Burns named director of Labor’s Community Service Agency

Vickie Burns has been hired as executive director of Labor’s Community Service Agency (LCSA). She succeeds Glenn Shuck, who retired June 1 after 25 years with the agency. Burns has been office manager at LCSA since 1993 and has served as interim director since Shuck’s retirement.

Labor’s Community Service Agency is a non-profit organization funded primarily by United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. It operates under the auspices of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council and a 16-person board of directors. The agency works with an array of community-based and governmental organizations throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington to provide education, information, referral services, and social service programs.

Burns has hit the ground running as director. She revamped the agency’s Helping Hands program to make it easier for union officials to refer members in need; she had a booth at the recent Yellow Ribbon Career & Benefits Fair for veterans at Clackamas Community College; and she is part of a rapid response team called in to assist public employees who will soon lose their jobs due to massive budget shortfalls.

She is also in the process of launching a new web site and Facebook page (neither of which have vanity names at this point).

“My goal is to get the agency involved in more social programs,” Burns said. “Yes, labor is about good wages and good benefits, but we’re also part of the community. I want to help show that off.” Burns says any local with a pet project should contact her for assistance in promoting the event or helping find volunteers.

An Oregon native, Burns graduated from Jackson High School before attending Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) and Portland Community College, where she earned associate degrees in technical/professional writing and computers and office management. She was working as an administrative aide at MHCC’s Dislocated Workers Project in 1994 when the newly-hired Shuck recruited her to be his office manager. In that job she became a member of Office and Professional Employees Local 11. She is active in the union, serving on its Executive Board, as a shop steward, and on the bargaining committee. However, as executive director she must relinquish membership. She will remain an associate member of Local 11.

Burns grew up in a union family. Her father was a member of Teamsters Local 162 at Cascade Construction and her mother was a member of Bakers Local 114 at Sunshine Bakery.

Labor’s Community Service Agency is located at 1125 SE Madison, Suite 103-B, Portland. The phone number is 503-231-4962. The dedicated phone line for Helping Hands is 503-235-5686. The web site is: http://csain1001.qwestoffice.net.

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