Clif Davis defeated Barry Mitchell in a run-off election for business
manager/financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48. The vote was 912-619. Ballots
were tallied July 13.
Neither candidate was able to obtain the required 50 percent-plus-one
majority in the first mail-in election June 23. Three candidates
were in that race, including Paul Riggs. Mitchell and Davis, the
top two vote-getters, then went to a run-off.
Davis, 53, has served as business manager of the 3,800-member local
since 2007, when he unseated Mitchell, who was wrapping up his first
term in office.
Davis is a Portland native and 1974 graduate of Benson High School.
He started in the labor movement as a Fred Meyer cashier and member
of Clerks Local 1092. After six years as a cashier, and six as a
Fred Meyer manager, he worked three years at Frito-Lay as a member
of the Teamsters Union. He entered the IBEW apprenticeship program
in 1988 and turned out in 1993.
Davis also holds an associates degree in applied science from Portland
Community College.
He worked as a general foreman and as an instructor at the NECA-IBEW
Electrical Training Center in Northeast Portland before being hired
in 1996 as an organizer for Local 48. In 2001, he took a job as
a business representative for the local.
In other election results, Erik Richardson defeated incumbent Phil
Parker for president, while Gary Young out-polled Joe Jacobs for
vice president. John Sargent and Kathy Duncan ran unopposed for
treasurer and recording secretary, respectively.
In a 12-person race for six Executive Board seats, the top vote-getters
were Rod Belisle, Paul Behrman, Dan Maher, Bob Blair, Paul New,
and Marjorie Ramirez.
Jason Jenkins, Alan Keser, and Cari Ebbert were elected to the Exam
Board in a four-person race.
Fourteen members ran for eight slots as convention delegates. Elected
were Lee Duncan, Bruce Zimmerman, Kathy Duncan, Lisa Serrano, Eric
Hayes, Bob Carroll, Ryan Brown, and Joe Esmonde.
Officers, Board members, and delegates were sworn in July 28. Terms
of office are three years.
