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Over 500 janitors in high-tech plants gain union rights

More than 500 janitors who clean Oregon’s high-tech plants will gain union representation — and a guaranteed contract with raises, better health benefits and a pension plan — thanks to an agreement July 27 between the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Somers Building Maintenance.

Somers, a national company, had agreed to recognize SEIU at sites in as many as nine states if a majority of its janitorial staff signed written authorizations for union representation. But it took mounting pressure from janitors at Oregon’s Intel plants in Hillsboro before Somers agreed to recognize the union and extend the benefits of its master contract on a phased-in schedule.

A protest rally slated for July 28 was canceled after the agreement was reached. As a result of the agreement, approximately 1,000 janitors across the U.S. will become union members working under the union’s master agreement — 500 of them are in Oregon and Southwest Washington, represented by SEIU Local 49.

The recognition schedule will take effect in phases, starting with 200 janitors at Intel and 50 others at smaller companies within the next six months. Fifty janitors at Hewlett-Packard in Vancouver will follow within 12 months, and within 18 to 24 months the contract will include another 200 janitors at Wacker-Siltronic in Portland and Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis.

For the first group of workers, the agreement calls for an immediate raise from $8.40 to $9.85 per hour, fully-paid health insurance for individual employees and a first-ever pension plan. Health coverage for the workers’ children will kick in under a separate agreement when the union gains representation rights for more janitors in the Portland area. The later groups will gain the same benefits and the even higher wages called for in future years of SEIU’s master agreement.  

Faculty at Eastern Oregon University keeps AFT union

LA GRANDE — Faculty and librarians at Eastern Oregon University (EOU) voted to re-certify their union in mail balloting counted on July 7 by the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB). The victory thwarted an attempt to end union representation for 133 faculty and librarians at the university by Associated Academic Professionals Local 6200, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

“We are very happy with the overwhelming support. The victory gives us a clear mandate to move forward in bargaining our first contract, representing our members on issues of concern to them, and building a strong and positive relationship with our administrators,” said Rosemary Powers, associate professor of sociology and Local 6200 president.

Some 84 percent of those who were eligible participated in the mail ballot election. Results included 75 votes for the union and 36 for no representation.

AFL-CIO will rate hospitals on fair labor standards

SALEM — All hospitals in Oregon will be asked to provide information on their staffing practices, employment standards and contracting policies as part of an Oregon AFL-CIO program to identify good employers in the health care industry and recognize those who meet quality standards with labor’s “seal of approval.”

The survey, distributed to hospital administrators the week of July 12, addresses the hospitals’ policies and practices in six key areas: Safe staffing; compliance with labor and employment laws; fair compensation; contributing to a healthy Oregon workforce; fair contracting practices; and recognition of workers’ rights to form unions.

“When hospitals are good employers, they are more likely to provide high-quality patient care,” says John Etten, director of collective bargaining for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 and chair of the state labor federation’s Health Care Facilities Quality Rating board.

The board, established by resolution at the Oregon AFL-CIO convention last September, will use the data it collects from the survey and other sources to rate health care facilities on their compliance with its standards. It hopes to complete its survey and adopt initial ratings by October.

Then, it will share its ratings with union negotiators and trust fund administrators who are responsible for the selection of providers and the design of health benefit plans.

In Oregon, hospitals employ 47,900 workers, while clinics, nursing home and residential care facilities employ another 95,300 workers — or 8.9 percent of all non-farm payroll jobs in the state.

A survey compiled by the Oregon AFL-CIO last year estimated that health plans covering union members and their families spent $181 million for hospital services in Oregon in 2002.

Freightliner to add 700 union jobs at Swan Island

Portland truck manufacturer Freightliner announced plans to start a second shift at its Swan Island plant, adding about 700 union employees.

The company cited increased demand for Western Star and Freightliner-based brand heavy-duty trucks produced at the facility.

The new shift will start start later this month, but the company began hiring Aug. 2, said Steve Hillesland, assistant to the directing business representative of Machinists District Lodge 24.

Union members from Machinists Lodge 1005, Painters District Council 5, Service Employees Local 49 and Teamsters Local 305 who have been laid off from Freightliner will be the first called back to the new positions.

Workers will be added over the next few months as the plant ramps up to full production capacity on two shifts.

Hillesland said more than 500 new hires will be machinists; plus 81 painters, 71 Teamsters and 15 janitors.

“By Valentine’s Day 2005 the company plans to increase truck production from 36 a day to 74 a day,” Hillesland said.

Freightliner currently employs 1,100 union workers at Swan Island. Those employees recently ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.

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