January 2018 - NW Labor Press

People

IBEW’S DONNA HAMMOND: A lifetime of beating back barriers of race and gender

A dose of sass — and a sense of when to pick her battles — helped overcome many obstacles in an overwhelmingly white male construction workplace.

Politics

A union-backed challenge to Oregon’s Greg Walden

Two years ago, almost no one wanted to run against the powerful Republican Congressman. This year, half a dozen Democrats are competing for the nomination. UFCW is getting behind a former union maritime worker.

Workers Rights

Meet the “anti-union” organizers

Freedom Foundation is showing up at workplaces and knocking on doors in Washington and Oregon to try to talk workers out of paying union dues.

Politics

AFSCME Local 88 makes endorsements in Multnomah County races

Two first-time candidates got the local’s endorsement: Susheela Jayapal for Multnomah County District 2 and Jennifer McGuirk for Multnomah County Auditor.

Building our communities

Norman Malbin’s work lives on

Malbin died in October at the age of 68, but the labor law conference he began 22 years ago continues under the leadership of labor lawyer John Bishop and his law partner Noah Barish.

Union democracy

Metal trades council elects new officers

Jason Joeckel of Laborers Local 737 is the new secretary-treasurer of the Metal Trades Council, which represents workers at the Portland Shipyards.

Politics

Northwest Oregon Labor Council backs Loretta Smith, Lynne Peterson, and incumbents in local races

NOLC, which covers Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Columbia counties, will vote on other local endorsements at its Feb. 26 meeting.

Building our communities

Union members at Franz Bakery support MLK day of service.

Staffed by union volunteers, a Franz Bakery truck served free grilled cheese sandwiches at O'Bryant Square in downtown Portland.

People

ATU Local 757 blasts TriMet’s pick for general manager

Union leaders hoped the board would hire a change agent from outside to take the transit agency in a different direction.

Analysis

Union membership rates held steady in 2017

10.7 percent of American workers are union members.

Culture

This union’s got talent

Portland-area SAG-AFTRA members met up to watch their union’s televised award ceremony for the most outstanding performances in film and television.

Collective bargaining

New union agreement at Multnomah County

AFSCME Local 88’s new contract keeps up with inflation and attempts to address racial equity.

Collective bargaining

Shipyard workers reject Vigor contract offer

More than 1,000 employees in Portland and Puget Sound have been working under the terms of an extended master collective bargaining agreement that expired Sept. 1, 2017.

Collective bargaining

Portland’s KATU-TV will face a union picket

IATSE wants the public to know Sinclair Broadcasting is refusing to commit that KATU will continue to produce local news.

In Memoriam

Frank Regalado, 1951-2018

Regalado was a 41-year member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors, and a longtime officer in Local 23.

Washington

With logjam gone, new life for labor bills that died last year

Infrastructure and equal pay bills are already moving one week into the session.

Oregon

Audacious bills. Short timeline. And a big ‘if.’

In the Oregon Legislature's “short” session starting Feb. 5, state lawmakers could pass affordable housing, paid family leave, and a “cap-and-invest” system to limit greenhouse gases.

Green Jobs