May meeting report

By Bruce Dennis 
President

We had 86 members and guests in attendance at our May special called meeting. State Rep. Randy Leonard was on hand to address members regarding his anticipated bid for the Portland City Council opening that will be created by the resignation of Charlie Hales. We had a report from PNWRCC political organizer Ed Glad regarding the minimum wage initiative and the initiative integrity act, which would ban paying for individuals signatures in favor of hourly rates for collecting signatures. 

PNWRCC Delegates and Alternates: Jason Delfel, Pete Savage, Shaun Cushman, Larry Burkhalter, Darell Duffy, Kevin Stokes, Eldon Middleton, Willie Gore, Steve Wright, Steve Bates, Joe Whitney, Brian Carson, Joe Baron, John Strand, Gene Lawhorn, John Hahn, Doug Jones, Andy Wagner.

A motion was passed to cast a white ballot for all unopposed nominations. Under reports our political committee made a recommendation to endorse Randy Leonard’s campaign and donate $5,000 and to donate $5,000 to the Jim Hill campaign. The members approved the donation to Jim Hill’s campaign and tabled the Randy Leonard recommendation until next month. We had reports from our PNWRCC Delegates, Business Representatives and Organizer Jerry Auvil. Apprenticeship Coordinator John Schraner reported on the establishment of one statewide J.A.T.C. and the opening of the Scaffold Program. Financial Secretary Pete Savage reported on our building remodeling process. One bid was received and it was higher than was anticipated.

I reported about our negotiation meetings. No proposals are ready for presentation to the members.

We had a report on our participation in the “Christmas in April” annual event.

Representative Ken Stroup presented a Steward award PNWRCC Carhartt jacket to 247 conductor John Hahn. Under new business motions were passed endorsing the two initiatives, purchasing new flags and awarding 247 jackets to John Jackson and Ray Grahn for their work on Christmas in April. The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
For more complete info … ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS!

Meeting Notices

General membership 
Meets the second Tuesday, June 11, at 7 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2205 N. Lombard, Portland. Picnic Announcement Aug. 25 Blue Lake Park, mark your calendars, Harley Davidson raffle.

Retirees
Retirees meet for lunch the second Monday, June 10, at 11 a.m. at JJ North’s, 10520 NE Halsey, Portland.

Executive Board
Executive Board meets the fourth Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2205 N. Lombard, Portland. 

Nominations and election
The June meeting will be a Special Call meeting for the election of officers and delegates.

Christmas in April

Carpenters Local 247 again participated in the annual Christmas in April event in which elderly, disadvantaged and/or disabled homeowners or organizations are helped with various construction and maintenance. John Jackson and Ray Grahn again served as house captains, volunteers included Shaun Cushman, Bruce Dennis, Carlos Garcia, Pat Johnson, Joe Loos, Tyna McMillan, Larry Michael, Michelle Mowe, Paul O’Neill, Jim Pucci and Steve Wright. Thanks to these and any other members who helped this year!

Larry Michael, pictured left, and Paul O’Neill and Carlos Garcia, pictured right, volunteer for Christmas in April.

Local 247 team comes to the rescue:
passing around the hard hat and building a dream

It may have appeared to passersby that an episode of the home remodeling television program "This Old House" was being filmed in Portland. Behind the scene, however, Carpenters Union Local 247, IBEW Local 48 and Intel employees from the Intel Oregon site were volunteering their time to make a local family's long-held dream come true.

The D1C Tool Install project is a big one — the team is installing 400 leading edge, 300 millimeter tools that involves, on average, 400 to 500 craft workers to complete. Last October, Al Ludahl, a 58-year-old electrical craft worker on the D1C Tool Install project, died suddenly of heart failure.

Following the team's loss, Russ O'Connor, the Tool Install manager at the D1C fab at the Ronler Acres (RA) campus, gave a presentation for all 450 project team members that honored Al during the D1C Program Update at the RA Auditorium in October. During his presentation, Russ told the project team that Joyce Ludahl, Al's widow, might lose the vintage 1906 Portland home that they purchased last year. As the couple had lived in a trailer for several years, the house was to be their retirement home. However, Joyce could not afford to complete the major renovation that Al had begun before his death. The project team then passed a hard hat around the meeting and ended up raising $2,000 on the spot to help Joyce. Over time the team's volunteer efforts grew, with more than 60 project team volunteers actually working on the house in their spare time for four months, mainly on Fridays and Saturdays. Included on that team were numerous members of Local 247. Several contractors and material suppliers also donated time materials for the renovation project that were worth more than $130,000. Joyce came to Intel in December and attended one of the team's program updates. She expressed her thanks and gratitude to all of the project volunteers who helped on their home.

The home renovation was completed in January and Joyce moved into the newly renovated home in February. “The 1906 Ludahl House Project has been a great success and shows that a large project team such as ours can reach out and support its people and community,” Russ says. Joyce held an open house on Saturday, March 30, to show all project volunteers and sponsors the final results of their efforts. “This is truly an extraordinary, inspiring effort to reach out in support of a colleague,” said Bill MacKenzie, Intel Oregon communications manager.

The following Portland Union members were involved: Bryon Hurless, Dave Johnson, Dave Seutter, Dave Sprenger, Greg Machacek, Harry Gwaltney, Joel Lucia, Julian Augustin, Kathy Copeland, Larry Harmon, Norm Dolbow, Paul Blake, Rick Cole, Rob Senff, Richard Petrich, Steve Little, Jerry Rowton and Willie Gore.

Ten ways to kill a union

1. Do not come to Union meetings, but if you do show, come late.
2. If the weather does not suit you, do not come.
3. Do not attend meetings more than once or twice a year, but complain that you are never aware of Union information.
4. If you do attend a meeting, find fault with the work of the officers and other members.
5. Never accept an office; it is easier to criticize than to do things.
6. Get sore if you are you not appointed to a committee, but if you are appointed, do not attend the committee meetings.
7. If asked by the Business Agent to give your opinion on an important matter, tell that you nothing to say. After the meeting, tell everyone how things should be done.
8. Do nothing more than is absolutely necessary. When other members roll up their sleeves, willingly and unselfishly, using their ability and time to help matters along, howl that the Union is being run by a clique.
9. If your Local Union is struggling from a financial standpoint be sure and muster all the help you can to vote against a dues increase.
10. Do not bother about new members; let the other fellow do it.

Local 247 Voluntary Organizing Committee formed

Local 247 has formed a V.O.C. of rank and file members who are serious about organizing the non-union carpenters and contractors in the Portland area. If you would like to participate in the V.O.C., we meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Local 247 hall at 6 p.m.

Labor Ready hides, BCTD seeks

The troubled, temporary blue-collar employment firm Labor Ready is withholding vital information from its shareholders in violation of securities law, alleges a formal complaint filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department. The complaint charges that Labor Ready,with the apparent consent of its auditor, Arthur Andersen, left out material information in its annual 10-K report to the SEC about its injury rate, workers’ compensation costs and the amount of money collected from workers to pay them in cash. “Labor Ready cannot make these problems go away by hiding vital information from shareholders,” said BCTD President Edward C. Sullivan.

Fred Meyer K2MG picketing

Carpenters Local 247 member Mike Clarke pickets K2MG at Stadium Fred Meyer for refusing to pay area standard wages and benefits.

Scholarship applications are being taken for the 2002-2003 school year

Local 247’s membership is proudly sponsoring three students at this time. We are sponsoring one student at Arizona State University, one student at University of Oregon and one student at Portland State University. A labor history essay needs to be written by the prospective student and submitted by the June 25, 2002 Executive Board meeting. A panel judges each essay and the winner will be invited to read his or her essay at a fall meeting with their proud sponsor.

Eligibility requirements and details are available at the hall. If you have any questions or need additional information, please call the secretaries at 503-289-9632.

First Annual Golf Tournament

Carpenters Local 247 is sponsoring our first annual golf tournament. It will be held on June 22, 2002 at Colwood National Golf Club, 7313 NE Columbia Blvd., Portland. Tee off is at 5:30 a.m. The tournament will consist of 64 players. We will have a “blind draw” one week prior to the tournament to determine the pairs. The cost is $52 per person, which includes a golf cart and a ham and egg sandwich. Prizes will be awarded for First, Second and Third place, in addition to the longest drive and 3 KP holes. Please call the hall to reserve your spot. Payment must be in the office by Tuesday, June 11. Please make checks payable to Carpenters Local 247. For further info, contact Carpenters 247 Vice President Willie Gore at 503-284-9337 or by e-mail at iwillgo@earthlink.net