News briefs

Union locals, labor commissioner oppose Measure 36

Advocates for Oregon workers and working families have voiced opposition to Ballot Measure 36, a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in Oregon.

“This amendment may seem simple,” Maro Sevastopoulos of the Service Employees International Union said at a press conference Sept. 8. “But constitutional amendment 36 goes beyond banning gay marriage. It hurts real Oregonians by putting unequal treatment of gays and lesbians into our constitution.”

Oregon Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner agreed. “Passing constitutional amendment 36 would make it harder for thousands of working families. It would mean that two employees who work side-by-side doing the same job could be treated unequally,” he said. “Whether they are construction workers, firefighters or nurses, this amendment would make it okay to give one of those workers the ability to insure their spouse and their children, while the other worker’s family would have to go without those benefits.”

Dolores Doyle, a member of Electrical Workers Local 48, is just one Oregonian whose family would be affected. This year she gained health insurance and pension protection for her partner Kelly Burke, who stays at home to raise their three-year-old child, after marrying this spring. But if Measure 36 passes, those benefits and protections will be revoked.

“I know Dolores well enough to know that she is not only as skilled and experienced as her co-workers, but that she also shares with her co-workers many of the same values,” said Local 48 Training Director Ken Fry. “There is no reason why Dolores’ family should be treated unequally and denied the hard-earned benefits and protections that are provided to me and my family or any our other co-workers. But if constitutional amendment 36 passes, that is exactly what will happen.”

The group said there are more than 100 rights and responsibilities in Oregon law that would be denied to gay and lesbian couples under Measure 36, including receiving a deceased partner’s wages, the right to sue for a partner’s death that was a result of an unsafe workplace and the right to workers’ compensation benefits if a partner is disabled or killed on the job.

WSLC votes to support Threemile dairy workers

TACOMA — The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) has formally joined the 18-month struggle by farm workers to improve their working conditions at Threemile Canyon Farms (TCF) in Boardman, Ore.

Since February 2003, TCF workers have repeatedly chosen the United Farm Workers (UFW) as their union, but their efforts have been met by coercion and intimidation from management, which has refused to negotiate or even recognize the union.

At last month’s WSLC convention, delegates representing more than 550 affiliated unions from across the State of Washington voted unanimously to support the TCF workers. The WSLC will inform union members — and businesses that work with Threemile Canyon Farms — of the situation there and work to increase pressure on management to negotiate with UFW to improve working conditions.

In addition, the WSLC will discourage affiliated unions from utilizing the services of Portland-based Northwest Strategies and its president, Len Bergstein, which represents TCF and the UFW reports it has engaged in an aggressive anti-union campaign.

Earlier this year the Oregon AFL-CIO Executive Board supported a similar resolution.

“This struggle for safe jobs and some basic respect at work has gone on far too long,” said Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council. “We plan to get the word out to our members and tell the story of these brave Threemile dairy workers. They have stood up to an aggressive anti-union campaign from their employer and demanded fair treatment for the work they do.”

Workplace safety is one of the biggest issues for the TCF farm workers. In June 2003, the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited TCF dairies for 12 violations — 11 of which were classified as serious.

“This support is going to have a big impact, because the farm doesn’t want any of the problems that are going on to get out to the public,” said Humberto Guardado, a 22-year-old dairy worker who has worked at Threemile for nearly three years. “The farm needs to realize that we’re not alone in this struggle and that we’re going to continue putting pressure on them until we win a contract.”

Salem auto dealer targeted

Twenty-four union members and allies walked an informational picket line at DeLon Auto Dealership in Salem Sept. 3 in a show of support for a dozen workers who voted in May to join Office and Professional Employees Local 11. DeLon management has yet to come to the table for contract negotiations; an employee who supported the union was fired; and working conditions — such as a water cooler and parking spaces — have been altered. The union has filed several unfair labor practice charges and used informational picketing in an effort to get DeLon to the bargaining table.

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