Labor Council’s COPE Banquet Honors Union Activists

The San Mateo County Central Labor Council honored retired Glaziers Local 718 Business Representative Doug Yamamoto, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and striking mechanics and service reps at Grace Honda in San Bruno at its annual COPE Banquet August 7. The COPE (Committee on Political Education) banquet is the Labor Council’s fundraiser for the political work. Funds raised at the banquet enable the Labor Council to produce campaign materials, pay for phone banking operations, and provide meals for volunteers.

Yamamoto was introduced by SMCLC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Shelley Kessler as a dedicated trade unionist, committed political activist, environmentalist, and role model for the next generation of union activists.

District Council 16 members from the Glaziers, Architectural Metal and Glass Workers, Painters and Tapers, and Carpet, Linoleum and Soft Tile unions joined Doug Yamamoto on stage.

Yamamoto has been an active member of the Glaziers, Architectural Metal and Glass Workers Local 718 for 33 years. He completed the four-year glaziers apprenticeship program in 1979 and worked as a journeyman and leadman glazier for 23 years. Yamamoto was elected Business Representative for District Council 16 and Financial Secretary for Local 718 in 1999. He served five years as Financial Secretary and 10 years as Business Representative until his retirement earlier this year. He has been a strong leader and advocate for Local 718 and District Council 16 members’ involvement in the political work and electoral campaigns. He has volunteered for many of the Get Out the Vote efforts of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, San Francisco Labor Council, and the Building Trades Councils of San Mateo County and San Francisco.

Yamamoto thanked his family and fellow trade unionists, reminding the audience that, “We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us—those who sacrificed, got their heads bloodied, went on strike. We’re carrying on and sharing our experience with the next generation.”

He thanked his fellow honorees at the UC Berkeley Labor Center for their work as well as the business reps who preceded him and taught him. He offered advice to younger union activists: “Have a set of principles and stick to them. Be true to yourself and you’ll have no regrets.” Not one to seek the spotlight, Doug said he wouldn’t be on stage receiving an award if not for his fellow union members with District Council 16, and invited the members in attendance to join him on stage.

The Center for Labor Research and Education (Labor Center) at the University of California, Berkeley, is a public service program that links academic resources with working people. Since 1964, the Labor Center has produced research, trainings, curricula and other materials that deepen our understanding of employment conditions and develop a diverse, new generation of labor leaders.

UC Berkeley Labor Center Director Ken Jacobs said the center is facing budget cuts from Gov. Schwarzenegger. He was joined on stage by staff members Nari Rhee, Karen Orlando and Katie Quan, as well as interns Sophia Rios and Saskia Ledezma.

The Labor Center carries out research and provides technical assistance to unions, policy makers and community organizations on a wide range of issues of importance to California’s working families. Current projects include: health care reform, climate change and green jobs, labor law reform, quality jobs and services in the human service industries, and improving the quality of jobs for black workers.
The Labor Center’s director Ken Jacobs reminded the audience that the Labor Center is still under attack, with its budget threatened again by governor Schwarzenegger.

Striking mechanics and service reps from the Machinists and teamsters unions at Grace Honda in San Bruno were honored at the Labor Council’s COPE Banquet. Photos by Paul Burton

Striking mechanics and service reps at Grace Honda in San Bruno were also honored at the San Mateo County Central Labor Council’s COPE Banquet for their perseverance and commitment over the course of their ten month long strike.Members of Machinists Local 1414 and Teamsters Local 665 have been on strike at Grace Honda since September 12, 2008. At issue for the strikers is the failure of Grace Honda owner Homa Yamin to bargain in good faith for a new contract. The owner has proposed cuts in wages and benefits and imposed work rules limiting the workers’ rights to talk to each other during work hours.

Comic relief was supplied by singer and songwriter and satirist Roy Zimmerman. He offered a little known fact: Sarah Palin was not John McCain’s first choice to be his running mate; she was only chosen after the mayor of Narnia turned down the job.

- Paul Burton