Union News Archives

Port News: July 2005

It has been a busy year with personnel here at the Port. In a reflection of our new youthful demographic our 34 members experienced 3 weddings, 5 births, multiple new homes, and a couple of engagements. Congratulations go out to Dave and Beth Palmer; Tyler and Dana Lyons; and Greg and Chrissy Brown. Wishing you all the Best in your new lives together. As well, before this is published I expect to congratulate Karyn Leas and her fiance’ Mike; with Rob Otto and Kathleen not too far behind.
As for children, well it must be something in the water…Ted and Nina Secor gave Ethan a little sister, Ariana; Bob and Tirzah Cross have welcomed R.J. (aka Little Guy) into their lives; Preston and Lisa Scott have added Aiden to their growing family; Rob and Wendy Bigelow brought home Logan as a playmate for Maddie. Of course I have to dig my shovel in here, after 9+ years of saying we would never have children, my husband and I have been blessed with the most wonderful daughter, Shelby Sophia. Eating crow has never tasted so sweet.
As I write this I am at home on bed rest, awaiting the arrival of Henry
(notice a Ford theme?) due in October. This has given me a lot of time to think and ponder (and knit…does anyone need a scarf or stocking cap?). As a result, I realize that for a group of people from all different backgrounds and beliefs, we are pretty fortunate. We choose to risk our lives to danger, thus we are able to form an exclusive club that supports and protects one another, as well as our communities. I have felt this more than ever from our department this last year and I would like to thank the guys (yes, that means men and women) for their support, encouragement and gifts this past year. Working with our crews has felt more like having a second family than ever before. Thank you!
Yours in service,
Tracy Brill
P.S. Last, but not forgotten: Welcome to new firefighter Amanda Gunvaldson and to our new Chief, Brian Pugh, arriving from Salt Lake City.

Article from July 2004:

What’s New?

Several of our members have discovered that having the station near 42nd Street boat ramp allows for some pre-shift wake boarding on the Columbia. I am not sure if they choose this location for the smooth morning water or for the proximity of the Rescue Boat?!? The latest weapon of choice, though, is four-wheel drive ATV’s. This has even taken over X-Box in popularity and style points. Doug Banry is now a professional drag racer, though he seems to think that drag racing involves being dragged by the ATV.

Welcome to new hires: Pete Hallenius and Nick Crosser.

In answer to the most common questions...No, we do not have a chief yet…No, we are not sure where the Port is in the process…Yes, we are very sorry that our options for chief do not now include candidates from the metropolitan area. Any other questions?

Negotiations are in a holding pattern while the Port puts together a last minute negotiation team. This has been frustrating as we began preparations before the New Year and hoped to start bargaining a couple months ago.

On the serious side of things….

At the job interview, we profess to want to help others. At the station, we are only concerned with our wants. What happened?

Instead of griping or complaining, maybe we should ask or say:

How can I educate myself on issues that affect our work place?

There are multiple opportunities for us to become better educated about our jobs and our rights in the workplace: Local 43 holds periodic training sessions, the International has on-line resources, U of O offers an ongoing series of classes (here in Portland) on Labor issues. These are just a few options.

How do I seek or develop solutions to problems? I am willing to do the work to solve problems.

As firefighters we are required to seek and develop solutions to very unusual emergency situations. We do the work to resolve these situations. Those same problem solving skills can and should be used back in the station.

Is this issue worth the effort? (Is this the hill I’m going to die on?)

Sometimes, a problem is not really a problem. Think on it, take two weeks, is it still important enough to expend the time and energy for a solution? If yes, then solve it; if no, then let it go.

I am really quite fortunate.

Most importantly, always remember WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE. We are exposed every day to people that are much less fortunate. Let’s not take our good fortune for granted. Your career in fire service is what you make it.

I am giving up some of my time/money/energy to improve conditions for those that have greater needs.

Volunteer…coach a sport, read to kids in school, work on Union projects, or help build a house. Not only will you be helping someone else, you will be receiving a sense of community and accomplishment, you will be setting an example for your children and your peers.

Thanks for letting me get up on my high horse which is on top of my soap box. As always, you are all welcome to visit us here at the airport. The coffee is fresh and warm.

Respectfully,
Tracy Brill

Article from 2/23/04

A first for the Airport Fire Department…January 14, 2004 E-890 and R-880 crews assisted in the birth of a healthy baby boy at the Airport Terminal. Congratulations to Dan Weber, Dave Armstrong, Dan Weaver, John Hagstrom and “The Catcher” Rob Otto!!

Congratulations, also, to Lt. Bob Kelso on his recent retirement. Bob wore many hats during his career. He was one of the first members of the water rescue team, traveling to the Snake River Canyon for specialty training. He was a seasoned officer at a time that saw much change in our department; from moving to a new station, to seeing firefighters with less than 10 years seniority become the majority. Good Luck Bob on your boating business, if anyone is in need of a boater safety class; Bob is the man for the job.

Ken Cook celebrated his final day with the Port on Friday, February 20. His retirement from the Port is to be followed by a new career as a Project Manager at Falcon Field Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. Best Wishes to Ken as he and his family move to warmer pastures.

No news at this time on a new Fire Chief. In the interim the four Captains will work with Port management to fulfill the job requirements of a chief officer.

Our contract can open as soon as April 5, it expires September 30. It has been another short contract period. Big issues for us will be healthcare and time off. Chuck Wivell, Jeff Holter, Dave Palmer, Jack and I will make up the negotiations team. A Huge Thank You in advance for the time and energy you guys will be putting into this process.

Now it’s time for a little Labor Education…

Weingarten Rights: Provides any member of the bargaining unit with the right to have union representation present during any conversation, discussion, or interrogation that could lead to disciplinary action for that member.
Unlike Miranda rights, though, your supervisor is not required to tell you about your right to have union representation. It is YOUR responsibility to ask questions and follow these steps:
1) Is discipline or the possibility of discipline is involved? If the answer is: YES or MAYBE, request Union representation immediately.
2) Review the incident with the Union Rep. prior to answering any questions. Answer any questions only after having been ordered to do so.
3) Answer all questions truthfully. Never volunteer information. Answer to the point and do not speculate.
4) Do not take a drug test unless ordered to do so. Request Union representation prior to testing.
5) Never take a polygraph.

Some additional information about Weingarten Rights:
· You must make clear the request for union representation before or during the interview. You cannot be punished for making this request.
· Your supervisor must either grant the request and delay questioning until the union person arrives; deny the request, but end the interview at once; or give you the choice of going ahead without union representation or ending the interview immediately.
· Any supervisor who denies your request for representation and continues to ask questions is committing an unfair labor practice. You can legally refuse to answer questions in such circumstances.

Most of us firefighters are not too shy. We have opinions and ideas and we don’t hesitate to express them. We like to talk, I know I do. But, this is not the time to be opinionated, talkative, or defensive. This is the time to be honest and respectful, both with your supervisor and your union representative.
It is your responsibility to know and understand your rights. If you have questions about Weingarten Rights, or any other rights we have as members of a labor organization, please don’t hesitate to ask your steward, district representative or primary union officer. Unfortunately, it is not possible to be spoon fed all the information we need to know, so please, when given an opportunity to learn, take it and be sure to share whatever knowledge you gain with your brothers and sisters.

Respectfully Yours,
Tracy Brill

Article from 6/23/03:

Congratulations to Bill Gula, Jim Monlux and Bruce Grant on their retirement.

Capt. Bill Gula served 32+ years with this department preceded by military service in the USAF. Capt. Gula was in the first class of paramedics offered by OHSU. He has since overseen the EMS and Water Rescue programs for a number of years and has been essential in the recent purchase of our new Rescue Boat. He spent many years in charge of the purchase and maintenance of fire department vehicles and apparatus.
Most importantly Capt. Gula has been The Call Shift Guru, scheduling all overtime needs from vacation to extended military leaves. Capt. Gula’s craftsmanship at maintaining a fair schedule and meeting the needs of our membership, even at the last minute, cannot receive enough praise. He has kept a calm demeanor while every year we complained about “too much overtime in the summer and too little in the winter”.
Bill and Toni, when she retires, will be spending time on the links. I eventually expect to hear that they have become snow birds.

Assistant Fire Marshall Jim Monlux served 30+ years with this department preceded by military service in the USAF. Jim was in the first group of firefighters to be trained in Water Rescue in 1987. He has served in the inspection division for the last eight years. His move to 40 hour inspections was a first for our department; he developed and implemented an Enhanced Inspection Program that links with the Fire Bureau through an intergovernmental agreement.
Jim served as the Port representative for this local for many years, negotiating several contracts and winning an arbitration award for our PERS benefits in 1996. The wealth of our labor history that Jim takes with him will be sorely missed.
Jim and Sue will enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Here’s to a great time at your annual vacation in Southern Oregon, but don’t eat those Diamond Lake trout.

Water Rescue Coordinator, “Admiral” Bruce Grant, served 23+ years with this department preceded by military service in the USAF that included deployment to SE Asia during the Vietnam era. Bruce has been the “man-in-charge” on all issues relating to our Water Rescue Program. He has been with the program since it’s inception in 1987.
Bruce is irreplaceable in our vehicle maintenance. His diagnosis and troubleshooting skills are impressive, saving both time and money. These skills are well earned as he spends his time off wrenching on his collection of Internationals and Studebakers (get a Rambler Bruce!).
Bruce and Valeda look forward to settling down in Eastern Oregon (if you know of any good property in John Day tell Bruce). It is hoped their new home will have enough spare rooms for the many visitors I’m certain they will receive.

To each of you: Happy Retirement!!! You will be missed. All the stories about you, true and untrue, will now be legend and thus fair game for misrepresentation and embellishment! So come back once in while to defend yourselves and get a free cup of coffee.

Late Breaking News:

Congratulations, also, to Ken Cook, Fire Department Manager, on his forthcoming retirement. Mr. Cook’s leadership in our department will be missed. During his tenure we have developed a mission, strategic plans and core values. These have guided us in protecting our budget through an economic downturn while increasing our staffing, purchasing new apparatus and having direction for our future. I have always respected and appreciated his decision to not sit across the table from the Union during negotiations, thus preventing the adversarial relationship that results when chief officers oppose their crews.

Mr. Cook’s shoes will be difficult to fill. The Port has decided to take this process slowly, with Mr. Cook continuing to work in his current role into the spring of 2004.


Other, just as important, news:

Welcome back Dave Armstrong who was just released from active duty status; we're very glad to have you safe and sound on US turf. We look forward to your return to the department this month.

Congratulation to newly promoted Capt. Chris Bryant! Chris will be taking over C-shift. On that same vein…Yes, that is me you hear in the Lt. seat on E-890, A-shift. Kind of makes you nervous, doesn’t it?!

John Hull has left us for some fun and frivolity with the Fire Bureau. May you have a long, healthy career, John. Keep in touch. (Please think of us, snug in our beds, while you are responding to a nursing care facility on a SK-9 at three in the morning.)

With this spate of retirements we would like to welcome four new employees: Matt Joens, Jason Zollner, Greg Brown and Gary Flores. They are currently in academy, in North Bend, Wa., with shift work starting sometime the end of December.

As always, stay safe; don’t hesitate to come by for a tour and a visit.

Tracy Brill,
Port Rep.

Article from 3/23/03:

YEAH!! Our contract is settled, ratified, signed and sealed!!! Just in time… another airline, Hawaiian, filed chapter 11 this week. The final outcome of our negotiations brought us up from $54039 (top paid firefighter) to $57011. This is a 5.5% increase. Also, we look forward to a 3% cost of living, plus 0.5% catch-up increase in October.
The Assistant Fire Marshal position received a 2% increase. We were able to get a 3% premium for the coordinators of our water rescue program and our paramedic program.

Our contract included health benefit changes, some good and some not as good (that’s “spin doctor” language). We went from 100% coverage plan to 90% coverage. What makes this a less bitter pill is the improved coverage (i.e. we now have well-baby care, annual physicals, better pharmacy, etc.), the availability of flexible spending account, Port paid long-term disability, and post- retirement health benefits for eligible members. Another improvement is out of pocket cost. We pay 8% of the monthly premium. Previously, with the high cost of our plan, we each paid $89.90/ month. Now our 8% premium will be based on our status with family and dependants, with rates ranging from $23.46 - $71.77/month.

Article from 1/17/03:

While out collecting ballots for the vice presidential election in December, I had the opportunity to speak with many brothers and sisters in Portland Fire and Emergency Services. This was a great opportunity to answer questions and quell rumors about the Port. Some of the questions and rumors were unique; others were repeated at multiple stations.

Some unique questions:

· Are we members of the IAFF? Yes, we are members of Local 43, though we are a separate bargaining unit.
· Do we work the same schedule? Yes, as a matter of fact I am an A-shifter. Most of the metropolitan area fire departments use the same shift schedule.

Repetitive rumors and questions:

Lots of questions about the boat… Rescue Boat-860 (RB-860) is located at 42nd and Marine Drive, responding from the fire station it takes about 5 minutes to get underway. We check the boat once a day, maintenance problems sometimes require multiple checks, usually we place R-880 out-of service during boat check. RB-860 is designed to rapidly access aircraft disasters that occur on the water. It has the ability to deploy flotation devices and locate victims. RB-860 responds on many types of water rescue emergencies, including access to Government Island, EMS calls on board watercraft, jumpers off the I-5 and I-205 and automobiles that detour into the Columbia. The only suppression capability is a float pump with 1 ¼” line. We are set up for surface rescues only; below surface rescues require divers from Portland or Sheriffs department.

Some people think we are still out in the middle of the airfield…actually, for the past 5 ½ years we have been located at 52nd and Marine Drive. Our station is now accessible to all visitors. So come by, catch a ride on a Crash Truck and see our weight room, the rumors are correct, it is bigger than most day rooms, plus it has a great view of Mt. Hood.

Most rumors involve our pay rate. Many people think the Port firefighters are “the top paid”. In the 1980’s that was true, we often led the state in pay. That has not been the case for over a decade. Currently we work a 56 hour week, our base salary for a top paid firefighter is $54039. That puts us over 11% behind Portland’s salary. Our Lieutenants, Captains and Fire Inspectors premiums are at a much lower rate than Portland.

While our pay rate is unfortunate for us, we are very pleased about the Unions success in negotiating a contract above cost of living for Portland. A very difficult thing to do with the economy, local unemployment rates, impending cuts from Measure 28, PERS (yes, we are PERS) and skyrocketing health care. We are currently negotiating our contract and each negotiation session we are reminded, in a very patronizing manner, of these issues. We are optimistic that gains will be made to bring us closer to the average salary of local fire departments. Every gain made by the Union for Portland gives greater strength to negotiations for other bargaining units including ours.

After September 11th we have incurred many new security restrictions at PDX. We respond less often to the front of the main terminal if we think we might have to go through security. We are not allowed to bypass a security checkpoint regardless of the emergency, thus we usually access secure areas of the terminal from the aircraft ramp. This has affected the response of Portland units. South and North staging, predesignated staging areas, are used much more often. (If you might end up at PDX on a call you should know where these are, as it is your only way onto the airfield.) Portland units that had been issued security badges and gate openers in vehicles have had this access eliminated.

Our department’s strategic plan had projected for an increase in our shift staffing from 9 to 10 firefighters per shift. Though a great tragedy, September 11th strengthened our justification for this increased staffing and starting in the spring of 2002 we reached that goal. Because of the schooling and the military obligations of our members we have not been at 10 per shift 100% of the time. We are getting close and we are very happy to staff E-890 with 4 personnel most of the time, when E-890 does not have 4 personnel we respond R-880 with E-890 to keep staffing at 5 personnel (3on E-890/ 2 on R-880). This also allows us to increase our staffing on crash trucks and respond an extra person on RB-860.

The economic stability of the airline industry has a great impact on us. If you look at your property tax statement you will see Port of Portland receiving a very small portion of your tax dollars. This money does not support us here at PDX. We are funded 100% by landing fees paid by the airlines. Which is the only benefit we get from airlines…no free flights, no free peanuts and only an occasional free drink.

On a more personal level we have hired five new employees this year. I would like to welcome Mike Spina, Preston Scott, Bob Cross (newly married to Tirzah), Rob Bigelow (yes that really is Bigelow) and Jerry Ray. Dave Armstrong, gone on military deployment and his wife Debbie are often in our thoughts we look forward to his return. Karyn Leas has gone off to paramedic school at OHSU/OIT, best of luck Karyn. Congratulations to Ted Secor and his wife Nina on their son, Ethan. Also, congratulations to Preston and his wife Lisa on their son, Aiden. Many happy returns to Dan and his new wife Teresae Weber. Mike Rider has left us for greener pastures at station 2, we miss him, but wish him the best (note: make sure there is a sturdy plunger at his assigned station!).

I hope I have provided some useful answers and information. It is always a pleasure to visit.

Tracy Brill, Port Rep.

Article from 1999:

What’s new at the Port…

In February I had the opportunity to attend the “Recruit Expo” in LA city, which ran concurrently with the Women in Fire Service conference. This was an opportunity for firefighter prospects to meet with representatives from 30+ fire departments and discuss qualifications, testing processes, programs and benefits. Several hundred attendees asked every possible question about our department (most commonly they asked about the local weather). It was exciting to see so many potential recruits who are out there going to school, volunteering and preparing themselves for this career.
This, as well as on-line advertisement, was part of the process to establish a new eligibility list. We succeeded in drawing prospective firefighters from all over the nation as well as Canada. We expect to hire three new personnel right away.

We would like to welcome firefighters Jeff Holter (along with his new son Evan), Mike Rider and Dave Palmer.
Congratulations to Capt. Al Alcalde, Capt. Al Lashbrook, Lt. Doug Banry and Lt. Juanita Morris on their recent promotions
Several retirements, Capt. Tom Shaw, Capt. Doug Cassidy and F/F Jerry Towns. After 15 years with the fire department F/F Anne Schiedel moved onward and upward joining Airfield Operations.

T. Brill

For more detailed information about the contract, visit the Portland Area Firefighters Local 43 Union web site.