See Inside MEETING NOTICES Page 6 Volume 107 Number 22 November 17, 2006 Portland, Oregon Labor Celebrates Election Night Victories Ken Allen (photo right), executive director of Oregon AFSCME Council 75, was among the throng of people celebrating at the Benson Hotel on Election Day. Labor enjoyed one of its most successful elections in more than a decade — in Oregon, Washington, and nationally — on Nov. 7. Labor-endorsed candidates captured a majority in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for the first time since 1994. In Oregon, union members helped re-elect Democratic Governor Ted Kulon- goski (pictured above during his victory speech) and also helped elect a worker- friendly Democratic House and Senate for the first time since 1991. Kulongoski captured nearly 51 percent of the vote next to Republican challenger Ron Sax- ton’s dismal 43 percent. Saxton outspent Kulongoski 2-to-1 —disposing of a whopping $8 million, mostly on negative advertising. Labor also played a major role in resoundingly defeating several ballot meas- ures that would have hamstrung state government, and winning a measure that will expand access to lower-cost prescription drugs to more Oregonians. In Oregon Senate races, 92 percent of candidates endorsed by the AFL-CIO were elected. The AFL’s only loss was Democrat Paul Evans’ bid to unseat in- cumbent Republican Jackie Winters in Senate District 10. Winters, however, had several the endorsement of several AFL-affiliated unions. The count in the Sen- ate will be 17 Democrats, 11 Republicans and two Independents — Ben West- lund (a former Republican who endorsed Kulongoski) and Avel Gordly (a former Democrat). In Oregon House races, 82.5 percent of AFL-CIO-endorsed candidates won, including six union members — Diane Rosenbaum of Communications Workers of America Local 7901; Brad Witt, former secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL- CIO and a business rep for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555; Jeff Oregon Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown (right) and State Senators Margaret Carter and Rick Metsger (behind (Turn to Page 3) Brown), rejoice in election-night victories for Democrats. Also celebrating is Secretary of State Bill Bradbury (left). Let me say this about that —By Gene Klare AFT readies long union drive among 3,000 nurses at Legacy Health Systems A unionizing campaign has been legal avenues to limit the size of the unit If the Legacy nurses end up winning quietly under way for about two years at and delay the election, getting more union recognition, they would form a Legacy Health System. time to persuade workers to reject the new autonomous local within the health Portland-headquartered Legacy has union. That’s what happened in an AFT care division of AFT, which represents five hospitals and various other facili- campaign at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical an estimated 70,000 nurses and health ties in Oregon and Southwest Washing- Center in the early ‘90s, says UNL care workers in 18 states and territories. ton, and employs 3,000 registered spokesperson Matthew Rae. And a AFT has another health care local in nurses; none are represented by a union. campaign to unionize nurses at Good Oregon — Oregon Federation of But the American Federation of Samaritan in the late ‘70s also failed. Nurses and Health Professionals— with Teachers (AFT) wants Legacy to join So AFT is looking to create an ac- 2,500 members at Kaiser Sunnyside the growing roster of unionized hospital tual organization of nurses well before Medical Center and Providence Mil- chains. AFT has formed a group, seeking certification as an exclusive waukie Hospital. “Collectively, we’re United Nurses of Legacy (UNL), as the bargaining agent. not used to standing up and speaking embryo of a new union local. With local “We’re not asking permission to be a with one voice,” Gailey said. “But the and national AFT bodies providing or- union; we already are a union,” said bottom line for me is nurses have to ganizational support, nurses at Legacy Jeannette Gailey, an RN at Legacy have more say.” have been working slowly to build a Good Samaritan Hospital. Applause for Allen union organization within the work- Spokesperson Rae says so far UNL S. Eugene Allen was the youngest editor of the Labor Press. When he was place. has helped nurses get results in several Evergreen State appointed to the job of editor on March 3, 1939, he was a 24-year-old busi- That’s a slightly unconventional cases, and has been offering profes- ness agent for Portland Teamsters Local 255 and was a 1936 graduate of the strategy. Traditionally, unions blitz sional development workshops. College faculty University of Oregon at Eugene where he majored in economics. workers, collecting signatures in a rush. At the cardiology department at Allen is being profiled in this issue of They then use those signatures to file Legacy Emanuel Hospital, nurses and votes for union the newspaper he once edited because for a government-run election; if a ma- several cardiologists signed a petition it’s time to spotlight him for the Labor jority of workers vote “union yes,” the protesting a decision to increase the OLYMPIA — Faculty members at Honor Roll. The Labor Press started the employer, legally, has to recognize and workload and number of patients per The Evergreen State College have Labor Honor Roll to posthumously bargain with the union. nurse, and management rescinded the voted to form a union. salute labor figures of bygone years. The But often, management is able to use decision, Rae said. The United Faculty of Evergreen, Labor Hall of Fame sponsored by the announced Nov. 1, will represent ap- Northwest Oregon Labor Retirees proximately 260 faculty members. Council provides recognition to retired It is the fourth faculty union among unionists who are still living. Washington’s public colleges and GENE ALLEN took over as the ed- universities following enactment of a itor and manager of the then-weekly Bennett Hartman Washington state law in 2002 that al- Oregon Labor Press as the successor to b h lows professors and instructors to or- C.M. Rynerson, who had been the editor Morris & Kaplan, llp ganize. Faculty members at Central and manager for more than 25 years. Attorneys at Law and Eastern Washington universities Rynerson, a printer and an editor, was a m k recently negotiated the first collective member of Multnomah Typographical bargaining agreements. Union No. 58. He left the Labor Press in Central Washington University is in the midst of bargaining a first con- EUGENE ALLEN 1939 to accept an appointment by Gov. Charles Sprague to the Oregon State In- Oregon’s Full Service Union Law Firm tract. dustrial Accident Commission which UFE is affiliated with the Wash- was in charge of the workers’ compensation insurance system. Representing Workers Since 1960 ington Education Association, Na- Allen was born in Bisbee, Arizona, but grew up in Oregon. His father, tional Education Association, Ameri- C.A. Allen, was elected a Deschutes County judge, serving in Bend, the can Federation of Teachers and AFT county seat, in a job that later was renamed county commissioner. Washington, AFL-CIO. The United AFTER GRADUATING from the U of O in the Great Depression, Allen SeriousInjuryandDeathCases Faculty of Washington State is the found a job in the Portland parts warehouse of the Allis-Chalmers tractor and statewide organization for faculty farm equipment company. He organized the warehouse workers as members • Construction Injuries unions, representing approximately of Teamsters Local 255. Allen was later transferred to a job in the Allis- 2,200 faculty members statewide and Chalmers office where he became a member of Office and Professional Em- • Automobile Accidents educating 34,000 students. ployees Local 11 and was elected as its president, presiding at the union’s meetings. His next career move was being hired as a business agent for Lo- • Medical, Dental, and Legal Malpractice cal 255. • Bicycle and Motorcycle Accidents As editor of the Labor Press, Allen reported on the efforts of Communists to infiltrate unions he noted in a 1975 interview with Frank Flori for the 75th • Pedestrian Accidents anniversary edition of the Labor Press. Allen also chronicled the fast and • Premises Liability (injuries on premises) (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) enormous expansion of employment, particularly in shipbuilding, as the U.S. Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon geared up for World War II, with many jobs available for workers who’d been • Workers’ Compensation Injuries as a voice of the labor movement. beat down by the Great Depression. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 “THERE WERE SUDDENLY lots of jobs and lots of overtime,” Allen • Social Security Claims Telephone: (503) 288-3311 told Flori. “There was a vast influx of people into the area and unions were Fax Number: (503) 288-3320 Editor: Michael Gutwig trying to assimilate them all,” Allen said. Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of In the World War II years, Allen was active in U.S. War Bond drives and each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the served on an advisory panel to the federal government’s War Labor Board. We Work Hard for Hard-Working People! Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union ALLEN PUBLISHED investigative reports in the Labor Press on people members. and companies that caused problems for unions and their members. (I recall Group rates available to trade union organizations.