Local 324 is in the middle of several organizing campaigns. We received signed cards from 75% of employees at AKZO Nobel Coatings Inc. in Salem and have an election scheduled for August 26^th. We met with the employees several times and it appears that the “third time is the charm” for this group. They had come to Local 324 in 2005 and 2008, but their internal support waivered. This time, actions taken by the company against one of their fellow employees has galvanized their resolve. I am hopeful that they will pass the election overwhelmingly and we will be setting dates to meet with the company to schedule contract negotiations.

        On another front, we are actively engaged in campaigns at a couple First Student barns. With help from the International and the Joint Council, we are going door to door and have had several Organizing Committee meetings. With the pending National Contract still a possibility; this is a good time to promote the substantial benefits that these employees gain by joining the Teamsters. We are only beginning to expand this campaign into more areas.

        Other potential organizing has been established and we will begin leafleting at those barns when the time is right. The best way for us to stay strong is to GROW. Every Collective Bargaining Agreement is strengthened when our numbers increase and Local 324 is committing itself to that cause without losing pace with our representational responsibilities. We encourage every Member of Local 324 to offer support either by volunteering time to do house visits or simply calling in potential organizing sites. Let’s all work together to grow and strengthen our Union and our Local.

        In other news, Local 324 is fast approaching its 6^th annual Labor Day Picnic. This year, the picnic will be held at the Beaver Grove Shelter at Cascades Gateway Park in Salem on September 4th, 2010. We are planning to have a cotton candy machine, inflatable jumping toys for the kids, a snow cone machine, food and beverages. We will also have tons of things to raffle off, so make sure to come by. The picnic will start at noon and end at 6:00PM. We have also reached out to many of our Member’s employers to donate to this cause and be involved in the celebration. They must remember that without you, they wouldn’t be in business! Several have already stepped forward with gift certificates and donations of food and raffle items.

        We are also sending 201 of our Members to the annual Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Union Solidarity Night Baseball Game on August 27^th. These tickets will be given out to our Members based on drawings held at the Local. In the past, these tickets were distributed on a first come, first served basis. But this usually led to people missing out because of the shift they worked or the distance they were from the Local. We have tried to make this process more equitable so that more people have a chance to go.

        I would like to congratulate seven new shop stewards, John Carter at Deluxe Ice Cream in Salem, Doug Proffitt at WinCo Foods in Woodburn, Steve Halsey, also at WinCo, Ben McCuin and Darrin Wilson at Food Services of America in Woodburn on night shift and Gary Schmirler and Bruce Fries also of Food Services of America on day shift. Local 324 had a shop steward seminar at the Local on July 31^st that was hosted by labor attorney Mike Tedesco. We had a great turnout and encourage each of our shop stewards to attend as many of these as possible. This is a great opportunity to learn more about your responsibilities and meet with fellow stewards from different companies to compare issues. It’s also an opportunity for the Local to show appreciation for the stewards who work tirelessly for their fellow employees.

        There are several contracts still in negotiations. Cash & Carry had two more dates scheduled on August 3^rd and 4^th. There was a lot of movement but a recommended offer was still not achieved. I am hopeful that a tentative agreement can be reached at our next, yet to be announced, negotiation date. Local 324’s Members at Willamette Beverage (Pepsi) in Newport, along with Local 206 Members, voted down a tentative agreement on July 22^nd. The main issue there is healthcare. A follow up negotiation ocurred on August 4th with no resolution; more dates will follow. NW Cascade (Honeybucket) has agreed to meet with Local 324 on August 23, 2010 to begin negotiations even though they are currently in negotiations at Local 313. The company wanted our members to wait until that agreement was reached, but we stood firm that the company was required to negotiate now, not at their convenience. We will be meeting with them here at the Local to negotiate a new contract and will push to make all changes retro-active.

        I would also like to report that our part-time Office Assistant, Lynne Davidson, has finished chemotherapy and radiation treatment for her cancer and is doing very well. She is getting positive feedback from her doctors and appears to be winning the battle. We wish her well and our thoughts and prayers remain with her and her family.