Layng to lead Portland Jobs with Justice
Portland Jobs with Justice has hired Will Layng as its new executive director. Layng, who’s currently organizing director for the property services division of Service Employees Local 49, begins the new position June 1. He succeeds D Pei Wu, who stepped down April 30.
Portland Jobs with Justice is a non-profit worker justice coalition made up of over 100 faith, labor, and community organizations.
Layng, a native of Atlanta, was active with United Students Against Sweatshops at University of Georgia, and after graduation, went to work organizing janitors for SEIU Local 82 in Washington, D.C. He’s bilingual in Spanish and English. Since 2004, he’s been at Local 49, where he helped unionize 500 security guards under a new master labor agreement, as part of a global campaign. He also helped win a union for airport service workers and for janitors at Intel. He has served on the Jobs with Justice board for the last four years. In his free time, Layng is the frontman for roots rock band Will Layng & The Ribs.
Portland Jobs with Justice is throwing a welcome party and Summer Solidarity Celebration June 23, at 7 p.m. at the Ecotrust building in Northwest Portland. Visit http://bit.ly/2qjZU7M for tickets and details.
Nurses union hires new executive director
Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) has hired Martin Taylor to be its new executive director, effective June 1, 2017. He will succeed Susan King, who will retire this summer.
Taylor is currently executive director of public affairs at CareOregon, the non-profit that manages the state’s Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Before that, he worked at ONA for 11 years, and served as the union’s director of health policy and government relations.
ONA, an affiliate of American Federation of Teachers (AFT), represents more than 14,000 Oregon nurses.
