December 3, 2010 Volume 111 Number 23

IBEW and NECA light up The Grotto, once again
Volunteer electricians from IBEW Local 48 helped The Grotto in Northeast Portland get ready for its annual Festival of Lights electricians, mounting panels and assembling temporary power boxes that supply power to more than half a million lights and fiber-optic and animated displays.

Poor economy leads to layoffs at OR-OSHA
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration has laid off 10 employees so far this year, including longtime labor liaison David Sparks.
Mohlis, Byrd named to governor-elect’s transition team
Oregon Governor-elect John Kitzhaber campaigned on job creation, and even before taking office announced the formation of five teams aimed at helping grow Oregon’s economy. Each team will develop statutory and regulatory recommendations for the legislative session that begins Feb. 1.
Machinists Union loses Delta elections; complaint filed
In a pair of votes in November, the Machinists lost a campaign to represent 13,800 Delta Air Lines workers. The votes follow on the heels of a Nov. 3 loss by Association of Flight Attendants among 20,000 Delta flight attendants.
Voters in four states ban union ‘card-check’
Voters in four Republican-dominated states passed measures Nov. 2 to ban the “card check” method of unionizing. But the measures may be struck down in the courts, because they encroach on rights protected by the National Labor Relations Act.
Bend Area Transit terminates union leader
The top union officer at Bend Area Transit has been fired for what he says are pretextual causes, after months of stepped-up scrutiny from management.
Apollo Alliance honors Bob Baugh
Bob Baugh, former secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL-CIO and current executive director of the national AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council, received the Apollo Alliance’s Right Stuff Award. The award honors outstanding individuals working to catalyze the new clean energy economy.
PSU students help preserve Transit Union Local 757’s history
Several Portland State University students conducted oral history interviews with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 retirees Paul Headley and Ken Richins.