Connect with us

LOCAL

‘Hire Local Labor’ rally June 29 in Kalama

As the Port of Kalama prepares for a $100 million expansion of the Temco grain terminal, the Longview-Kelso Building and Construction Trades Council will hold a “Hire Local Labor” rally this Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Kalama.

Following is an open letter from the LKBCTC’s Mike Bridges encouraging all union members and community supporters in the area to attend Friday’s rally:

Most of you by now have probably heard about the upcoming proposed $100 million CHS/Temco Grain Silo expansion at the Port of Kalama at the Todd Road Exit. Design-build contracts from two general contractors are currently being reviewed with a tentative awarding date of mid-July 2012. Both general contractors engage in the practice of hiring visa workers to do the “slip form work” to avoid paying area standard wages, as we have all seen at EGT in Longview, Kalama Export, and most recently at the Port of Vancouver.

Efforts to work with our Port Commissioners to add value for the local community, and stimulate local economic growth from these public-private partnerships has not helped much to say the least.

We will be having a “ Hire Local Labor” rally on Friday June 29th  from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., staging at Todd Road Exit on the North Bound Side of I-5 just south of the town of Kalama at 10 a.m.

This issue effects all labor, and all our community members including our local businesses who don’t see the dollars stay in the community. So feel free to bring folks who are tired of seeing our local jobs being outsourced.

The intent is to educate the community on this unfair practice, and hopefully get public support to effect some change so it doesn’t happen again. We have the skilled local work force right here in Southwest Washington to do these jobs that are so desperately needed to get our economy moving again.

We will have signs and informational hand bills available.

Hope to see you there!

In Solidarity,

Mike Bridges
Rec. Secretary-Treasurer,
Longview-Kelso BCTC

CHECK OUT THE UNION DIFFERENCE in Washington: higher wages, affordable health and dental care, job and retirement security.

FIND OUT HOW TO JOIN TOGETHER with your co-workers to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and a voice at work. Or go ahead and contact a union organizer today!