurance benefits. Business groupshave vowed to fight the proposal.WSLC supports it, and also wants

to see a rule change so that individualscan get unemployment if they quit be-cause they’re relocating to where aspouse has found a new job.Last fall, responding to the budget

shortfall, Gov. Gregoire announced astate government hiring freeze. Sincethen, the budget picture has worsenedto the point where state worker layoffsare on the table. But her Decemberbudget proposal to the Legislaturecrossed the line for several unions. Thegovernor didn’t ask lawmakers to fundthe modest raises that had just beenagreed to in contract bargaining with

several state worker unions. Threepublic employee unions filed suit forbreach of contract— theWashingtonFederation of State Employees (an af-filiate of theAmerican Federation ofState, County andMunicipal Employ-ees, which represents most state em-ployees); SEIU Local 775, which rep-resents home health care workers; and

SEIU Local 925, which representschildcare workers. The legal disputehad not been resolved as of press time.Basically, the governor’s office is

arguing economic necessity, whereasthe unions counter that the governorhas to ask to renegotiate the raises, andcan’t just unilaterally dump the con-tract.And they say the governor’sbudget failed to suggest alternatives—like ending corporate tax breaks.Washington has no personal in-

come tax, so public services rely onthe property tax, sales tax, and a busi-ness gross receipts tax; receipts fromthe last two have fallen significantlywith the drop-off in sales and businessactivity. Cutting back on corporate taxbreaks would be one way to increaserevenue without raising taxes.A taxbreak for producers of bull semen hasbeen the most singled out for ridicule,but all told there are about 600 busi-ness tax exemptions, totaling tens ofbillions of dollars.WSLC isn’t propos-ing that they be eliminated wholesale,just that they be looked at to seewhether they accomplish their pur-poses, and whether those purposes areworth the cost to the treasury at a timewhen public agency budgets are facingsevere cuts.Aside from the economy and the

state budget,WSLC’s top reform pri-ority this year is theWorker PrivacyAct. Under the bill, workers could notbe disciplined for refusing to attendworkplace meetings at which issues ofindividual conscience are to be dis-cussed— including whether to sup-port unionization, but also matters ofreligion, politics, or charitable giving.WSLC also wants to extend state-

administered collective bargainingrights to community college faculty(possibly the last major group of pub-lic workers without that right) and toperforming artists at small symphoniesand opera companies not covered bythe National Labor RelationsAct.AndWSLC, which is a member of

the HealthyWashington Coalition,wants to see more progress towardmaking sure allWashingtonians have

health insurance. That means no cutsto the state’s program of health insur-ance for children from low-incomefamilies.And it means a decision onhow to move forward on a program ofcomprehensive health care reform.Under Senate Bill 6333, passed last

year, a citizen task force hired a con-sultant to account for five major pro-

posals to overhaulhealth care; thatgives lawmakers amenu of optionsto choose from.“We think

health care reformis part of eco-nomic recovery”Groves said. “Totake the burdenoff business and

working families… frees up money tocreate jobs and spend money in otherareas that help the economy.”The labor council also wants law-

makers to stop stalling and make a de-cision on how to fund a paid familyleave benefit they approved in 2007.The program would replace up to$250 a week of lost wages for workerswho take family leave after the birth oradoption of a child. The benefit wouldapply only at workplaces with 50 ormore employees, the same workerswho now have a federal guarantee ofunpaid family leave. The problem withunpaid family leave is that workerscan’t afford to use it. So the modestbenefit would make a difference. Ex-cept Olympia never decided how tofund it:Would it come from a 2 centsper hour payroll tax on workers, or apenny each from workers and employ-ers, or even from unemployment in-surance fund?Whichever, it’s time toget it off the ground,WSLCwill ar-gue.Meanwhile, theWashington State

Building and Construction TradesCouncil (WSBCTC), which pools thepolitical agendas of the state’s buildingtrades unions, will focus on proposalsto expand apprenticeship opportuni-ties; bring unemployment insurance

rules into compliance with federalstandards; and give the state bettertools to make employers comply withworkers’ compensation coverage re-quirements.Thanks to previous rounds of legis-

lation, most public works projects inWashington require at least some workbe done by apprentices— opening upchances for new workers to gain skills.State-certified apprentice numbershave doubled since 1999, and nowstand at close to 16,000. This year,WSBCTC hopes to extend the appren-tice utilization requirement to con-struction projects on higher ed cam-puses.“It’s a policy statement,” saidWS-

BTC Executive Secretary David John-son. “If you’re going to bid on publicwork, you need to make some com-mitment to training the future work-force.”WSBCTC also will push a bill tar-

geting “bid shopping,” in which gen-eral contractors, after getting a con-tract, play subcontractors against eachother to see which will do the workmost cheaply. The bill would requirecontractors to name their subcontrac-tors when they get a contract.

AndWSBCTCwill bring back abill to expand the requirement thatworkers employed on public construc-tion projects be paid the prevailingwage. One idea would be to requireprivate sector projects to pay prevail-ing wage if they’re given publicmoney in the form of tax incentives orlower-than-market-value public land.Another would have the state begin tocollect data on wages paid to out-of-state workers making pre-fabricatedparts used in public construction, suchas pre-cast concrete forms.For information and regular up-

dates, union members can visit theWashington State Labor CouncilWebpage atwww.wslc.org.Members who want to get involved

inWSLC’s legislative efforts shouldplan to attend a half-day legislativeconference Thursday, Feb. 26 at theOlympia Red Lion Inn.

PAGE 4 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) — Bya 61-36 vote, the U.S. Senate on Jan. 22passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Bill. The legislation overturns a 2007

Supreme Court ruling that said workerswho are discriminated against in paycould sue only within the first 180 daysof being hired. In practical terms, advo-cates said, that barred all pay discrimi-nation cases, since workers often do notdiscover the discrimination until long af-terwards.In the case of Lilly Ledbetter, the

gray-haired grandmother from Gads-den, Ala., did not discover her pay-checks as a supervisor in the GoodyearTire and Rubber Co. plant had beenshorted until near the end of her 19-yearcareer. She sued and won $3.5 millionin back pay and damages.Appeals lowered the damage payout,

but the high court — on a 5-4 vote —threw out the case entirely.The five justices, all men appointed

by Republican presidents, including twonamed by George W. Bush, said anti-discrimination law allows suits onlywithin 180 days of being hired, or 300days in some cases. Any time after that,and workers can’t file a lawsuit.Ironically, Ledbetter told Press Asso-

ciates Inc. during a congressional hear-ing that rank-and-file female workers atthe plant suffer little or no pay discrimi-nation because they are covered by aSteel Workers Union contract. As a su-pervisor, she was not.“The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a

modest and targeted response to a harm-

ful and unjust ruling that made it justabout impossible for victims of pay dis-crimination to seek justice in the courts,no matter how severe the discriminationthey face,” said Debra Ness, president ofthe National Partnership for Women andFamilies, one of the lead organizationsthat lobby for fair pay and female work-ers’ rights.All 36 Senate votes against the bill

came from male Republicans. The GOPalso provided the entire opposition in theHouse, which passed the bill soon afterthe Democratic-run 111th Congressopened.Senate Democrats of both sexes

voted unanimously for the bill. Theywere joined by the four female SenateRepublicans and Sen. Arlen Specter ofPennsylvania.President Barack Obama has signed

the legislation into law.

Congress passes LillyLedbetter ‘fair pay’ bill

Professional Firefightersof Clackamas County Local 1159

We are looking forBoard of Directors candidatesfor the Estacada Fire District.

These positions are elected every 4 years; they provide direction and accountability

to the Fire District for the taxpayersin the Estacada Fire District.

Requirements: You must own property in theEstacada Fire District, attend monthly meetingsand ensure oversight of budget, employment

and tax laws.

Please, if you’re interested, contactIAFF Local 1159 Vice President Burke Slater

at 503 351-9904Or email at: bslater@local1159.com

More information is available at theClackamas County Elections Office,

1710 Red Soils Ct., Suite 100, Oregon City, OR 97045or at: www.clackamas.us/elections

The filing deadline forBoard Positions 1 and 4 is March 19, 2009

VANCOUVER — Mike Carnahanof Electrical Workers Local 48 was re-elected secretary-treasurer of Clark,Skamania, West Klickitat CountiesCentral Labor Council in an electionheld Jan. 22. Shannon Walker of Office and Pro-

fessional Employees Local 277 wastapped president; Judy Kuschel of AF-SCME Local 313 was elected vicepresident; and Rick Thompson of Ma-chinists Lodge 63 was re-elected ser-geant-at-arms.Walker succeeds Cager Clabaugh of

International Longshore and Ware-house Union (ILWU) Local 4. He didnot seek re-election.Elected to the Executive Board were

Lucy Carrier of United Food and Com-mercial Workers Local 555, Roy Jen-nings of Amalgamated Transit UnionLocal 757, Roben White of Painters Lo-cal 10, and Scott Orrell of ILWU Local4. Mark Rauchenstein of InternationalFederation of Professional and Techni-cal Engineers Local 17 was re-electeda trustee.

Officers electedat labor councilin Vancouver

WASHINGTON, D.C. — WilmaLiebman has been designated by Presi-dent Barack Obama to chair the Na-tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB).As an NLRB member over the past

eight years, Liebman has challenged theBush Administration on workers’ rights. “The Board’s Republican majority

made it harder to form unions through

majority sign-up, limited the ability ofillegally fired workers to recover backpay, and allowed employers to discrim-inate against union supporters in the hir-ing process,” said AFL-CIO PresidentJohn Sweeney.Liebman was first appointed to the

NLRB by President Bill Clinton in1997. Her current term expires in 2011.

Before joining the NLRB, Liebmanserved from 1994 to 1997 at the FederalMediation and Conciliation Service,first as special assistant to the directorand then as deputy director. She beganher legal career as an NLRB staff attor-ney in 1974, then served on the legalstaff of two unions: the Bricklayers andthe Teamsters.

Friend of labor tapped for NLRB chair

SALEM — Joe Munger of Steel-workers Local 8378 has been electedpresident of the Marion, Polk, YamhillCounties Central Labor Council. Hesucceeds Dave Tischer of the LaborersLocal 320, who did not seek re-election.Richard Swyers of AFSCME Local

2067 was re-elected secretary-treasurerand Rosalie Pedroza of Service Em-ployees Local 503 was re-elected vicepresident.Terms of office are three years.

Marion, Polk,Yamhill CLC electsMunger president

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 5

PAGE 6 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

BAKERY, CONFECTIONERY,TOBACCOWORKERS ANDGRAIN MILLERS 114

Executive Board meets 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, fol-lowed by a 10:30 a.m. General Board meeting, at 7931NE Halsey, Suite 204, Portland.

BOILERMAKERS 500Members meet 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2515 NE

Columbia Blvd., Portland.

BRICKLAYERS AND ALLIEDCRAFTWORKERS 1

Members meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 12812 NEMarx St., Portland.

CARPENTERS 1715Members meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, preceded

by a 5 p.m. Executive Board meeting at 612 E.McLoughlin, Vancouver, Wash.

CEMENT MASONS 555Members meet 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at 12812 NE

Marx St., Portland.

CLARK, SKAMANIA &W. KLICKITAT COUNTIESLABOR COUNCIL

Delegates meet 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, preceded byan Executive Board meeting, at the ILWU Local 4 Hall,1205 Ingalls St., Vancouver, Wash.

COLUMBIA-PACIFICBUILDING TRADES

Delegates meet 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 10 and Feb.17, at Kirkland Union Manor II, 3535 SE 86th, Portland.

ELECTRICALWORKERS 48Electrical Workers Minority Caucus meets 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the Executive Boardroom.Sound and Communication Unit meets 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the Meeting Hall. Residential Unit meets 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in

the Dispatch Lobby.Vancouver Meeting, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at

Round Table Pizza, 5016 NE Thurston, Vancouver.Wasco Unit meets 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at

Pioneer Center, Bingen Meeting Rm., 971 NE Washing-ton St, White Salmon, WA.Coast Unit meets 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Asto-

ria Labor Temple, 926 Duane St., Astoria.Executive Board meets 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb.

18 and March 4, in the Executive Boardroom.Electrical Women of Local 48 meets 5:30 p.m. Fri-

day, Feb. 20, at 5th Quadrant, 3901b N. Williams, Port-land.Marine Unit meets 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, in the

Meeting Hall. Bylaws Committee meets 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16,

in the Executive Boardroom.General Membership Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday,

Feb. 25, in the Meeting Hall. Show-up early for sand-wiches. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.Meetings are at 15937 NE Airport Way, Portland, un-

less otherwise noted.DEATH ASSESSMENTS: The following death as-

sessment has been declared for Feb. and is payable at 50cents: No. 2197, Floyd Stuck.

ELECTRICALWORKERS 280Bend Unit meets 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the

IBEW/UA Training Center, 2161 SW First St., Red-mond.Joint Unit meets 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at

33309 Hwy 99E, Tangent.Executive Board meets 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 4,

at 32969 Hwy. 99E, Tangent, OR.

ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS23

Members meet 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, preceded bya 5:30 p.m. Executive Board meeting, at Courtyard Mar-riott, 435 NE Wasco St., Portland. NOTE LOCATIONCHANGE.

EXTERIOR & INTERIORSPECIALISTS 2154

Members meet 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 1125SE Madison, Suite 207, Portland.

FIRE FIGHTERS 1660Members meet 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at 4411 SW

Sunset Dr., Lake Oswego.

GLASSWORKERS 740Eugene area members meet 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9,

at Best Western Grand Manor Inn, 971 Kruse Way,Springfield. Salem area members meet 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at

Candalaria Terrace, Suite 204, 2659 Commercial St. SE.

INSULATORS 36Executive Board meets 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11. Members meet 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13.Meetings are at 11145 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland.

LABOR ROUNDTABLE OFSOUTHWESTWASHINGTONDelegates meet 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at Hometown

Buffet, 7809-B Vancouver Plaza Dr., Vancouver, Wash.

LABORERS 320Members meet 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Joe Edgar

Hall, Teamsters’ Complex, 1850 NE 162nd Ave., Port-land.

LABORERS 483MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

Members meet 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Mu-sicians Hall, 325 NE 20th Ave., Portland.

LANE COUNTYLABOR COUNCIL

Delegates meet 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 1116South A St., Springfield.

LANE, COOS, CURRY &DOUGLAS BUILDING TRADESDelegates meet at noon Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the

Springfield Training Center, 2861 Pierce Pkwy., Spring-field.

LINOLEUM LAYERS 1236PLEASE NOTE:The following meeting is “Special

Call” to vote to give the negotiating committee strikesanction. Portland area members meet 6 p.m. Thursday,Feb. 26, at 11105 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland.

MARION-POLK-YAMHILLLABOR COUNCIL

Executive Board meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10,followed by a 7 p.m. general meeting at 2110 State St.,Salem.

METAL TRADES COUNCILExecutive Board meets 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12.Delegates meet 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24.Meetings are at the IBEW Local 48 Hall, 15937 NE

Airport Way, Portland.

MID-COLUMBIALABOR COUNCIL

Delegates meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 3313 W.2nd, The Dalles.

MILLWRIGHTS & MACHINERYERECTORS 711

Members meet 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, precededby a 9 a.m. Executive Committee meeting, at the Car-penters Hall, 2205 N. Lombard St., Portland.

NORTHWEST OREGONLABOR COUNCIL

Delegates meet 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at IBEW Lo-cal 48 Hall, 15937 NE Airport Way, Portland.

PILE DRIVERS, DIVERS& SHIPWRIGHTS 2416

Members meet 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, preceded by a

6 p.m. Executive Board meeting, at 2205 N. Lombard,#10, Portland.

PORTLAND CITY &METROPOLITAN EMPLOYEES

189Executive Board meets 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10.General membership meets 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.

24.Meetings are at 6025 E. Burnside St., Portland.

ROOFERS & WATERPROOFERS49

Members meet 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12.Executive Board meets 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5.Meetings are at 5032 SE 26th Ave, Portland (503 232-

4807)

SALEM BCTCDelegates meet 10 a.m. Thursday, March 5, at the

IBEW 280 Training Center, 33309 Hwy 99E, Tangent.

SHEET METALWORKERS 16

Portland members meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, atthe Sheet Metal Training Center, 2379 NE 178th Ave.,Portland. Medford area members meet 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.

11, at Wild River Pizza, 2684 N. Pacific Hwy., Medford.Eugene area members meet 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12,

at the Local 16 Hall, 4748 Franklin Blvd., Eugene.Coos Bay area members meet 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb.

19, at Abby’s Pizza, 997 First St., Coos Bay.Portland area VOC meets 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 4,

at the Sheet Metal Training Center, 2379 NE 178th Ave.,Portland.

SIGN PAINTERS &PAINT MAKERS 1094

Members meet 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, in the Dis-trict Office, at 11105 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland.

SOUTHERN OREGONCENTRAL LABOR COUNCILDelegates meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Labor

Temple, 4480 Rogue Valley Hwy. #3, Central Point.

UNITED ASSOCIATION 290Portland area members meet 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb.

20, at 20210 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin.Astoria area members meet 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26,

at the Astoria Labor Temple, 926 Duane, Astoria.Bend area members meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24,

at the Local 290 Training Center, 2161 SW First, Red-mond.Brookings area members meet 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,

March 3, at Curry County Search and Rescue, 517 Rail-road St., Brookings.Coos Bay area members meet 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.

24, at the Coos Bay Training Center, 2nd & Kruse, CoosBay.Eugene area members meet 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.

23, at the Springfield Training Center, 2861 Pierce Park-way, Springfield.Klamath Falls area members meet 5 p.m. Tuesday,

Feb. 24, at 4816 S. 6th St., Klamath Falls.Medford area members meet 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb.

26, at 950 Industrial Circle, White City.Roseburg area members meet 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb.

26, at the Roseburg Labor Temple, 742 SE Roberts,Roseburg.Salem area members meet 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23,

at 1810 Hawthorne Ave. NE, Salem.The Dalles area members meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.

24, at the United Steelworkers Local 9170 Union Hall,The Dalles.Humboldt-Del Norte Co. area members meet 5:30

p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Eureka Training Center,832 E St., Eureka, Calif.

USW 1097 Members meet 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, preceded

by a 3 p.m. Executive Board meeting, in the union officebuilding, 91237 Old Mill Town Rd., Westport.

OfficialNotices

ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED

AMERICANS OREGON CHAPTER

Executive Board meets 10 a.m.Thursday, Feb. 12 at the NorthwestOregon Labor Council, at 1125 SEMadison, Portland.Retirees meet 10 a.m. Thursday,

Feb. 26, at Westmoreland UnionManor, 6404 SE 23rd Ave., Portland.All retirees are welcome to attend.

CARPENTERS

Retired Carpenters meet for lunch11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at HometownBuffet, 10542A SE Washington St.,Portland.

ELECTRICALWORKERS 48Retirees, wives and friends will

meet 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at Rus-sellville Park Plaza, 20 NE 103rdAve., Portland. For reservations and

more information please contactGlenn Hodgkinson at 503 656-0028.

ELECTRICALWORKERS 280 Retirees meet between 11:45 a.m.

and noon Monday, Feb. 9, at Home-Town Buffet on Lancaster in Salem,which is next to Michael’s Craft Store. If you have any questions, please

give Don Ball a call at 541-327-3388.

GLASSWORKERS 740Retirees meet 11 a.m. Thursday,

Feb. 19, at Izzy’s Pizza & Buffet, 1307NE 102nd Ave. (and Halsey), Port-land.

MILLWRIGHTS 711Retirees meet noon Wednesday,

Feb. 18, at Hometown Buffet, 10542ASE Washington St., Portland.

NORTHWEST OREGON LABOR

RETIREES COUNCIL

Business meeting from 10 a.m. to11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at 1125 SEMadison, Suite 100G, Portland.

OREGONAFSCMERetirees meet 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb.

17 at the AFSCME office, 6025 E.Burnside, Portland. Call MichaelArken for information at 503 -239-9858.

SHEETMETALWORKERS 16Retirees meet 11:30 a.m. Thursday,

Feb. 12, at Izzy’s (Eastport Plaza),3846 SE 82nd, Portland.

UNITEDASSOCIATION 290Retirees meet 10 a.m. Thursday,

Feb. 19, at 20210 SW Teton Ave.,Portland.

Retiree Meeting Notices

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Mardi Gras galato raise funds forShare programVANCOUVER — Several labor

unions are helping Share, a non-profitorganization that provides shelter, foodand emergency services for people inSouthwest Washington, through spon-sorships at its fundraising events.The first event of the year is a Mardi

Gras Gala, Saturday, Feb. 21, from 5 to11 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton Hotel.The gala includes wine and hors d’oeu-vres, a New Orleans-style dinner,casino-style gambling and silent andlive auctions. Tickets are $75.For information on sponsoring a

Share event or to buy a ticket, call DougSmith at 360-750-4436, extension 303.

Annual ‘Faith-LaborBreakfast’ Feb. 24at Portland churchThe annual “Faith-Labor Breakfast”

will be held from 7:15 to 9:30 a.m.Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Immaculate HeartParish, 2926 N. Williams Ave., Port-land. Cost for breakfast is $7.The event is sponsored by Portland

Jobs with Justice, Ecumenical Min-istries of Oregon and the NorthwestOregon Labor Council.Clergy, lay leaders and union mem-

bers are invited to attendFor more information, or to register,

call Jobs with Justice at 503-236- 5573.

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SHELLEYHEROCHIK, a labor edu-cator and communicator, died Jan. 14at age 58 of complications from dia-betes. In the Portland labor community,she’s best known for her work locallywith the Service Employees Interna-tional Union (SEIU).Born Shelley Glotzer, she grew up

in Linden, New Jersey and marriedJohn Herochik in 1976. She earned abachelor’s degree from Douglass Col-lege and a doctorate in education fromRutgers University in 1982, where shetaught labor history. She next went towork as an educator for New JerseyLocal 65 of the International LadiesGarment Workers Union, and later forNew York Local 122.She helped register union workers to

vote and get out the vote for New Yorkmayor David Dinkins in 1989. In 1991,her husband got a job as Portland RoseGarden Arena production manager, andthe two moved to the Portland area.She worked for two years for South-

west Washington Congresswoman Jo-lene Unsoeld. After Unsoeld lost re-election in 1994, Herochik was hired asSEIU western region representative.

She also worked on SEIU’s na-tional health care reform campaign andhelped organize a Portland rally at-tended by First Lady Hillary Clinton. In 1997, she was hired by then

SEIU Local 49 secretary-treasurer RickHenson as field director. She served asstrike spokesperson during a 33-daywalkout by 2,000 support workers atKaiser Permanente. Henson lost hiselection in 2000, and Herochik went towork as a reporter at the Portland Busi-ness Journal. She also wrote forBUILDERnews magazine.To be nearer to families, she and her

husband moved to Chesapeake, Vir-ginia, in 2005. She took a part-time jobteaching writing, philosophy and busi-ness, and advising students at theChesapeake campus of CambridgeCollege, a Massachusetts based schoolfor working adults.Herochik is remembered by Port-

land unionists as a big-hearted fighterfor justice with a fierce commitment tounions and working people.After a memorial service in Chesa-

peake, Herochik was interred in NewJersey.

IN MEMORIAM

The 13th annual Oregon Labor LawConference will be held Friday, Feb.27, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at theIBEW Local 48 union hall, 15937 NEAirport Way. The event is sponsored by Local 48,

the Oregon AFL-CIO, the Oregon Stateand Columbia-Pacific Building TradesCouncils, and the Northwest OregonLabor Council.Presenters will include Richard

Ahearn, regional director of the Na-tional Labor Relations Board; manage-

ment attorney Rick Liebman of thefirm Barran Liebman; and Oregon La-bor Commissioner Brad Avakian.The conference organizer is Norm

Malbin, in-house attorney for Local 48.The purpose of the conference is toprovide information that will helpunion activists do their job better andhelp them avoid legal liability.For more information, call Kristi

Straight at 503-889-3660 or Malbin at503-889-3669.

Labor Law Conferenceslated Feb. 27 in Portland

Bruce Dennis, a longtime localleader within the United Brotherhoodof Carpenters, has resigned as presi-dent of Portland-based Local 247 andas president of the five-state PacificNorthwest Regional Council of Car-penters. Both are unpaid positions. Until August, Dennis was also a

full-time union representative at the re-gional council. He and three otherswere let go following the regionalcouncil elections, at which he won re-election as president.Based on age and years of service,

Dennis, 57, was eligible for the pen-sion benefit offered to union staff, butnot while he continued to serve as aunion officer. So the decision to resignthe unpaid elected offices was an eco-nomic one, he told Local 247 mem-bers in November — and arrived atafter some soul-searching. Dennis hasspent much of his life in the union.A Northeast Portland native and

Parkrose High grad, Dennis said hewas first exposed to the Carpenterswhile he was a long-haired anti-warstudent who had enrolled in PortlandState University to avoid the risk ofgoing to Vietnam. Dennis got a work-study job in the university facilities de-partment, and picked up skills from aformer Carpenters member who en-couraged him to look into the union.When Dennis graduated in 1973 witha general studies degree, he promptlyjoined Local 247 as an apprentice car-penter.

After 15 years in the trade, Dennisran for union office. He won electionas trustee in 1988, full-time staff repin 1990, local president in 1992, andregional council president in 1996.Now that he’s no longer in the

union leadership, Dennis said he’s us-ing his free time to do things he en-joys, but hasn’t had time for — fish-ing, working on his 1964 Corvette,helping a friend remodel. He sings inthe choir at Trinity Lutheran Church.He serves on the board of the IBEW

& United Workers Federal CreditUnion.And he has more time to act on his

beliefs. Among his biggest concernsare that big-dollar campaign contribu-tions make the political system unre-sponsive to regular voters, and thatNAFTA-style trade policies have soldout the working class. Dennis, hishardhat covered in union stickers, hasbeen a regular presence at anti-freetrade rallies. Last fall he campaigneddoor-to-door for Portland Commis-sioner Amanda Fritz and MultnomahCounty Commissioner Judy Shiprack.And he’s active in the Oregon Work-ing Families Party, a union-backedthird party. Carpenters are allowed to continue

to work part time while collectingpension benefits, so Dennis also hasreturned to working at the trade, tak-ing occasional dispatches for short-term jobs. He said he will continue toattend Local 247 meetings, and isfreer to speak his mind now that he’snot chairing them.“We’ve got a good union,” Dennis

said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s up to usto make it better.”To fill its vacancy, Local 247 will

hold nominations at its February gen-eral membership meeting, and vote ona replacement at the March meeting.The Pacific Northwest Regional

Council of Carpenters will nominateand elect a replacement at a Feb. 15delegates meeting in Spokane.

Dennis steps down as president ofCarpenters local, regional council

BRUCE DENNIS

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 7

PAGE 8 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Despite the need for reform, critics of EFCA continue to mis-inform the public about the bill and hide the serious shortcomingsof current labor law. In an attempt to set the record straight, fol-lowing are myths and realities of the Employee Free Choice Act.

MYTH:EFCA will prevent the use of secret-ballot elec-tions.

REALITY: EFCA does not strip workers of their right tochoose a secret-ballot election to decidewhether to select — or not to select — aunion representative. EFCA simply givesworkers the additional option of selecting aunion representative by majority sign-up.Under the National Labor Relations Act

(NLRA), there are three ways for workers toform a union:

1)By secret-ballot: The National LaborRelations Board (NLRB) will conduct a se-cret-ballot election to select a bargaining rep-resentative if at least 30 percent of workershave signed a petition or authorization cardsin favor of a union. If a majority of workersvoting select a particular union, the NLRBwill certify that union as the employees’ bar-gaining representative. EFCA does notchange this process.

2)By voluntary card-check recognition:An employer can voluntarily decide to recog-nize a union representative if a majority ofemployees have signed authorization cards infavor of the union. EFCA does not changethis process.

3)By NLRB-ordered recognition: As alast resort, the NLRB can order an employer who has engaged inunfair labor practices (that make a fair election unlikely) to recog-nize a labor union if a majority of employees have signed authori-zation cards in favor of the union. EFCA does not change thisprocess.

EFCA would simply add a fourth choice for workers seekingto form a union. The legislation would require the NLRB to cer-tify a union representative if a majority — more than half — ofworkers sign authorization cards in favor of the union.The majority sign-up, or “card-check,” option would stream-

line the union selection process for workplaces that have a major-ity of workers who want to join a union. This is the same majoritythat would be voting in a secret-ballot election. Moreover, the ma-jority sign-up process already exists, but only if the employerchooses to recognize it. EFCA would extend the right to select aunion representative via the majority-sign up process to workersthemselves.

MYTH: Secret-ballot elections are the fairest way to se-lect union representation.

REALITY: Secret-ballot elections in the union context canleave employees vulnerable to virtually un-checked employer in-timidation and coercion.Under current law, once workers have petitioned the NLRB to

hold a secret-ballot election, there is no set timetable for holdingthat election. Employers who are determined to prevent the for-mation of a union often use this period to threaten, discriminateagainst, demote, dock the pay of, and even fire pro-union employ-ees. Studies have shown that one-quarter of private-sector unionorganization drives result in employee firings, and one out ofevery five workers who openly advocate for a union is fired. Un-fortunately, current law includes weak remedies that fail to deteremployers from engaging in these practices. At best, the NLRAwill order the employer to stop its wrong-doing and reinstate animproperly fired employee and force the employer to pay back-pay, that is, unless the employee has found a job in the interim.EFCA would toughen the penalties against employers who en-

gage in these unfair labor practices. In addition to ordering an em-ployer to stop the practices, the legislation would require employ-ers to pay employees who are fired as a result of union organizingactivity, during an organizing campaign or first contract drive, tre-ble damages (i.e. back-pay, plus liquidated damages two timesthat amount). The bill would also impose civil fines of up to$20,000 per violation against employers who willfully or repeat-edly violate workers’ rights in forming a union.

MYTH: Secret-ballot elections are the most democraticway to choose a union.

REALITY: Though EFCA gives workers the choice to selecta secret-ballot election or the majority sign-up process, these se-cret-ballot elections are nothing like our federal, state, or localcandidate elections. The NLRB’s election process, for example,stifles free speech and democratic debate by restricting the abilityof unions and pro-union workers to communicate with employ-ees, while allowing employers free access to workers every day.Unlike other elections, where candidates are allowed equal ac-

cess to voters during the campaign, current labor laws allow em-ployers to bar unions from the workplace and refuse access toemployee contact information until just days before the election.While strict limits apply to when and where pro-union employeescan campaign to form a union, employers can require workers toattend anti-union meetings during work hours, one-on-one or in agroup. Employers may also direct supervisors, who control payand promotion, to deliver anti-union messages to workers and at-tach anti-union literature to paychecks. A recent survey found thatemployees who have gone through the NLRB election processare twice as likely to report employer coercion as those who par-ticipated in a majority sign-up process.EFCA would give workers the option to choose a different,

simpler, and fairer method of union selection — majority sign-up,which reflects a key tenet of Democracy — majority rule.

MYTH: Majority sign-up is untested and will increaseintimidation and harassment of workers by labor unions.

REALITY: Majority sign-up has been well-tested for over 70years. Further, under EFCA, worker intimidation and/or coercionby any party, including unions, will remain strictly prohibited.Majority sign-up is nothing new. Workers have been forming

unions through majority sign-up since 1935. The method for ob-taining authorization cards is already established and used via thevoluntary card check recognition and the secret-ballot electionprocesses. Indeed, more workers form unions via card check thanvia secret-ballot elections. In 2004, approximately 375,000 work-

ers joined AFL-CIO unions through majority sign-up, while ap-proximately 73,000 workers used the NLRB election process.(AFL-CIO, “Over 70 Years of Experience with Majority Sign-up.”)While the critics of EFCA claim that, under the legislation,

unions may intimidate workers, under current law, employers,employees, and unions are barred from engaging in unfair laborpractices. Improperly obtained authorization cards are already in-valid and cannot be counted towards majority sign-up. Moreover,

in more than 70 years, there have been very few in-stances of fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining cardsignatures. Nevertheless, to ensure the integrity of thecard check process, EFCA would require that theNLRB develop guidelines for selecting a bargainingrepresentative via majority-sign up, including modellanguage for authorization cards and procedures toverify the validity of authorization cards.

MYTH: EFCA would require “public” unioncard signings.

REALITY: EFCA would preserve current confi-dentiality requirements, which require the NLRB tokeep authorization cards and the identity of signersconfidential to protect workers from employer retalia-tion.

MYTH: EFCA will “silence” employers.

REALITY: Nothing in EFCA alters the rights ofemployers to speak out against a labor union.Under the legislation, employers would still be free

to campaign against a union, as long as they do notthreaten or intimidate workers. EFCA only strength-ens penalties for employers who engage in unfair la-bor practices.

MYTH: EFCA’s mediation/arbitration guidelines willforce unwanted contracts on employers and employees.

REALITY: EFCA does not force unwanted first contracts onparties acting in good faith; the legislation, however, would giveparties an incentive to come to the bargaining table.Under current law governing the first contract process, there is

no effective penalty for refusing to bargain with newly certifiedunion representatives. As a result, employers may “stonewall” thefirst contract and effectively block the benefits of a labor union. Arecent study found that 34 percent of union election certificationsdo not result in a contract for workers.To get parties to the table, EFCA provides a starting schedule

and a framework for negotiations. The parties have 90 days tobargain on their own and may extend negotiations for as long asthey need to. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, either party canseek help from a mediator with the Federal Mediation and Con-ciliation Service (FMCS), which enjoys an 86 percent successrate. If after 30 days mediation fails to result in a first contract,FMCS can refer the dispute to an arbitration panel, but the partiescan still extend the period by mutual agreement or agree to returnto the bargaining table. Only if the parties agree to arbitration andarbitration fails to result in a first contract will the arbitrationpanel impose contract terms on the issues the parties have not yetdecided. Even then, the contract is only binding for two years andcan be amended by written consent of the parties.

Did You Know?

34%of workers lack a collective bargaining agreement one

year after voting for union representation, due to weaklabor law enabling employers to avoid bargaining withemployees.

Myths About the Employee Free Choice Act

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 8

As organized labor prepares to battlein the nation’s capital for a long-soughtlabor-law reform, the story of a year-and-a-half-long union campaign at amid-sized Lake Oswego bakery showswhy reform is necessary.The Employee Free Choice Act —

the union movement’s number one pri-ority in Congress — would make it eas-ier for workers to obtain union repre-sentation and a first contract.

In short, the law would get rid of thedanger, delay and uncertainty that killmost union campaigns when an em-ployer is determined to resist them.Eighteen months ago, union organ-

izer Georgene Barragan took a job atBreadsong Bakery, a specialty bakery

in Lake Oswego, to try to unionize theworkers. Breadsong, a unit of a sub-sidiary of agribusiness giant Cargill,employs about 30 production workersat about $11.25 an hour. Some of itsbread is sold under brand-names thatare otherwise baked by members ofBakery, Confectionery Tobacco Work-ers & Grain Millers Local 114. Theunion wanted to prevent members’work from slipping away to a nonunionshop — and give the non-union workersa chance to earn the significantly higherunion wage and benefit package —$19.80 an hour and fully paid familyhealth insurance coverage. Barragan approached co-workers

one by one, and by September, a major-

ity had signed cards saying they wantedto be represented by Local 114. Underthe Employee Free Choice Act, thatwould have been enough for them to geta union. But under current law, employ-ers don’t have to accept that method ofshowing majority support, and can in-sist on an election. That usually meansup to six weeks during which managersand outside consultants mount a full-court press to talk workers out of union-izing.That’s what happened at Breadsong.

The union filed for an election Nov. 7,and a date was set — Dec. 19, 2007.Union organizers will recognize whatfollowed as a textbook case of the stan-dard anti-union playbook — a set of

proven tactics that employers have de-veloped over decades to defeat unioncampaigns.Managers called in workers one by

one and interrogated them about theunion campaign. Almost daily manda-tory meetings were held, at which man-agers showed anti-union propagandavideos and handed out fliers warningworkers about the dues they’d have topay. And 12 days before the election,they fired Barragan — the most outspo-ken union supporter. The union cried foul, and filed

charges with the National Labor Rela-tions Board, asking that the election bepostponed. The federal agency agreedwith the union that the law had been vi-olated, and put off the election. AnNLRB agent brokered an out-of-courtsettlement with the company. Barraganwas reinstated June 24, 2008. A fewmonths after that, a new date for the

election was set — Oct. 10, 2008. But in the three weeks prior to the

second scheduled election, the em-ployer offensive ramped up again, saysLocal 114 Secretary-Treasurer TerryLansing. Over a period of two weeks,the company held seven mandatorymeetings at which company managers,corporate lawyers and the general man-ager spoke against the union. The com-pany issued an annual wage increase toworkers at other nonunion locations, buttold Breadsong workers they couldn’thave it because of the union campaign— and that they might not get a raisefor a year if they vote the union in. Workers were told they wouldn’t be

able to participate in the company stockownership plan if they unionized. Theywere told, falsely, that dues would startcoming out of their checks as soon asthe union was voted in. Company rep-

FEBRUARY 6, 2009 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 9

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ference launching the ad campaign.It should be easier in the House,

though, where Samuel expects the leg-islation will pass with a larger majoritythan in the 110th Congress. (It passed241-185 in the House in 2007.Among elected officials in Oregon

and Washington, support for the Em-ployee Free Choice Act is particularlystrong. The legislation’s co-sponsorsinclude U.S. Senators Patty Murrayand Maria Cantwell of Washington,and Ron Wyden of Oregon; and U.S.Reps. David Wu, Earl Blumenauer, andPeter DeFazio of Oregon, and BrianBaird of Southwest Washington. All

are Democrats.Newly-elected U.S. Sen. Jeff

Merkley of Oregon campaigned in fa-vor of EFCA, and newly-elected Con-gressman Kurt Schrader (D-5th Dist.)of Oregon signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor on his first day in office.Besides the Leadership Conference,

other groups in the pro-worker cam-paign include the National ConsumersLeague, the NAACP, La Raza Unida,People for the American Way, the Uni-tarian Universalist Association of Con-gregations, the National Partnership forWomen and Families, Human RightsWatch, the Center for AmericanProgress, the Americans for Demo-cratic Action, and Interfaith Worker

Justice.Speakers at the press conference

warned the media about a misinforma-tion campaign coming from businessgroups — particularly the U.S. Cham-ber of Commerce — about the Em-ployee Free Choice Act. Most notably,the claim that EFCA would “destroythe secret ballot” in union recognitionelections. The speakers noted unionistscould still choose the election option,or majority signup (card-check). Thatchoice would be up to the workers, notthe bosses, under the bill, they said.

A list of myths and realities aboutthe Employee Free Choice Act is postedon the facing page.

(From Page 1)

...Rolling out new EFCA campaign

Drawn-out campaign at Oregon bakery attests to need for EFCA

(Turn to Page 11)

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 9

Local labor officials told PortlandCity Council it’s time to bring to a closethe long and drawn out debate over re-placing the Interstate 5 bridges.“We’ve been talking about this for a

long, long time now. It’s not somethingnew,” said Judy O’Connor, executivesecretary-treasurer of the NorthwestOregon Labor Council. “This has beenstudied and studied. The longer wewait, the more expensive it gets.”Portland City Council held a public

hearing on the subject Jan. 29. O’Con-nor was among 75 people signed up togive testimony.

“It’s time to poop or get off the pot,”said Lynn Lehrbach of Teamsters JointCouncil 37. “We need to build a bridgethat will last 100 years — and build it12 lanes.” The Teamsters want 12 lanes, in

part, to allow the center lanes to remainrelatively unobstructed for movementof freight. “Moving in and out of lanescan be very dangerous,” Lehrbach said.“The more lanes, the better the truckscan get through.” Labor groups are generally in agree-

ment that the current six-lane bridgesshould be replaced with new bridges

that have the capacity to accept 12lanes, with light rail and pedestrian andbike access.City Commissioner Randy Leonard

appears to be on board with that plan,but it’s not clear what other city com-missioners, the mayor, or Metro coun-cilors favor. The two councils held ajoint work session Jan. 26 to talk aboutthe replacement bridge. From thatmeeting, it appears opposition to the12-lane option will come from Metrocouncilors Carl Hostika and RobertLiberty, and new City CommissionerAmanda Fritz. City Commissioners Nick Fish and

Dan Saltzman and Mayor Sam Adamslook to be undecided, as do Metro Pres-ident David Bragdon and councilorsRod Park, Carlotta Collette, KathrynHarrington and Rex Burkholder.A 39-member Columbia River

Crossing task force spent three yearsdiscussing what, if anything, should bedone to the current bridges connectingOregon and Washington. The task forcefavors 12-lane replacement bridgeswith light-rail and bike and pedestriancrossings.Anticipated cost at this point is be-

tween $3.1 billion to $4.2 billion —which also includes work on six nearbyinterchanges.Both the City Council and Metro

will make their recommendationsknown by Feb. 25. The bridge, in what-ever form, is not slated to break groundfor at least two years.

PAGE 10 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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Teamster local unions across thecountry have informed KeyBank ofCleveland, Ohio, that they intend to endtheir financial relationship with thebank. KeyBank and its parent company,KeyCorp, are the primary lender forOak Harbor Freight, based in Auburn,Wash., where 470 Teamsters have beenon strike for the past four months.The strike involves more than 100

members of Portland-based TeamstersLocal 81.It is estimated that local Teamster

unions and sister unions maintain ap-proximately $18 billion in assetsthrough KeyCorp and its subsidiaries.In a letter addressed to local unions,

Teamster President Jim Hoffa askedthat they contact KeyCorp immediately

and begin the process of transferringtheir business to a comparable serviceprovider.“KeyBank, which operates branches

in several states, is playing a criticalrole in the ongoing dispute by provid-ing funds that allow Oak HarborFreight Lines to survive,” Hoffa said.Teamsters started bargaining for a

new contract with Oak Harbor in Oc-tober 2007 and so far the union nego-tiators have met with management over25 times. Union members went onstrike Sept. 22, 2008 to protest OakHarbor’s violations of U.S. labor laws.This is the first strike in the fivedecades that Teamsters have repre-sented employees of Oak HarborFreight.

Teamsters begin withdrawing fundsfrom KeyBank over strike at Oak Harbor

Labor says replace I-5 bridge nowWASHINGTON, D.C. — President

Barack Obama reversed three Bush-eraanti-worker executive orders and createda Cabinet-level task force to rebuild thenation’s middle class. In a White Houseceremony Jan. 30, attended by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and otherunion leaders, Obama signed three ex-ecutive orders that reverse a series of or-ders by then-President George W. Bush,which govern the way federal contrac-tors deal with unionized workers.The three new executive orders:• Require federal service contractors

to offer jobs to current workers whencontracts change.• Reverse a Bush order requiring fed-

eral contractors to post notice that work-ers can limit financial support of unionsserving as their exclusive bargainingrepresentatives.

• Prevent federal contractors from be-ing reimbursed for expenses meant toinfluence workers deciding whether toform a union and engage in collectivebargaining.“We cannot have a strong middle

class without strong labor unions,”Obama said before signing the orders.“We need to level the playing field forworkers and the unions that representtheir interests.”Obama also announced creation of

the White House Task Force on MiddleClass Working Families to develop andcoordinate policies to rebuild the na-tion’s middle class. Vice President JoeBiden will chair the task force. A Website, www.strongmiddleclass.gov, hasbeen set up where workers can submitideas about how the economy has af-fected them and ideas on changing it.

Obama reverses Bush executive orders,creates new Middle-Class Task Force

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 10

FEBRUARY 6, 2009 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 11

...Recession deepens: But help is on the waymonths off. Plans for federal infrastructure invest-ment could help.As of press time, the U.S. House had passed and

the U.S. Senate was considering a $819 billion res-cue bill — HR 1, the American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act of 2009. The bill increases benefits tothe poor and unemployed, lowers taxes on workingpeople, and increases spending on a wide array ofinfrastructure improvements in order to put peopleback to work and stimulate economic activity.The bill would extend unemployment benefits

by several months, increase the weekly benefit $25for all unemployed workers getting benefits, andfor the first time, allow unemployed workers whodon’t have insurance to get on Medicaid — or haveup 65 percent of their COBRA payments reim-bursed so they can keep employer-provided insur-ance. It would also increase funding for food stampbenefits, student financial aid, housing assistance,and employment and training programs. It wouldincrease the earned income tax credit, which pro-vides checks to households too poor to owe taxes.And it would provide a “13th check” (a bonus ofone-month’s worth of benefits) to 7.5 million of thepoorest people in America — the blind, disabled,and seniors who are entitled to Supplemental Secu-rity Income.A tax credit for individuals would put up to

$500 a year directly onto paychecks, through re-duced withholding. Workers too poor to be with-holding income tax would get the money as a directsubsidy.To increase employment, the bill appropriates

money for highway construction, mass transit, toexpand weatherization, to modernize the nation’selectricity grid, promote energy efficiency, improvemaintenance at the Forest Service and NationalPark Service, do environmental cleanup, do wild-land fire management, renovate elementary andsecondary schools, repair Veterans Administrationhospitals, improve maintenance at Veterans ceme-teries, and expand broadband Internet Service in ru-ral areas.State governments would get grants totaling al-

most $40 billion to stabilize budgets rocked by thedownturn.And there are additional provisions. Employers

who get funds under the act will be required to usethe government’s E-Verify system to make sure

their employees are legally allowed to work in theUnited States.All Oregon and Washington Democrats voted for

the bill and all House Republicans voted against it.If passed, the federal stimulus is expected to

have a multitude of local trickle down effects. Forexample, Portland Public Schools could get $20million for infrastructure improvements, saidspokesperson Matt Shelby. Shelby said the moneywould go to energy efficiency upgrades — newroofs, boilers, duct work, and windows.The bill also expands the borrowing authority of

the Bonneville Power Administration by $3.25 bil-lion. BPA is the federal power agency that suppliesmuch of the electricity in Washington and Oregon.BPA spokesperson Scott Sims said that means agreen light for nine projects that otherwise wouldnot have happened, including 4,700 megawattsworth of new wind farms, several new substationsalong the Columbia Gorge and I-5 corridor, and

600 miles of new transmission line. Oregon’s shareof the projects could be the equivalent of about1,000 construction jobs.“Infrastructure spending is good bang for the

federal buck,” said Oregon Congressman Peter De-Fazio in a press statement after the House vote. “Ithas been proven time and again as a way to createjobs and stimulate and an ailing economy.”State governments don’t have the bottomless

credit of the federal government, but several legis-lators told Oregon labor leaders Jan. 24 that would-n’t stop them from digging deep to fund infrastruc-ture.“We are not going to sit on our hands in this ses-

sion of the Oregon Legislature and do nothing,”Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney told par-ticipants at a legislative conference organized bythe Oregon AFL-CIO.As of press time, the Legislature was expecting

to finalize this week a bill to authorize $175 millionin bonds to pay for transportation projects and de-ferred maintenance and capital construction proj-ects at 11 state agencies, 17 community colleges,and seven universities. Gov. Ted Kulongoskipledged to sign the bill, which he said would enableprojects from Portland to Pendleton to breakground by April 1.Even local governments were getting in on re-

covery plans. On Jan. 13, Portland City Council un-veiled a “Portland Job Creation and Business Stim-ulus Package” that consisted of fast-tracking, overthe next 12 months, city public works and construc-tion projects that had been slated for constructionover one to three years.“It’s very encouraging that on all levels — fed-

eral, state, and city — government leaders are talk-ing about what they can do to get infrastructureprojects out the door as soon as possible,” saidbuilding trades Executive Secretary-TreasurerMohlis.What remains to be seen is whether the econ-

omy can be rescued by public construction jobs andextra money in the hands of the poorest. The cur-rent wave of stimulus plans differs from those ofthe Bush years in that they emphasize infrastructurespending over tax cuts. “Infrastructure,” DeFaziosaid, “is an investment that we can in good con-science pass on to future generations, as opposed toa tax cut that will be gone, with little to no benefitto the economy, in a matter of months.”

(From Page 1)

By SETH MICHAELSNational AFL-CIO

When Congress entrusted billions ofdollars to banks last fall, it wasn’t withthe expectation taxpayer money wouldbe used to hustle for political campaigncash, spread disinformation and fightlegislation aimed at improving theeconomy for everyone. Yet, that’s ex-actly what Bank of America did last fall,coordinating CEOs and lobbyists to op-pose the Employee Free Choice Act.According to reporting by Sam

Stein in The Huffington Post, withinthree days of receiving $25 billion intaxpayers’ money, Bank of America of-ficials hosted an Oct. 17 conferencecall with key corporate leaders tostrategize about the upcoming electionand how to fight the Employee FreeChoice Act in the next Congress.

Stein obtained audio of the call, ledby mega-lobbyist Rick Berman andBernie Marcus, founder and formerCEO of Home Depot. The call, whichincluded major finance industry figuresand representatives from big corpora-tions (including AIG, itself a recipientof $85 billion in taxpayer-fundedloans), featured apocalyptic rhetoricand demands that those on the call do-nate to anti-Employee Free Choice Actpoliticians. The audio Stein obtained features a

hysterical Marcus calling the Em-ployee Free Choice Act “the demise ofa civilization” and insisting that corpo-rate honchos who didn’t donate bigsums to anti-worker incumbent sena-tors “should be shot, should be thrownout of their [expletive] jobs.”In the audio of the call, Berman lays

out the corporate lobbyists’ post-elec-tion strategy: to try and scare membersof the Senate up for election in 2010,hoping to create the appearance of un-popularity and weaken senators’ re-solve. The disinformation campaign isalready under way, with a bevy of anti-Employee Free Choice Act frontgroups dropping huge sums of moneyfrom undisclosed corporate donors intoTV ads and lobbying.Why are these industry leaders so

scared of the Employee Free ChoiceAct? Because they know the samething that the bill’s proponents know:that right now, U.S. labor laws arebadly tilted in favor of employers, andunder the Employee Free Choice Act,workers, not companies, would have asay in forming a union and bargainingfor health care, pensions, fair wages

and better working conditions.Bank of America and its fellow cor-

porations have been the only winnersin the economy for a long time, andthey’ll stop at nothing to keep it thatway.The better question, of course, is

why, after receiving billions from thefederal government, Bank of Americaused its time and resources to coordi-nate a disinformation campaign aimedat soliciting political donations and pre-venting a stronger, fairer economy andthe freedom to form unions and bar-gain. It’s a sign of the hubris and lack ofaccountability in the corporate com-munity that Bank of America thoughtthey could get away with this — andit’s a sign that the Employee FreeChoice Act is badly needed to restorefairness to the economy.

Bailed-out bank uses taxpayer cash to fight EFCA

resentatives asked workers to air griev-ances, and promised to do better.One grievance about payroll han-

dling was fixed on the spot. At a final meeting, two days before

the election, the company general man-ager Dave Thurston told workers that avote for the union would be interpretedas a vote of no confidence in the well-liked local plant manager, Lou Flores.Flores’ job might be on the line, in otherwords. According to several witness affi-

davits, Flores then pleaded for his sal-vation in the meeting, and publicly ad-dressed two employees he had justhired: “Both of you guys asked me for achance … now I’m asking you for achance. Please, guys, vote no for theunion.”“That changed the entire vote,” said

Lansing. “Now you’re no longer votingon whether or not you want to be repre-sented. Now you’re voting on the fateof another human being.”On election day, in a majority-immi-

grant workplace, a known pro-unionemployee was called into the office andinformed that his green card had ex-pired; he was sent home until he couldfix the problem. When the vote was counted, it was

17-10 against unionization. How does a majority on cards be-

come a minority on ballots? Partlythrough legal methods, and partlythrough illegal methods. Again the union filed charges, list-

ing nine separate objections to the em-ployer’s conduct, and arguing thatCargill’s violations of the law poisonedthe atmosphere and made the results in-valid. An agent investigated and madea determination.Required attendance at almost-daily

anti-union harangues? Legal.But blaming the union for the com-

pany’s decision not to give raises — andremedying a grievance right before theelection? Those crossed the line, theNLRB found. The election was nulli-fied, and a new one set — for Feb. 12.Will Breadsong workers decide to

join the Bakers Union? We’ll find out.But one thing is certain: If EFCA hadbeen the law of the land, this group of30 would now be more than a year intotheir first union contract, earning some-thing closer to the union standard. Un-der EFCA, workers would unionize assoon as a majority sign cards. Employ-ers would be deterred from violatingworkers’ rights by stiffer penalties. Andif the two sides can’t agree in fourmonths, a neutral arbitrator can imposea fair first-time contract.“We don’t spend our members

money frivolously,” Lansing said. “Welook at each case and ask, first of all,‘Can it go union?’ and secondly, ‘canthe employer afford to pay a decentwage?’ If we feel those things can hap-pen, then we will do everything we canto help those workers. We feel thatCargill can afford a decent wage.”

...Bakery workersget third crack atjoining Local #114

(From Page 9)

About 650 people attended a Jan. 31 “town hall”on the economic crisis organized by PortlandJobs With Justice. One message resounded —the federal response needs to be bolder, and itneeds to stimulate the economy from the bottomup. Speaking above is Martin Hart-Landsberg,an economics professor at Lewis & ClarkCollege in Portland.

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 11

By JAMES PARKSNational AFL-CIO

WASHINGTON, D.C. — ForMaria Somma, it was a dream cometrue. The native of Vietnam and natu-ralized citizen was one of the 265union members who braved freezingtemperatures to join representativesfrom across the country and the armedforces to participate in the official in-augural parade for President BarackObama. The contingent of unionmembers taking part in the parade in-cluded members from the AFL-CIO,Change to Win and the National Edu-cation Association.With 15 union members riding a

union-made float and 250 marchersalongside, the workers’ contingent wasone of the largest groups in the parade.This is the first time in recent memorythat workers have participated in theparade.Fred Mason, president of the Mary-

land State AFL-CIO, who spearheadedthe drive to include the workers’ con-tingent in the parade, said nearly 1,500groups applied to participate in the pa-rade and only 100 were selected.“The fact that 265 workers will be

in the parade is a real testament to theimportance of working people andtheir issues to the well-being of thecountry,” Mason said.Somma, who lives in Pittsburgh

and is a member of the United Steel-workers, rode the float representingthe AFL-CIO constituency groupAsian Pacific American Labor Al-liance (APALA). She says labor’s par-ticipation shows the power of theAmerican Dream for all people. “It’svery exciting to be welcoming a per-son of color into the White House andto be a part of history,” she said. “Thisis an incredible achievement for thiscountry. For Barack Obama to comefrom his background and rise to thetop is not the typical American story.His inauguration is part of the transi-tion of this nation to fully embrace allits citizens.”Marching with a banner, “Amer-

ica’s Workers: United for Change,”participants also carried flags that rep-resented the issues most important toworking families: an “Economy ThatWorks for All,” “Great PublicSchools,” “Good Jobs Green Jobs”and “Health Care for All.” The overall

theme of the labor float is “HonoringAmerica’s Workers.”The float was created by union car-

penters, welders, sculptors andpainters. Constructed of steel, woodand foam, it was more than 17 feethigh and 24 feet long. Outlines of thediverse “faces of labor” surrounded thefloat as a salute to the backbone of the

United States — “the hardworkingmen and women who make our nationstrong.”Several of the marchers in the

workers’ contingent said the inaugura-tion signaled a sea change in the waythe White House views workers.“The country is coming together in

a way I’ve never seen in my life,” said

Latasha Carpenter, a member of Com-munications Workers of America Lo-cal 2108 in Beltsville, Md. “I’m proudthat we have a president who is em-bracing us all as union brothers andsisters. It is so important we standunited and strong to ensure healthcare, good jobs, and the EmployeeFree Choice Act.”Riding on the float and representing

the Alliance for Retired Americanshad a special significance for JimmyAllen of Bowie, Md. The retired mem-ber of the Amalgamated TransitUnion, who is black, says he’s seen alot in his life, but “when it comes to anAfrican-American being president, Isaid I wouldn’t believe it until it hap-pened. Now I can tell my grandchildthat she can grow up and be presidentof the United States and mean it.”

Even if you couldn’t be there, youcan honor this historic event with acommemorative AFL-CIO Obama T-shirt. The long-sleeve, union-designedand printed shirts say “Yes We Can”with the Inauguration Day date, Janu-ary 20, 2009, under an image of Presi-dent Obama. The T-shirt sells with asuitable-for-framing commemorativeposter for $30 from the The UnionShop Online. Go to (unionshop. afl-cio.org) to order.

PAGE 12 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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Union members march in Inauguration Day parade

A contingent of union members from the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and theNational Education Association took part in the Jan. 20 inaugural parade inWashington, D.C. With 15 union members riding the union-made float and250 marchers alongside, the workers’ contingent was one of the largest groupsin the parade. Photo by Patrick G. Ryan, courtesy of the National EducationAssociation.

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. has re-ceived a $200,000 grant from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) to help train workers in environ-mental cleanup skills.EPA’s Brownfields Program

awarded 13 grants of $200,000 each tonon-profit organizations, workforce in-vestment boards, and state and localgovernments, geared toward cleaningup contaminated properties and turningthem into productive community as-sets.Using the grant funding, OTI will

train 120 participants during eight six-

week sessions. Students will be re-cruited from low-income, minority, un-employed or underemployed femalepopulations in the Portland area.Trainees will receive Hazardous WasteOperations and Emergency Responsecertification, as well as a certificationof graduation from a state approvedpre-apprentice program. Following completion of the course,

at least 78 trainees will be placed in en-vironmental jobs. OTI has developedpartnerships with labor unions that op-erate apprenticeship programs and withpotential employers.

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. awardedEPA grant for ‘green’ job training

FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 12