Community Will Rally in Support of Striking Oak Harbor Workers

The Rally in support of striking Oak Harbor Freight Lines Teamsters and retirees takes place at Oak Harbor Freight Lines terminal, 9026 N.E. 13th Avenue in Portland, Oregon at 4:00 PM this afternoon.

File photo of striking Teamsters Courtesy: uswa329.org

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Supporters of striking Teamsters at Oak Harbor Freight Lines will hold a rally today, Thursday, December 4th, on the strike line at the Oak Harbor Freight terminal in Portland.

About 600 Teamsters in Oregon, Washington and Idaho have been on strike against the company for 11 weeks, according to David White of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "Now Oak Harbor has taken the outrageous step of cutting off health care to its retirees," he said.

Faced with tripled health care costs, retired Oak Harbor workers are facing what White describes as "terrible financial hardships."

Current striking Oak Harbor employees will join at the rally with retirees and community supporters to show solidarity. The union has been negotiating with Oak Harbor since August 2007, White said.

A number of labor leaders will join the striking and retired Oak Harbor workers who say they are fighting to restore health care coverage for retirees. They include Mike Schoen, Recording Secretary of Local 81 in Portland, Rick Hicks, President of Local 174 in Tukwila, Washington, Lynn Lehrbach, Business Agent with Joint Council 37 in Portland, Father Bob Krueger, Workers Rights Board of Portland and Rudy Martinez, Vice President of Carpenters Local 2154 in Portland.

The Rally in support of striking Oak Harbor Freight Lines Teamsters and retirees takes place at Oak Harbor Freight Lines terminal, 9026 N.E. 13th Avenue in Portland, Oregon at 4:00 PM this afternoon.

Source: Teamsters