On May 8, members of the ILWU Local 12, Auxiliary 1 and Local 12 Pensioners proudly joined a picket line to support members of Local 3072, the Southwestern Oregon Community College classified employees.
The Local 3972 members have been waiting more than a year for a new contract, enduring months of stalled negations and uncertainty. The reduced working hours forced many workers to visit food banks and pinch pennies just to afford the cost of driving to their jobs.
Solidarity: From left to right are: Kip Gumm, Marvin Caldera, Local 12 President, Gary Alford, Suzanne Sundet, Doyle Williams, retired Local 12 President, Carolyn Williams, ILWU Federated Auxiliary President, Jim Davidson, Local 12 Pensioners President and Marcia Strike, Auxiliary 1 President.
ILWU Local 12 has a keen interest in these negotiations because the college was the idea of Henry Hansen, a Local 12 longshore worker. Hansen and other Local 12 members helped make the Community College a reality instead of a dream. To inform the public, the local newspaper, The World, was called along with local TV station KCBY. Both outlets were told about the disrespect toward classified employees at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
Local 3972 President, Vickie Brumit, told The World newspaper that union and college administrators are currently in mediation, unable to agree on wages, recall rights, and benefits.