Bill Sizemore Is Back in Business

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Bill Sizemore Is Back in Business See Inside MEETING NOTICES Page 6 Volume 108 Number 4 February 16, 2007 Portland, Oregon BillBill SizemorSizemoree isis bacbackk inin businessbusiness Judging by recent initiative filings, Bill Sizemore is back. But if he thinks old methods will fly, he may have to rethink. Some Oregon lawmakers are preparing new laws to clean up the initiative process. By DON McINTOSH sage of Measure 47, a property tax Associate Editor limitation, or in 2000, when he had a Defying predictions that a 2002 record seven initiatives on the ballot. conviction for forgery and fraud would Either way, subsequently, the Size- end his run in politics, more operation fell on hard staunchly anti-union times. None of his seven ballot measure sponsor measures passed in 2000. Bill Sizemore is back in Union vigilance prevented business. him from qualifying two Sizemore has so far measures in 2002. His submitted 38 initiative group Oregon Taxpayers petitions for the Novem- United was legally dis- ber 2008 ballot, many of solved in 2003. Fallout from them different versions a successful union lawsuit of the same idea, filed to appears to have sidelined increase the odds of get- him in 2004. ting a favorable ballot ti- But in 2006, he was back Unitus employees say, ‘Show us the love’ BILL SIZEMORE tle. Of those petitions, 29 on the ballot, with an initia- Linda Taylor, Linda Staniford and Paula Johns — members of Communications Workers of America Local are still active, 10 have tive that would have banned 7901 — walk an informational picket line at Unitus Community Credit Union in downtown Portland Feb. 9 been approved for circulation, and at the use of credit scores in setting insur- to draw attention to slow negotiations for a new contract. Approximately 80 employees at four branches have least five have been sighted on the ance premiums. The somewhat in- been working under the terms of a contract that expired on Nov. 30. The union decided to go public two days clipboards of Sizemore’s roving signa- nocuous measure may have been de- after management proposed gutting all grievance procedures. “It came out of left field,” said CWA President ture crews. signed to rehabilitate his image. It was Madelyn Elder, adding that management also has proposed eliminating two floating holidays. Three years ago, In the 1990s, Sizemore’s ballot defeated. employees accepted wage freezes for two years as the company expanded to be more competitive in the market. measure machine was a major force in Judging by his latest crop of initia- “The expansion is done. They have this new downtown office building. Now it’s time to recognize their Oregon politics. His influence is said tive petitions, he’s attempting a come- employees, who are the face and voice of this credit union,” Elder said. The union wants supporters to call the credit union and demand they settle a fair contract. The phone number is 503-227-5571, or 1-800-452-0900. to have peaked in 1996, with the pas- (Turn to Page 4) Unions team with ... Wal-Mart! in push for national health care fers employees, skimpy wages, labor-law-breaking mistreatment of largest gender discrimination case in the history of this country.” Service Employees and Communications workers and the fact that 46 percent of its workers and their fami- UFCW and SEIU are part of the Change to Win labor federa- Workers of America join the ‘Better Health lies are in publicly-paid health care programs. tion. Care Together’ coalition And when a reporter asked Scott if Wal-Mart would commit to SEIU and Wal-Mart are the founding members of the new coali- spending more on health care or covering more of its workers at a tion dubbed, “Better Health Care Together.” Stern said he and Wal- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of two big unions — the lower cost, he said “no.” Scott said he was pleased that 90 percent Mart CEO Scott had met privately to outline the principles of the Communications Workers of America and the Service Employees of Wal-Mart employees qualified for health insurance. “We’re not coalition, International Union — joined Wal-Mart and several other Fortune pleased that 90 percent choose not to take health insurance.” “It is time to admit that employer-based health care is dead,” 500 companies on Feb. 7 to launch a new coalition that will push That, and the presence of other unionists, drew criticism from Stern said. “We can’t keep tinkering, hoping that incremental for universal health care by 2012. United Food and Commercial Workers International President Joe change will fix our broken health care system. We need fundamen- Members of the coalition, which include AT&T (the nation’s Hansen, who said Scott’s presence was nothing more than PR- tal change, and it is going to take new thinking, leadership, new largest union employer), Intel and Kelly Services, and public pol- driven public “posturing.” partnerships, some risk-taking, and compromising to make it hap- icy groups such as the left-leaning Center for American Progress In an announcement released shortly after the coalition’s news pen. But that is what we all owe our country.” and the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center (Baker was chief of staff under conference, Hansen (who served for over a year on a special con- Nearly 47 million Americans lack health insurance, while insur- President Ronald Reagan), did not disclose or endorse a specific gressionally-created health care panel) said that although the union ance premiums have jumped 87 percent over the last five years. plan. But the group did draw some flak because of its most promi- supports universal health insurance, “It’s not appropriate to take Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of nent member: Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. the stage with a company that refuses to remedy its mistreatment America, explained that he joined the coalition because “Our cur- Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, has been tar- of workers, among other irresponsible practices. Wal-Mart is actu- rent system puts a huge strain on employers that provide quality geted by labor groups for the expensive health care coverage if of- ally decreasing health care coverage to employees and facing the (Turn to Page 11) Let me say this about that —By Gene Klare Former union volunteer, organizer Willy Myers elected BA at Sheet Metal Local 16 Union organizer Willy Myers was his son drop him off elected business agent at Sheet Metal at the hospital. But Workers Local 16 in votes counted Myers came away Feb. 2. Myers outpolled three other from the experience candidates to replace Steve Kowats, feeling like he was who left to take a job with the training valued less than the department of the Sheet Metal Work- equipment. After ers International Association. two weeks recov- Myers will be one of four business ery, Myers asked to agents of the 2,200-member local, and be returned to a job will be responsible for dispatch, con- he had earlier held tract negotiations and member griev- at the company, but ances in the construction side of the in- had his pay cut 25 dustry. The local’s top elected office cents. He decided to — business manager/financial secre- take action. tary — is held by Len Phillips. The owner had WILLY MYERS Myers said he hopes to continue promised employ- Willie Marion honored what he began as organizer — an ener- ees a job review and Myers had invited. WILLIE MARION of Portland, a retired business manager of Molders Lo- getic effort to unionize workers in the a raise after six months of work, but Three days later Myers was fired. cal 139, is the newest member of the Labor Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by local sheet metal industry. hadn’t followed through. Myers got “I was right,” Myers recalled. the Northwest Oregon Labor Retirees Council. Myers got his start with the union two dozen co-workers to sign a peti- “They couldn’t fire all of us; they just The Retirees Council is affiliated with the NW Oregon Labor Council, AFL- in 1994. As a shop superintendent at a tion, and marched into the office with fired me.” CIO, and holds its monthly meetings in nonunion HVAC installer, he was driv- the demand, which the owner refused. A charge was filed with the Na- NOLC’s boardroom in the Scandia Building ing a service department van back to Myers went back to his co-workers tional Labor Relations Board, but the at 1125 SE Madison St., Portland. the shop when the brakes went out. and said, “They can’t fire all of us; government agency, charged with pro- MARION, who turns 71 next week, re- The van tumbled down a 50-foot em- let’s walk.” Employees called in sick tecting workers’ union rights, ruled tired as Local 139’s executive officer in bankment outside Salem, hitting trees the following day, and instead of going that Myers was a supervisor and there- 2001. Local 139’s parent union is the Glass, on the way down. Coughing up blood, to work, met in a park with Local 16 fore didn’t have rights. Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Work- he called the company owner, who had representative Mike Anderson, whom But Myers’ termination lit the fire ers International Union (GMP) of the AFL- under him. He volunteered his time to CIO. help Local 16 unionize the company. It Willie Marion Jr. was born on Feb. 22, took a year, but eventually the owner 1936 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His father was signed a union contract, and has been a plumber whom Willie Jr.
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