Over 100 delegates and guests gathered in Silverton Sept. 24 for the 61st convention of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council. But don’t call them that any more. One of the handful of resolutions passed by delegates changes the name of the organization to Oregon Building Trades Unions (OBTU) in line with recommendations from its national parent organization, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU).
The site of the convention was the Oregon Garden Resort, and delegates had a chance to get reacquainted the day before with a friendly cornhole tournament and a dinner attended by union business managers. The council is made up of AFL-CIO-affiliated unions in construction, and it’s responsible for coordinating political efforts and promoting union labor in large-scale construction projects.
Delegates heard from two statewide elected leaders: Governor Tina Kotek and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. After both speeches, delegates rose to propose endorsement. Both endorsements passed unanimously.
A one-day convention, it was shorter than usual. Affiliates will meet again next year to reset a schedule of meeting in even-numbered years.
Delegates also elected officers, mostly incumbents, to serve until the next convention:
- Executive secretary Robert Camarillo of Ironworkers Local 29
- President Dave Burger of UA Local 290
- Vice President Zack Culver of Laborers Local 737
- Sergeant At Arms Robert Larzalere of Elevator Constructors Local 23
- Conductor Travis Hopkins of Roofers Local 49
- Trustees Kirk Malcom of Drywall Finishers Local 101, Shawn Lenczowski of Bricklayers Local 1, Jimbo Anderson of Operating Engineers Local 701, Garth Bachman of IBEW Local 48, Brian Noble of Sheet Metal Local 16, Scott Widdicombe of Boilermakers Local 101, and Nick Harrington of Cement Masons Local 555
Delegates also heard from a panel of speakers about addiction, mental health, and suicide among building trades union members. Construction has the second highest rate of suicide of any industry, and local unions are grappling with how to support members who are struggling. There are lots of reasons for the high suicide rates, including chronic pain from hard physical jobs and sometimes a culture of heavy drinking, plus a stigma against admitting weakness. Several union leaders talked about the importance of noticing when coworkers are struggling and making time to listen when someone is in crisis. UA Local 290 distributed union-branded t-shirts that say “I have time to listen.” Laborers Local 737 talks about mental health weekly in apprenticeship training classes.
Delegates also heard from Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler about upcoming projects, and from a panel of international union representatives about their forecasts for the construction industry. The short version: slightly larger out-of-work lists right now for many construction unions, and jitters about the economy overall, but also bright spots like the data center building boom fueled by demand for AI, and lots of energy production and transmission projects coming up.
At the end of the day, delegates approved several resolutions proposed by affiliated unions. Those included renewed funding for the group’s political action committee; continued support for a support staff position, political and special projects coordinator; a commitment to prioritize green energy projects and state-funded bridge projects; and restricting the use of AI tools in council meetings and communications.
