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When you come to meetings,
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General membership
General membership meets the second Tuesday,
Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2215
N. Lombard, Portland. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact the office at
503-289-9632.
Retirees
Retirees meet for lunch the second Monday,
Dec. 8, at 11 a.m. at Hometown Buffet, 10452A
SE Washington St., Portland.
Executive Board
Executive Board meets the fourth Tuesday, Dec.
23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2215N.
Lombard, Portland.
Meeting Notices
Newsletter Committee
Newsletter committee meets the second
Thursday, Dec. 11, at 6:30 p.m., first
floor, Small Conference Room, Carpenters
Hall, 2215 N. Lombard, Portland.
By Joe Whitney
Local 247
We lost our Brother Gary Sinn last month
on October 11 at the young age of 50.
Gary who was born June 8 1958 is survived by
his wife Peaches and their four children; one of
them being a young apprentice out of Local
1715 and quite the Carpenter at an early age.
For those of us that had the wonderful opportunity
to know Gary and to work with him, we
could tell many stories about how he made every
job his task to do the job right.
We could also tell many tales of how he enjoyed
himself and somehow he got himself into a
few predicaments, that only he could manage. I
met Gary on a job working for Coco Construction
and the first day there I was preparing to
scale a wall form that we were getting ready to
pour the next day. While putting on my harness
and safety gear, Gary scaled the wall and hollered
at me to grab a chalk box to set grade. Now this
wall panel was about 30’ tall and I started to go
up I heard a “Oh Noooooooo” and looked up
just in time to see Gary falling the whole length
on the wall and landing in the mud (this is the
Pacific Northwest after all) laying there looking at
me and saying I’m ok Joe just don’t tell anyone
and be sure you tie off when you get up there especially
after seeing that I did. He was pretty sore
for a few days but after a while he was back to
being Gary and by that I mean being the best
that he could be and never a word mentioned
again (until after his passing) about that incident.
We worked without much incident for a couple
of months and I learned from him many aspects
of carpentry and at the same time humanity because Gary
was of a faith unshaken and his whole
life was devoted to his Family and his Religion .
I also learned that he would take off on adventures
helping other people in need and involving
the whole family teaching his children that we
are here for a purpose and Gary’s was to help anyone
who needed it and he was there for them.
He went to Tibet to help the underprivileged, he
went to India to help when they needed it and
these were people that he had never met but people
who needed the special skills that he not only
possessed but was willing to share. He spent time
helping the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and
asked for help from the Local to ease on the expenses
as he wasn’t a rich man at least not in the
material sense but rich beyond belief in the eyes
of his Family and Friends and the people that he
had unselfishly helped over the years. At his funeral
at an extremely large church, with a huge
parking lot, I found the lot almost full to capacity
and the church had many people standing,
though there was ample seating for a few hundred
there.
The stories told and the love felt there was incredible
and I found that Gary wasn’t a lonely
man and that he had passed peacefully in his
sleep and had a smile on his face as his wife
Peaches found him in the morning dying early
in the morning from an epileptic seizure leaving
behind the Family he loved so much. I remember
one last episode with Gary on the Ceco job
and that was when we had built a walkway to the
bottom of these walls. On the south side, it was
about a 50’ walkway with a handrail and putting
on clamps at the bottom I heard a “Hey Joe,
Look out” and as I looked up saw Gary set a
sheet of plywood on the handrail and ride it
down like a surfboard; laughing all the way down
and me shaking my head because the safety officer
was at the top also shaking his head. But,
that was Gary Zinn. If you are ever fortunate
enough to work with someone like Gary, be sure
to take advantage of it because he will show you
unselfishly how to perform your work well and
in a timely manner (except for sliding down
walkways) and be sure to pay attention because
men like him are few and far between.
You will definitely be a better person because
of it. We miss you Gary and wish the best to
your family and friends.
Jobs with Justice
Monthly Report
Jobs with Justice is building community support for the Employee
Free Choice Act, a landmark piece of legislation now pending in
Congress that will give workers a fighting chance to improve their
lives.
As the economic crisis deepens it is becoming evermore apparent
that that access to collective bargaining rights, freely chosen by
workers is the best way to guarantee better benefits and wages
for working families. Workers need the freedom to come together
and organize for better working conditions, health benefits and
retirement. But in today's company-dominated system there are few protections
for
workers who are trying to organize. Employers routinely harass, intimidate and
coerce
people who try to form unions and annually over 23,000 workers are fired or
discriminated
against for supporting a union at work.
The Employee Free Choice Act is a landmark piece of legislation now pending in
congress
that reforms labor law and restores workers freedom to form unions by:
- Enabling employees to form unions when a majority sign authorization cards;
- Strengthening penalties against employers that harass, intimidate, or coerce
workers;
and
- Requiring mediation and arbitration to help employers and employees reach a
first
contract within a reasonable amount of time.
Because we see this as an incredible opportunity to protect the rights of all
workers
Jobs with Justice is reaching out to our community allies to demonstrate broad
support
for this bill. We need your help to see this through. We are gathering postcards
to
send to Congress to demonstrate our support, we are also looking for folks to
write articles
or letters to the editor about the need for this legislation ,and we are asking
our
allies to sign on to an organizational letter in support of the Employee Free
Choice Act.
For more information check out
www.AmericanRightsAtWork.org. Contact Andrea at
andrea@jwjpdx.org or call 503-236-5573 to find out how you can be a part of this
exciting
campaign!
We write to invite you to join us at our Grinch of the Year Holiday Party on
Saturday,
December 6th at 7PMat the Peace House,2116 NE 18th Ave.
There are some great contenders for this coveted award, deciding will surely be
difficult.
David and Edward Van Der Pol—owners of Oak Harbor Freight (where Teamster
drivers are on strike!), Victoria Taft-anti-immigrant right-wing radio host,
“Bailout
King” and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Freightliner CEO Chris Patterson, or
Pam
Vukovich-Chief Financial Officer of Legacy. So many choices-and you can write in
others. This award is so important that the police usually show up at the
surprise presentation
ceremony!
Figure out who you want to support, then come on down and buy some votes. That’s
right-the votes are for sale-we like to call it “corporate-style democracy”. But
don’t
worry, the election will be completely free and fair-for those that pay!
Union office holiday closures
In observance of the Christmas holiday, the union office will be closed Dec.
24-25.
We will reopen the office Friday, Dec. 26 at 8 a.m. Also, we will be closed Jan.
1.
We will reopen Jan. 2 at 8 a.m.
Regional perspective: A Seattle
report on Barriers to Women in the
Building Trades (Port Jobs Report)
By Michael Brassell
Member, Local 247
What are the challenges to staying in the
trades? Tradeswomen identified six predominant
challenges that make the biggest difference
in their ability and desire to stay in the
trades. While all apprentices experience these
challenges to some degree, they seem to be especially
common for women.
Lack of well-rounded on-the-job training
Tradeswomen spoke of the difficulty of getting
well-rounded on-the-job training.
Most felt they had experienced some discrimination
in training and job assignments. They
said that women were often given low-skilled
jobs, such as sweeping floors. Many had to “push,
beg and pester” to learn the more challenging
skills of the trade.
While apprenticeship programs have different
methods for tracking apprentices’ on-the-job
learning, lack of oversight and accountability
were raised as problems. Some apprentice participants
didn’t have a clear understanding of the
skills progression they were expected to learn on
the job. In the end, those women who reached
journey-level without well-rounded skills found
they were less marketable than others, with more
limited job opportunities.
“At first it’s understandable that you don’t actually
get to work with the power tools. But some
people stay there. They are about to journey out,
and all they’ve done is low-skilled work. It comes
to a point where you have to respect yourself and
say, ‘Hey, enough is enough, I want to learn.’
Lack of job security and steady work.
Unemployment is a fact of life in the building
and construction trades. The lack of job security,
however, was especially taxing for tradeswomen
who were single mothers. Some women were reluctant
to speak up about harassment or other
problems they saw on the job for fear of being
laid off. Many felt that female apprentices were
hired to fill quotas and were kept on jobs because
they were inexpensive labor, whereas journey level
women were the first to be laid off. Others
reiterated how critical a well-rounded skill set is
to be competitive in the job market and stay employed.
“When you don’t have job security, and
you have a house and a child, it’s very overwhelming.
The only thing you can rely on is that
your boss is going to like you enough to call you
back.”
Being judged for being women; lack of
women in leadership positions.
Because of their small numbers, many women
still felt like outsiders in the trades. Women spoke
of having to prove themselves on each new job
site, and of the sense – sometimes stated, sometimes
implied – that they were taking jobs away
from men who could be supporting their families.
Others talked about the need for more
women in leadership positions on job sites, in apprenticeship
programs and in unions. “A thousand
times I’ve showed up on the jobsite just to
have them roll their eyes thinking ‘Oh jeez, look
at this one they sent me.’ But then at the end of
the job they shake my hand and say, ‘I’ll have you
back any time. You outworked them all.’
Lack of daycare options and family friendly
workplace policies.
Daycare is one of the most significant challenges
for tradeswomen with young children, due
to high costs and hours of operation that don’t
fit long construction workdays. Juggling family
and work requirements was especially difficult
for single parents who had to take jobs or attend
apprenticeship training out of town. While participants
noted that some employers were family-
oriented, many contractors showed a lack of
understanding about the need to care for sick
children or other family obligations.
“As a first year apprentice, daycare was very
difficult. It took two and a half of my pay checks
each month just to pay for daycare. Then I had a
year-long job that started at 6:00 a.m. I had to
leave at 5:00, and the daycare didn’t open until
6:00. So I had to pay someone extra to take my
daughter there.”
Lack of mentoring and support systems.
The tradeswomen interviewed for this report
enjoyed getting together and sharing their experiences.
Some women exchanged contact information,
commented that they would like to get
together again and said that the discussion had
been cathartic. Others shared advice about how
to navigate the apprenticeship system. Many recommended
developing better support systems
for women in the trades by, for example, fostering
mentoring opportunities. “I think mentoring
is important for the women coming in. It
would be nice if the more experienced women
would take young women under their wing.
Show them things and let them know how to
conduct themselves on the job, because a lot of
times you don’t know.”
Need for stronger recruitment of women.
Many tradeswomen felt that recruiting more
women into the trades is the number one issue to
address. Some said that recruitment should happen
in the high schools, while others felt that
outreach needs to focus on people, like single
parents, who are motivated to get ahead financially.
Tradeswomen, particularly at the journey
level, also discussed the pros and cons of affirmative
action. Some felt that affirmative action
helped bring women into the trades while others
said the policies simply placed quotas on programs
to bring more women in, but not necessarily
the “right” women who are genuinely interested
in the work. “Inmy opinion, we’re going
backwards. We’re seeing the effects of Initiative
200. Without affirmative action – without that
being a clear goal – it’s so easy to disregard
women as potential employees. With affirmative
action we had more strength to get a foot in the
door and stay there.”
Note: Information for this article was taken from
www.portjobs.org/resources/newsletters/pj2006-1.pdf .
By Gabriel Triplett
Member, Local 247
Usually in this article on International Labor
you find a description of a labor struggle or
victory taking place outside the country. However,
that is not the case this month.
The teamsters strike against Oak Harbor Freight
has picked up international news. About 600
workers belonging to Teamsters Joint Council 28
walked off the job in Washington, Idaho, and
Oregon Monday, Sept. 22.
The Union had been in negotiations for
nearly a year and a half. The company bosses
had stepped up their intimidation against workers
and union members were feeling bullied by
the company. According to Al Hobart (Teamsters
International Vice President), 5 claims were
filed with National Labor Relations Board against Oak Harbor in the last couple weeks leading
up to the strike. When it became clear to the
workers that the intimidation would not stop
and that management refused to give the workers
what they deserved, the Union went out on
strike. The next day Oak Harbor cut off all
Health Care Benefits to their employees and retirees.
Since then the union has been putting
pressure on retail chains that use Oak Harbor
Freight for distribution. On Oct.21, Union
members rappelled down a building in San Francisco
near the Gap’s Headquarters dropping a
huge banner that brought a lot of attention to
the Gap’s use of the Union Busting company.
Also in New York, supporters of the striking
workers stormed the Gap in protest of Oak Harbor’s
criminal behavior towards their workers.
While the Gap has found no problem with profiting
from the exploitation of workers and the
stripping of health care from retirees, other companies
have not been so cold hearted. REI and
Urban Outfitters are two companies that
dropped Oak Harbor Freight. The Teamsters are
also calling on people not to buy any Polo/Ralph
Lauren. Oak Harbor distributes Polo/Ralph
Lauren to JOCK Penney, two more companies that
don’t seem to give a damn about mistreated
workers.
When the Carpenters threw up an area standards
picket in front of a UPS distribution center
many of the Teamsters would not cross our line.
The best way to say thanks for the Solidarity it to
give it right back, which is why I won’t be shopping
for Christmas gifts from the Gap, JC Penney,
or Ralph Lauren. The thing about solidarity
is the more times it’s given back and forth the
bigger and stronger it grows.
Help the work along.
These campaigns can change overnight to get
the most updated information about the strike
and boycotts go to www.teamster.org or call the
teamster local near you.
Note: Information for this article was taken from
the Oregon Business Journal, www.teamster.org,
and www.laborstart.org.
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Monthly dues
Carpenter & Scaffold Erector Apprentice Carpenter
$18.00
Res. Carp. II & Floor layer Apprentice
$15.00
Interior Exterior Specialist $30.00
Journeyman Commercial $30.00
Journeyman Residential $27.00
Journeyman Scaffold Erector $30.00
Journeyman Floor layer $27.00
Tradeshow Carpenter $21.00
Early Retired $14.80
Inactive $14.80
Retired (65+ with 30 yrs service) $6.00
Reduced quarterly dues
Payments for each quarter are due prior to the first day
of the quarter. Payments received after the quarter starts
will be applied at the monthly rate as shown above.
1st Quarter – Due by 12-31-08
2nd Quarter – Due by 3-31-09
3rd Quarter – Due by 6-30-09
4th Quarter – Due by 9-30-09
|
Carpenter & Scaffold Erector
Apprentice Carpenter $51.00
Interior Exterior Specialist $87.00
Journeyman Commercial $87.00
Journeyman Residential $78.00
Journeyman Floor layer $78.00
Journeyman Scaffold Erector $87.00
Tradeshow Carpenter $60.00
Reduced yearly dues
Must be paid by 12-31-08
Carpenter & Scaffold Erector
Apprentice Carpenter $198.00
Interior Exterior Specialist $342.00
Journeyman Commercial $342.00
Journeyman Residential $306.00
Journeyman Floor layer $306.00
Journeyman Scaffold Erector $342.00
Tradeshow Carpenter $234.00
|
By Joe Baron
Financial Secretary & Political Chair
Thank you for all of your help in getting the
candidates that we supported elected. We
greatly appreciate you taking the time to read our
newsletter, listening to our advice and registering
to vote. Even though those things may seem
small, they help keep you informed and get our
candidates in office. Also, you need to remember
that helping bond measures pass such as the PCC
Bond, the Zoo Bond, and the Salem/Keizer
bond provides work for our members.
If you are out of work, please remember to
contact the Regional Council regarding picketing
opportunities. Also, remember that you can get
on the Tradeshow Out of Work list too.
Thanks again for all of your assistance during
the political season. Dawn, Sherrie and I would
like to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year!
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