Davis re-elected business manager of IBEW 48

Clif Davis defeated Barry Mitchell in a run-off election for business manager/financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48. The vote was 912-619. Ballots were tallied July 13.

Neither candidate was able to obtain the required 50 percent-plus-one majority in the first mail-in election June 23. Three candidates were in that race, including Paul Riggs. Mitchell and Davis, the top two vote-getters, then went to a run-off.

Davis, 53, has served as business manager of the 3,800-member local since 2007, when he unseated Mitchell, who was wrapping up his first term in office.

Davis is a Portland native and 1974 graduate of Benson High School. He started in the labor movement as a Fred Meyer cashier and member of Clerks Local 1092. After six years as a cashier, and six as a Fred Meyer manager, he worked three years at Frito-Lay as a member of the Teamsters Union. He entered the IBEW apprenticeship program in 1988 and turned out in 1993.

Davis also holds an associates degree in applied science from Portland Community College.

He worked as a general foreman and as an instructor at the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center in Northeast Portland before being hired in 1996 as an organizer for Local 48. In 2001, he took a job as a business representative for the local.

In other election results, Erik Richardson defeated incumbent Phil Parker for president, while Gary Young out-polled Joe Jacobs for vice president. John Sargent and Kathy Duncan ran unopposed for treasurer and recording secretary, respectively.

In a 12-person race for six Executive Board seats, the top vote-getters were Rod Belisle, Paul Behrman, Dan Maher, Bob Blair, Paul New, and Marjorie Ramirez.

Jason Jenkins, Alan Keser, and Cari Ebbert were elected to the Exam Board in a four-person race.

Fourteen members ran for eight slots as convention delegates. Elected were Lee Duncan, Bruce Zimmerman, Kathy Duncan, Lisa Serrano, Eric Hayes, Bob Carroll, Ryan Brown, and Joe Esmonde.

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