JULY 17, 2009:NWLP 7/14/09 10:27 AM Page 1 See Inside MEETIING NOTIICES Page 4 Volume 110 Number 14 July 17, 2009 Portland, Oregon Members of Iron Workers Shop- men’s Local 516 and IBEW Local 48 help unveil the first American-made streetcar in 58 years during a ceremony in Portland’s South Waterfront District that featured U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The union workers are employed at Oregon Iron Works of Clackamas through its wholly-owned subsidiary United Streetcar LLC, and sister company Maranatha Electric. The streetcars are made from 70 percent U.S. parts and comply with all federal Buy American rules. United Streetcar soon will have contracts to make six more streetcars for the City of Portland and seven cars for the City of Tucson, Arizona. New streetcars are union-made in America (Oregon) U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray he said. “This project demonstrates ex - mas-based company will soon have cars is about six to nine months out, nauer, David Wu, Kurt Schrader, and LaHood on July 1 helped unveil a new actly the kind of synergy we need in the contracts to build six streetcars for and Tucson cars could take years be - Gov. Ted Kulongoski, said at least 80 American-made — union-made — United States of America today. We Portland ($20 million), and seven fore manufacturing begins. cities have shown interest in the street - streetcar that soon will operate as part must invest in transportation projects streetcars for the city of Tucson, Ariz. “It can be a long process, but it will car system. DeFazio chairs the House of the Portland Streetcar Loop Project. that preserve and enhance the unique ($26 million.) Manufacture of these happen,” Brown said. “Our plan is to Subcommittee on Transportation. The streetcar prototype was built by characteristics of each neighborhood, cars alone will result in more than 250 become the leading U.S. maker of Foreign-made streetcars have been members of Iron Workers Shopmen’s just as the Portland streetcar does.” jobs, United Streetcar President Chan - modern streetcars.” running in downtown Portland since Local 516 employed at Oregon Iron United Streetcar hopes the resur - dra Brown told the Labor Press. Oregon Congressman Peter De - 2001. The streetcar loop operates on Works through its wholly-owned sub - gence of streetcars in the United States But not 250 jobs overnight. Fazio, who attended the unveiling the west side running from Legacy sidiary United Streetcar, LLC, and sis - will lead to more work. The Clacka - Fabrication of the Portland street - along with colleagues Earl Blume - Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical ter company Maranatha Electric, Center in Northwest Portland through whose workers are members of Inter - downtown and Portland State Univer - national Brotherhood of Electrical sity to South Waterfront serving Workers Local 48. OHSU’s Center for Health and Heal - It is the first streetcar made in Amer - ing, the Portland Aerial Tram and high ica since 1951, when Harry Truman rise condo developments in the district. was president, television picture tubes The extension project will add 3.35 were being tested for color, and auto - miles to the eastside of Portland, con - mobile turn signals were a luxury add- necting to the Lloyd District, the Cen - on that cost extra. tral Eastside and the Oregon Museum “I believe this is the dawn of a new era for public transportation in the of Science and Industry. United States, a new opportunity to The actual construction phase of the claim ‘Made in America,’ ” LaHood extension is estimated to cost about $77 told a crowd of political and city digni - million out of a total project cost of taries, union officials, and union work - $147 million. ers at the streetcar unveiling at the City officials estimate the project doorstep of OHSU’s Center for Health will generate 1,290 mostly family- and Healing in Portland’s South Water - wage jobs over the next two years. front district. The Portland Streetcar Loop Project LaHood, a former Republican con - has received $75 million in Small Starts gressman from Illinois, said the Port - funds from the Federal Transit Admin - land project is the kind of project fed - istration, along with $360,000 in Amer - eral and state government should be ican Recovery and Reinvestment Act investing in. monies. Twenty-million dollars in lot - “It’s a chance to generate good-pay - tery-backed bond revenues are being ing union jobs right here in the region,” used to buy the six new streetcars. JULY 17, 2009:NWLP 7/14/09 10:27 AM Page 2 Move to put Fred Meyer IBEW #280 votes Frew business manager TANGENT — In a June 30 runoff ness manager, and lauded Nicol’s to determine International Brother - work in the legislative arena. on Unfair List is tabled hood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Frew plans to focus on making Fred Meyer Inc. dodged a bullet July Commercial Workers Local 555, Bak - Local 280’s next business manager, sure IBEW members seize opportuni - 13 when the Northwest Oregon Labor ers Union Local 114, and Teamsters — one-time vice president Tim Frew out - ties in green technology jobs. Local Council Executive Board tabled a re - each represent workers at Fred Meyer. polled former business manager Den - 280’s training center has a strong pro - quest to put the retailer on its Unfair/Do “We’re sympathetic. Fred Meyer nis Caster 278 to 219. Incumbent gram in solar, Frew said. The chal - Not Patronize List. should be doing its remodeling work business manager Tim Nicol placed a lenge will be to find work for union The citing was brought to the Exec - union,” said Local 555 Secretary Treas - close third in the first round of voting members in an industry that has utive Board by Cement Masons Local urer Jeff Anderson, who requested that held June 9. tended to be nonunion. 555 and International Brotherhood of NOLC table the motion. “But, we can - With headquarters just south of Al - Frew also wants to involve more Electrical Workers Local 48. not support a secondary boycott that af - bany, Local 280 represents about young members, and expects to work Fred Meyer did not respond to the fects our members.” 1,200 construction electricians and with Local 280 President Drew Lind - labor council’s citing as requested. Local 555 is in the midst of bargain - sound and communications techni - sey to appoint younger members to The construction locals have been ing with Fred Meyer and other grocers cians in the Willamette Valley and TIM FREW committees. conducting informational picketing at in the Portland metro area and in Cen - Central Oregon. Lastly, Frew said the ideal of broth - Fred Meyer stores for several months tral Oregon. Fred Meyer bargains Frew, 51, is a 25-year IBEW mem - For the last seven years, Frew has erhood is central to his vision for the because the company is using nonunion jointly with Albertsons and Safeway us - ber starting in Local 177, Jack - worked for EC Company. local, and it’s an ethic he wants to in - contractors on its remodeling projects. ing labor consultant Food Employers sonville, Florida. He moved with his Frew began his three-year term still in members, for example, through “Fred Meyer wants our union mem - Inc. Clerks, meatcutters and central wife to Eugene in 1991 and became a July 17, and hired Local 280 members team-building community efforts like bers to spend money at their stores and checkout clerks at those stores have member of Local 280. Frew served as Bill Kisselburgh and Tom Baumann Habitat for Humanity. pharmacies, yet won’t let us bid their been working under an extended con - Local 280 vice president from 1997 to as organizer and dispatcher, respec - “Sometimes we forget about the work and, in fact, hires contractors that tract for more than a year. 2000, and was an Oregon AFL-CIO tively. Baumann served two terms as brotherhood, our roots and where we provide little in the way of prescription Additionally, Local 555 is trying to convention delegate and chair of the recording secretary and one term as came from, the oath we took,” Frew drug benefits for their workers,” said bargain a first contract for non-food em - IBEW-NECA Safety Committee. He president, ending in 2006. said. “Even in these struggling times, Bob Childers, an international repre - ployees at The Dalles Fred Meyer. has also volunteered as an organizer Frew spoke well of Nicol and if we stick together and rely on one sentative of the Operative Plasterers and Those workers voted to join the union and has served as a job site steward. Caster, the other candidates for busi - another, unions will emerge stronger.” Cement Masons International Associa - in November 2007. tion. Childers encouraged union leaders Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger Inc. to notify their trust offices about the la - of Cincinnati. bor dispute and to consider changing Three unions — United Food and pharmacies if nothing changes. Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council wants NOAA facility relocated to Newport Oregon on short-list for Ed Hall, labor liaison to U.S. Sen. Washington. Bennett Hartman Jeff Merkley (D-OR), told construction The building trades council is asking b h federal agency’s Marine union leaders July 6 that all of Oregon’s union leaders and rank-and-file work - Morris & Kaplan, llp Operations Center congressional delegation have signed ers in Oregon to send letters of support Attorneys at Law on supporting the relocation to Oregon. to NOAA, specifically to: m k The Columbia Pacific Building and In addition to the permanent jobs, • Admiral Jonathan W.