At the Wheatridge facility south of Boardman, a crane operated by a member of IUOE Local 701 lifts a rotor to be attached by members of Iron Workers and Laborers atop a 290-foot tower. At right in the distance is PGE’s Boardman Coal Plant, which closed permanently in October. (Photos courtesy PGE)
By Don McIntosh
Unlike other recent Northeast Oregon renewable energy projects, which relied on nonunion out-of-state workers, the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility about 15 miles south of Boardman employed members of Iron Workers Local 29, Laborers Local 737 and Operating Engineers Local 701. Oregon State Building Trades Executive Secretary Robert Camarillo says contractor Blattner Energy signed agreements with those unions after labor leaders met with PGE. PGE is part owner of the project, along with Next Era Energy Resources.
By Don McIntosh
Oregon’s prevailing wage law results in 8% higher wages for workers on public construction projects, but doesn’t increase the cost of the projects, according to a new study co-authored by Frank Manzo of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and Lina Stepick of the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center (LERC). That might seem counter-intuitive, until you get to the likely explanations.
First, the labor cost for the hourly construction workers covered by the law is a small share of total project cost about 25% in Oregon, according to the study authors. Materials, equipment, fuel, rental costs, management salaries, taxes, licenses, etc. make up the other 75%. So even if craft workers get paid 10% more, that equates to 2.5% of project cost.
By Don McIntosh
At So Delicious Dairy Free in Springfield, Oregon, a unit of 107 workers has joined Teamsters Local 206. How they did it is rare: In an era when most companies hire union busters, So Delicious voluntarily recognized the union after letting workers make their decision on the union without interference.
So Delicious, which makes non-dairy frozen desserts, is a subsidiary of the giant French multinational Danone, best known in the United States for its Dannon yogurt brand. Danone acquired So Delicious in 2017 when it bought natural foods conglomerate White Wave. Danone then signed a union neutrality agreement with the Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and the Bakers Union covering facilities in the United States. Under the agreement, once a union demonstrates it has support from 30% of a unit, union organizers can enter the work site to talk with workers on break.
After 12 years on Portland City Council, Amanda Fritz leaves office Jan. 1. Fritz is a former psychiatric nurse and member of Oregon Nurses Association, and her late husband was the president of his AFSCME union local at the Oregon State Hospital. Labor Press reporter Don McIntosh spoke with her by phone Dec. 14.
Amanda Fritz
What are you most proud of in your 12 years at City Hall? With respect to union issues, working with UFCW and others on paid sick time. [Fritz led passage of a pioneering city sick leave ordinance in 2013.] That changed state law, and hopefully will change national law as well.
By Don McIntosh
Culture change is coming. At least, that’s the goal of a broad construction industry coalition that’s begun to meet monthly to talk about ending racial and sexual harassment on Portland-area construction job sites.
Conceived last summer after a noose incident on a downtown Portland construction site, the Safe From Hate effort brings together union leaders, general contractors, public agency construction project owners, trade groups, and pre-apprentice training program leaders. More than 60 of them took part in a Dec. 3 Zoom meeting, the group’s third monthly summit, and firmed up a steering committee with representatives from each sector. The goal outlined in a job site culture pledge is to cultivate a respectful workplace, safe from hate, racism, sexism, discrimination, harassment, and bullying.