Steelworker elected to lead NW Oregon Labor Council

Steelworkers Local 330 President Bob Tackett was elected executive secretary-treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council on Aug. 24.

He succeeds Judy O’Connor, who is retiring mid-term. O’Connor’s last day was Aug. 28.

Tackett, 56, is a 35-year member of United Steelworkers. Most recently he worked for the Oregon AFL-CIO as its Workforce Investment Act labor liaison. In that job, he helped dislocated workers get plugged into employment and re-training programs and file for state unemployment insurance and federal Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits.

Tackett himself was dislocated from his job when Reynolds Aluminum shuttered its Troutdale plant in 2000. Tackett had worked as a fork-lift driver in the cast house for more than 25 years. The shutdown was devastating for him and 300 co-workers.

“It was a very difficult time going from a good-paying job with benefits to nothing,” Tackett said. “I feel fortunate that I had my union standing behind me.”

At the time of the shutdown, Tackett was vice president of Local 330. The dislocated workers program at Labor’s Community Service Agency had been called in to assist the workers, and Executive Director Glenn Shuck was looking for volunteers to be “peer advocates” to help in the transition.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Tackett jumped in feet first to assist his co-workers. He did such a fine job that Shuck hired him full-time.

“At the time, Boeing and Freightliner were experiencing significant layoffs,” Tackett said. “I was already trained, so Glenn hired me.”

Tackett served as a member of the WorkSource Portland Metro Rapid Response Team for Labor’s Community Service Agency from 2000-2007.

In August 2007, he went to work for the Oregon AFL-CIO as their WIA labor liaison, which covers the entire state. In that capacity, Tackett was a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, which represents professional staff at the state labor federation.

“That’s where I had planned to stay until I retired,” Tackett told the NW Labor Press. “I liked what I was doing.”

He said he was approached by O’Connor several months ago about running for the top post at the labor council.

“For me, it came completely out of left field,” Tackett said. “I didn’t know Judy wanted to retire; and I had never even given a thought to that job.”

Tackett initially declined ... twice.

“She and Bob (NOLC President Bob Petroff of Machinists District Lodge 24) were pretty persuasive,” Tackett said.

Tackett was the only person nominated for the post. He was declared the winner by acclamation to fill the remainder of O’Connor’s term, which expires in December 2011.

“Judy has been there a long time. She knows all the ins and outs. I know I have some big shoes to fill,” Tackett said.

His first day at the office was Aug. 31, but his first big test will be on Labor Day.

NOLC sponsors the largest Labor Day picnic in the Pacific Northwest each year at Oaks Amusement Park. Fortunately, O’Connor agreed to stick around long enough to show Tackett the ropes on how to coordinate a picnic for 18,000 people.

“I’ll be honest, I’m nervous about it,” Tackett said.

As soon as the picnic is over, Tackett says he will move quickly to launch a Web site so that NOLC has more visibility. He also says he will continue holding informal monthly breakfasts with elected city and county officials — a program O’Connor started many years ago for officials from the construction trades.

“I need to get up to speed politically,” Tackett acknowledged. “My position as a WIA labor liaison was a totally non-political position.”

Tackett says he knows what labor’s issues are and he knows most of the players in the council’s jurisdiction, though not personally.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Tackett grew up in Arkansas. He was exposed to unions by his step-father, who was a member of the Teamsters. At age 21, Tackett moved to Sandy, Oregon, after his brother-in-law landed him a job at Reynolds Aluminum. He now lives in Troutdale with his wife Janet. His daughter, Jenny, is a member of Office and Professional Employees Local 11. She works in the office at the Willamette Carpenters Training Center.

In other election results, Jeff Anderson, secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, was elected by acclamation first vice president of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. He was installed alongside Tackett at the delegates’ meeting on Aug. 24.

Home | About