Delegates to the Portland Metal Trades Council elected new officers Aug. 11 in the kind of musical chairs that sometimes happens when a top officer position becomes vacant and existing officer reshuffle into new roles. In this case, council president Ben Heurung stepped down because of the demands of his full-time position working for the Boilermakers international union, and Machinists District Lodge W24 Assistant Directing Business Representative Will Lukens stepped down as executive secretary-treasurer after 11 years in order to pass the post onto a union officer who represents Vigor workers.
Painters District 5 business rep Scott Oldham, who had been vice president, was elected president to succeed Heurung. UA Local 290 rep Pat Christensen will now be vice president, Boilermakers Local 104 vice president Brian Richart will be the council’s financial secretary-treasurer, and Laborers Local 737 vice president Dago Aranda will be sergeant-at-arms.
All officers installed into new positions will serve until December 2026, at which point elections will be held for four-year terms.
Metal trades councils are coordinating bodies of AFL-CIO craft unions that represent workers in shipyards and in manufacturing. The Portland Metal Trades Council directly negotiates contracts covering workers who belong to 10 different unions at the Vigor Marine shipyard on Portland’s Swan Island Industrial Area. Right now that’s the council’s sole employer, with a workforce that has fluctuated from 350 to 600 in recent years as ships come and go. Oldham told the Labor Press work at Vigor is booming right now at least through January, and the shipyard is hiring.
“The council is focused on creating a better relationship with Vigor, but at the same time holding them accountable,” Oldham said.
Oldham said the Metal Trades Council will be looking to organize additional employers in the coming years.
