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July 16, 2010 Volume 111 Number 14
	Portland postal workers rally to save Saturday mail delivery Protesting a proposed end to Saturday mail delivery, employees of the U.S. Postal Service held a picket and rally July 1 outside Portland's main post office.
Daimler Trucks drops wage cut demands, signs new three-year contracts Union workers at the Daimler Trucks North America factory in Portland agreed to a new set of three-year contracts after the company dropped demands for wage concessions and “two-tier” contract terms. Union pension plans get more time to recover under newly-passed law A new law will give pension plans more time to make up for investment losses from the 2008 financial market downturn. HR 3962, signed into law June 25, will take pressure off “defined benefit” pension plans, which in the last year have had to ramp up employer contributions and cut back benefits. Common, and illegal: Rules that ban coworker wage discussions break labor law At non-union Jerry’s Home Improvement in Eugene, employees knew the rule: Don’t discuss your wages with co-workers. Such rules are common in workplaces throughout America. They’re also illegal. Senator Ron Wyden: Bush agenda may resurface if labor sits out election More than 70 union members met with U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) July 7 at a breakfast event sponsored by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council. Wyden expressed concerned that labor and Democrats "aren’t pumped" and might sit out the November election. Oregon delegates take part in momentous AFSCME convention Oregon union delegates had an impact in AFSCME's 39th international convention, held June 27-July 2 in Boston. Resolutions that originated in Oregon AFSCME locals were approved at the convention, and Oregon delegates were vigorous campaigners in the contested race to succeed William Lucy as secretary-treasurer of the 1.5-million-member union. Musicians Local 99’s Fife elected international VP Bruce Fife, president of Musicians Local 99 in Portland, was elected international vice president of the American Federation of Musicians at their June 21–24 national convention in Las Vegas. The AFM represents 85,000 members, including symphony, recording, and live-performance musicians. Burns named director of Labor’s Community Service Agency Vickie Burns has been hired as executive director of Labor’s Community Service Agency. She succeeds Glenn Shuck, who retired June 1 after 25 years with the agency. Burns has been the agency's office manager since 1993.