Industrial Workers of the World, IU 670
c/o The Red & Black Café, 2138 SE Division, Portland, OR 97202 
503-231-3899
Statement to the Media
March 6, 2001
Contact: Jordana Sardo
503-255-5776
503-240-3279
Or
Bill Bradley
(Day) 503-231-3899
(Evening) 503-236-6948
For release: Immediately
“STOP UNION BUSTING!” WORKERS DEMAND OF JANUS YOUTH PROGRAMS
AND STOEL RIVES LAW FIRM
“You take one of us on, you take all of us on!” reverberated off the
high-rise building housing Stoel Rives law offices in downtown Portland last
week. International Union (IU) 670 of the Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW), the bargaining agent for workers at Harry’s Mother, a division of
Janus Youth Programs, held a demonstration to demand the immediate
reinstatement of Jordana Sardo and for the nonprofit agency and its law firm
to stop its anti-union attacks and bargain in good faith.
Stoel Rives was the site of the demonstration because it represents Janus
Youth Programs management at the bargaining table, and is a member of Janus’
Board of Directors. Bill Bradley, the IU 670 delegate, pointed out to the
crowd that despite a reputation as a public spirited law firm, Stoel Rives
is playing a union-busting role in the worker’s struggle for a living wage
contract. Employees of the law firm, as well as the public, took leaflets
that read, “WANTED for union-busting and sabotaging a social service
program,” describing the violations of labor law committed by Janus under
the legal advisement of Stoel Rives. Jordana Sardo, an IU 670 leader and
member of the bargaining team, was illegally laid off by Janus Youth
Programs in the midst of contract negotiations, to which the IWW filed an
Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB).
“Jordana Sardo has been a loyal and highly competent employee at Harry’s
Mother for over nine years,” stated Tera Couchman. Couchman is a co-worker
and union member who was threatened with being laid off until public
pressure convinced Janus to rescind the elimination of her position. Sardo,
a longtime advocate for social services, was the administrative backbone of
Harry’s Mother. The crucial functions she performed for the Program
Director and clinical staff will likely fall on over-worked case managers,
whose purpose is to deliver counseling services to troubled youth and
families. ”We will not allow our union to be broken,” said Couchman, “We
will stand strong and we will win the reinstatement of Jordana
Sardo,…dedicated advocate for youth,” she declared.
Over 60 unionists, civil rights activists, feminists, youth, and concerned
citizens carried pickets signs demanding Sardo’s reinstatement and calling
on Janus and Stoel Rives to bargain in good faith. Students from local high
schools and universities, as well as other young people chanted, gathered
petition signatures, and leafleted. Among the organizations providing
solidarity with IU 670 were members of several Industrial Unions of the IWW,
two Teamsters locals, Carpenters, Municipal Employees, Radical Women, Jobs
with Justice, Freedom Socialist Party and the Urban Workers Union. Juan
Martínez, a worker who was fired from City Center Parking for his union
organizing, reminded the crowd that the bosses need the workers’ labor, that
without their employees, they would have nothing. Sardo pointed out that
over the past ten years, the productivity of Janus employees has risen at a
much higher rate than the costs of running the programs. “Show us the
money!” chanted the crowd.
Over the last year, IWW IU 670 has worked to increase community and
governmental support for Janus Youth Programs. They testified before local
government bodies for funding increases for Janus, and advocated for youth
programs in community meetings, informational leaflets and press releases.
The community support that has been built for the programs is threatened by
Janus’ aggressive anti-union actions. “Union busting has got to go,” said
Sardo. “Stoel Rives…also represents Oregon Steel, the corporation that the
Steelworkers have been battling for a decent contract. Janus may be a
tax-exempt social service organization, but it is not exempt from labor law
or public accountability.”
In January, after eight months of contract negotiations, Janus Youth
Programs announced that, due to budget cuts, they planned to lay-off
bargaining unit members Tera Couchman, Michele Markowitz and Jordana Sardo,
and eliminate the Student Alliance of Garden Entrepreneurs (S.A.G.E.)
program. When filing an Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the NLRB
failed to convince Janus to rescind the lay-offs, the Union began organizing
community support for their struggle.
A public campaign, involving phone calls, letters, petition signatures, a
public audit action, and the revelation that Janus possessed over 2 million
dollars in unrestricted assets pressured the social service agency to
rescind the lay-offs of Couchman and Markowitz, and to find funding for the
S.A.G.E. program. However, although Couchman and Markowitz were retained,
Sardo’s lay-off went into effect February 16. Janus claims that Sardo’s
dismissal is not an Unfair Labor Practice. Nevertheless, it is a clear
violation of labor law to dismiss a member of the contract negotiating team
during negotiations because it interferes with the Union’s legally
recognized right to collective bargaining.
In addition to the work convincing Janus to adhere to labor law, IU 670
leaders learned that threatened county budget cuts could eliminate the
shelter and counseling services provided by Harry’s Mother. Union
organizers expressed surprise that Janus would choose to fight the union
instead of fighting the cuts. Said Sardo, “Closing the doors of Harry’s
Mother will be catastrophic for the clients the program serves, who are
homeless and at-risk youth with dwindling resources to address their needs
and crises.”
“It doesn’t make sense for a non-profit social service agency to prioritize
breaking this union and letting this important program go belly-up,”
commented Brian Barnett, a union supporter.
The IWW will continue to assert its demands for the immediate restoration of
Jordana Sardo’s position, good faith bargaining, and a living wage contract
for the employees of Harry’s Mother. In addition, the Union will attempt to
convince county officials to preserve funding for Harry’s Mother, the only
unionized program under the Janus Youth Programs umbrella. “With
solidarity, we can successfully organize the non-profit sector, the parking
lot sector and any other sector that needs organizing,” rallied Sardo.
“Together, with an anti-capitalist labor movement, we can build a socialist,
democratic, and humane world.”
Concerned members of the community are encouraged to contact Dennis Morrow,
Executive Director of Janus Youth Programs and Richard Gleason, Board member
representing Stoel Rives. Morrow can be reached by phone at 503-233-6090,
by fax at 503-233-6093 and by email at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gleason can be
reached by phone at 503-224-3380.
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