In Memoriam

PAUL KIMBERLING: 1944 – 2019

Kimberling was instrumental in the merger of Oregon plumbers and pipefitters locals more than three decades ago.

Laborers representative Kyle Estes killed in head-on collision

Estes was on his way to Portland for a union training when an oncoming driver swerved into his lane.

Ron Heintzman: 1953-2018

The Portland transit union leader helped build Local 757, and was briefly national union president.

Glenn Shuck, 1936-2018

The former Steelworkers Local 3010 president spent 25 years Labor's Community Service Agency.

Frank Regalado, 1951-2018

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

Nellie Fox-Edwards, a pioneer for women in labor

Oregon lost a working woman’s hero Oct. 6 with the passing of labor leader Nellie Fox-Edwards at age 93.

Norman Malbin, 1949-2017

As longtime attorney at IBEW Local 48, he used his knowledge of the law to help union members and working people.

Gary D. Kirkland, 1947-2017

As head of OPEIU Local 11, he negotiated contracts for workers at Northwest Natural.

Gary Will, 1938 – 2017

Will spent 31 years as a local and national representative of the Machinists Union.

Lois Stranahan, 1919-2017

Together with late husband Jesse Stranahan, she was well known in the local labor movement as a tireless fighter for economic justice.

Lon Imel, 1929-2017

Imel, a unionist since 1951, headed the NW Oregon Labor Council and served as labor liaison for Congressmembers Les AuCoin and Elizabeth Furse.

Lynn R. Lehrbach, 1937-2017

The career union rep worked on civil rights for the UAW, and later served as political director for Teamsters Joint Council 37.

Ron Fortune, 1936-2015

The NW Oregon Labor Council leader was a 59-year member of UFCW.

Former labor council leader Ron Fortune dies

Fortune, a 59-year member of UFCW Local 555, led NOLC from 1985 to 1998.

Robert G. Crumpton, 1935-2015

A longtime leader of OEA, he helped pass Oregon's public employee collective bargaining law.

William Martin Fast, 1918-2015

The MEBA rep was a Port commissioner and Oregon labor chair for Nixon’s 1968 presidential run.

William James “Billy” McNicholas, 1926- 2015

The longtime Plumbers union officer was an Irish tenor and a WWII-era vet.

Bruce Zimmerman 1944-2015

Zimmerman was president of IBEW Local 48 and assistant director at the NECA-IBEW Training Center

Ed Whelan, 1926-2015

The former Oregon AFL president was a Korean War vet, fire fighter, legislator, and PGE executive.

Helen Nickum, 1928-2015

The longtime ATU Local 757 secretary formerly worked for a Congresswoman and U.S. Senator