Rawlin workers set to strike
Workers at The Rawlin memory care facility are set to strike Tuesday at 10 AM, as management still refuses to recognize the workers’ union. Workers are now reporting that 23 residents have died at the facility over the last 9 weeks, with only 6 being from COVID. Understaffing and lack of training remain the biggest issues, according to the union. In a video they released last week Kelsey Darling, a Rawlin worker, describes only getting one full day of training instead of the three that management promised.
The strike is set to kick off at 10 AM on Tuesday, then 5 AM – 6 PM Wednesday through Friday. More details can be found the The Rawlin Workers’ Union Facebook page.
NW Natural contract likely to lapse
NW Natural and the City of Eugene have hit an impasse in a new franchise agreement. With the current franchise agreement, which governs the utility’s usage of to the public right of way, set to expire in May, the City has to post a new agreement on its website by Friday for public comment if it wants to pass it. All officials agreed this was an unrealistic outcome.
At issue is NW Natural’s willingness to have the agreement hinge on a carbon reduction plan. NW Natural says that the Carbon Reduction Agreement “is a separate voluntary and collaborative agreement” while the City says a new franchise agreement has always been “conditioned on NW Natural also agreeing to carbon related terms”. Discussion on a new franchise agreement have been going on since 2018, with various measures for climate protections always carried throughout
Climate advocates a part of Fossil Free Eugene hailed the actions and words from the Councilors at the Monday meeting as a victory as locking into a ten year contract with the gas utility would not be advantageous. ” Last night a majority of our City Council showed us, the youth of Eugene, that they’re not fooled and are ready to take bold action to transition to renewable energy and protect our future,” Dylan Plummer of Cascadia Wild commented.
Local links
SEIU 503 Higher Ed bargaining team, which includes representation of University of Oregon classified workers, agreed to a short term extension of their contract. This means they will start bargaining in September, instead of this spring.
Community members have put together a petition ban Eugene Police Department training with the Forensic Science Institute. American Science Journal of Psychology called the work of the groups executive director, William J. Lewinski, “pseudoscience”.
The week ahead
Tuesday, 9 AM — Lane County Commissioners regular meeting
On the agenda: approving a law enforcement district in Mohawk Valley
Tuesday, 10 AM — Rawlin workers’ strike kickoff
Tuesday, 6 PM — City of Springfield City council work session
Interviewing Ward 1 councilor candidates
Wednesday, 6 PM — City of Eugene Ad hoc committee on police policy meeting
Thursday, 3 PM — CLDC New state bills threaten our right to dissent