Beck retains Trentwood union post

Hannelore Sudermann - Staff writer


Spokane _ Officer elections at the United Steelworkers' Trentwood local brought one change in union leadership.

Trentwood's local president, Wes Beck, defeated three other candidates with a majority vote in winning re-election to a three-year term. The local represents about 1,100 of Kaiser's 2,900 hourly workers who have been off their jobs at five plants since they went on strike Sept. 30, 1998. The strike became a lockout on Jan. 14, 1999, when the company rejected the union's offer to return to work under old rules until a new contract could be negotiated.

Incumbent Vice President Mike McIntyre was defeated by Dave Carlson, a Kaiser veteran of more than 20 years.

"This relieves me of a lot of work," McIntyre said. "But I'm not really giving up anything. I will stick with the union through this labor dispute."

While Beck has traveled the country to attend negotiations with company officials and national Steelworker leaders, McIntyre has stayed in Spokane to help manage union business.

A 22-year Kaiser worker, McIntyre has served as vice president the past three years. Carlson was previously the grievance committee chairman.

The union is still counting absentee ballots for other offices, including financial secretary and trustee. Those results should be available by Saturday, said Dan Sampson, Trentwood local spokesman.

More than 900 members of the Mead Steelworkers' local are eligible to vote in that local's elections this Thursday and Friday. While several offices are being contested, Dan Russell, the Mead local president, is running unopposed.

The Trentwood election brought a good number of candidates and voting members, McIntyre said, adding that it meant something that so many people wanted to be more involved. "Its great that we have other people in there that want to get involved in this fight."