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November 19, 2010 Volume 111 Number 22
	Transit Union pickets TriMet board meeting Members of ATU Local 757 held an informational picket at a Nov. 10 TriMet board of directors meeting. ATU is trying to raise public awareness of a contract dispute it has with the transit agency. [Left: ATU Local 757 members, and president Jon Hunt, right, picket at Portland State University.]
AFL-CIO Poll: Voters punished Dems, but no mandate for GOP Though Republican victories in the 2010 elections will put the union Congressional agenda in jeopardy, labor leaders took some consolation from a pair of election night polls commissioned by the national AFL-CIO. Shop for union-made goods this holiday season — and year-round! Buying union is about voting with your dollars to support enterprises that pay fellow workers a living wage with benefits. The AFL-CIO has designated the 10 days following Thanksgiving as Buy Union Week. To make that easier, the Labor Press has come up with 10 "Buy Union" gift ideas. Merkley will push for rule change to end filibuster abuse Oregon’s freshman Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley favors reforming a parliamentary procedure known as the filibuster, in hopes that doing so will allow the Senate to get some work done. Labor vote makes the difference in tight Oregon races In Oregon, organized labor’s get-out-the-vote campaign propelled Democrat John Kitzhaber to the governor’s mansion. Kitzhaber defeated political newcomer Chris Dudley by the narrowest of margins. Labor-endorsed candidates also fared quite well down the ticket. Delta flight attendants say 'no' to union In votes counted Nov. 3, Delta Air Lines flight attendants chose not to be represented by Association of Flight Attendants. It was Delta flight attendants’ third unionization vote in a decade. Free Geek employees vote to join Portland CWA Local 7901 A group of 19 workers at local non-profit Free Geek have unionized with Communications Workers of America. Free Geek prides itself on an unusual form of collective management by democratic consensus. But as the group grew, a sub-caste developed — of lower-paid employees who weren’t in the collective. Portland Public Schools $548 million bond could put trades union members to work Portland Public Schools may ask district voters in May to approve $548 million in bonds to upgrade school buildings. Work would begin summer 2011 if voters approve the bond issue.