Q: Who negotiates the contract?
A: The PMCA Negotiating Committee and Local 290′s Negotiating Committee meet over a 1-2 month period prior to contract expiration to put forth a joint proposal for the members for a general vote.
Q: Who does the PMCA represent?
A: The PMCA represents over 139 contractors that work in UA 290′s jurisdiction and are signatory to the local collective bargaining agreement.
These companies work on highly complex and diverse mechanical projects such as large scale refrigeration and cooling systems, gas pipelines, medical gas systems in hospitals, and computer chip manufacturing facilities.
On average, PMCA companies employ over 2,000 tradespeople to perform service, new construction, and maintenance work and are on the leading edge of green building systems to improve a facility’s plumbing, process, heating, and cooling systems.
Q: Where can I get a copy of the current contract?
A: It is available through the UA 290 training centers and published on the PMCA’s website.
Q: What is the format for voting?
A: It is a written ballot and a person must be present at a special Union Meeting in Portland to vote.
Q: How many people were eligible to vote in the last negotiations?
A: 3,500
Q: How many people voted in the 2009 election?
A: Just over 1000.
This equates to a voter turnout of less than 30%
Q: What is the jurisdiction of UA Local 290?
A: The jurisdiction includes portions of SW Washington, Northern California, all of Western Oregon and a portion of Eastern Oregon.
Dispatch points for existing for travel zones and training centers are also noted.
Q: This seems like a large geography for a person to vote in person in Portland on a weekend with less than 1 weeks notice?
A: It is over 411 miles each way for some members to travel to vote in an election. This format is not democratic and skews voting results.
