Building Union Power Starts at Home

The Washington and Alaska primaries are officially in the books, and all eyes across District Council 5 are now focused on the upcoming Nov. 3 general election. There is much at stake this year, including control of Congress, key legislative seats, and gubernatorial contests in Oregon and Idaho.

Beyond the high-profile state and national races, it can be easy to look past local candidates running for down-ballot positions like city council, school boards, and special districts such as fire protection or public transit. This is a mistake! These officials often make decisions that affect your day-to-day life more directly than whatever may be happening in Washington, D.C. or the statehouse.     

Getting active and involved in local government matters. I myself serve on the Island County Diking District here on Whidbey Island, managing flood control and drainage systems for our communities. You won’t hardly ever see us on the news, but our job is nonetheless critical to protect public safety, farmland, and other infrastructure.

Other members of DC 5 have also spoken out to share their experiences of service. Karl de Jong, a member of Local 1094, was appointed earlier this year to represent Ward 6 on the Sedro-Woolley City Council in Skagit County, Wash. His appointment marked his return to the council after serving from 2018-22. De Jong also serves as Vice President for District 2 of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and previously served as Chair of the King County Democrats.

De Jong said his commitment to community service can be traced to his family's experience, coming to America from the Netherlands after enduring the German occupation during World War II. This instilled in him a lasting belief in democracy, solidarity, and neighbors looking after one another.

"Helping your neighbors is simply the right thing to do,” de Jong said. 

Then there’s Mitchell Forhan, with Local 300, who was elected to the Tukwila (Wash.) School District Board of Directors. As the former Apprentice Coordinator for Local 300, Forhan said he wanted to help the district set policies and budgets to help all students find their passion, including career and technical education.

“There’s always more than one way of learning, and more than one path in life,” he said.

Karl de Jong (left) and Mitchell Forhan.

Both de Jong and Forhan said union members possess many of the skills that effective local government requires, including listening, problem solving, building coalitions, managing disagreements, and standing up for people whose voices might otherwise go unheard. 

"Start with the issue that moves you to help the people around you. Then recognize that you are part of something larger than yourself,” de Jong said. “When working people bring our union values into public service, we can build stronger communities and create better opportunities for the next generation.”

“The only thing that can get us to a better place," Forhan added, "is building community, building Union Power, and building anything we can to help the next generation."

Each of us has a voice and unique talents that we can bring to the table. I encourage everyone to use yours, and help us keep working toward a brighter future for working families.

Signs of Success

As the Business Representative for Local 1094, one of the most important parts of my job is keeping members informed about what’s happening across Washington and Oregon. Sometimes that’s sharing the latest union news and opportunities for you to get involved. That’s a big reason why IUPAT DC5 started this newsletter, and I hope you have found it useful.

Just as important, I enjoy shining a spotlight on those contractors and workers who are setting a high bar in our trades. Their success stories show what’s possible when skill, professionalism, and union values come together.

In this edition, I’m pleased to introduce Scott Wilder, owner of Spokane Campaign Marketing and Consulting LLC. Scott has an incredible story. As a single dad, he worked multiple jobs before launching his own business providing local candidates with everything they need to run a successful campaign — from printing T-shirts, yard signs, and canopies to sound equipment and bubble machines for events.

“There’s a lot that goes into these campaigns,” he said. “We do a little bit of everything.”

Scott Wilder, owner of Spokane Campaign Marketing and Consulting LLC, runs audio at a campaign event.

In an election year, you can imagine how Scott’s been keeping busy. His garage is filled with materials for the 13 campaigns he’s working on now, which are focused mostly within the City of Spokane and Spokane County.

Did I mention that Scott and his two teen daughters also run a second business, Trusted Detailing, specializing in luxury RVs and coaches?

That work ethic stems from the family’s background. They came to Spokane from Wyoming, where Scott had been a mine worker to make ends meet. In Spokane, he joined an auto detailing shop that would eventually become Trusted Detailing under his ownership.

“I’m thankful that nobody was there to help us, because it made us strong,” he said. “If your heart is in the right place, the public will see that, and they will support you.”

The story of how Spokane Campaign Marketing and Consulting (CMC) got started begins six years ago during the pandemic. Scott said he was approached by a friend, Gloria Ochoa-Bruck, who was then running for Municipal Court Judge. She wanted to put a sign in his yard, however Scott quickly saw room for improvement.

“I said, ‘Gloria, these signs really don’t look nice,’” he recalled. “’Look at how dull and plain these are. They’re not visible from the road.’”

Scott offered to create a new design for Gloria, something that would pop and be immediately recognizable for drivers passing at 30 mph. And wouldn’t you know it, Gloria wound up winning that race, unseating the incumbent judge. She remains on the bench, and the two still work together to this day.

Scott has a knack for picking winners. Out of 60 campaigns, he says he’s had only two losses. Scott does more for each candidate than just print their materials; he gets deeply invested in their campaigns. He treats them as if he was the one running for office, because he says he often sees himself in them.

“A lot of these (folks) are family people. They have kids. They have bills,” he said. “We take all of these races very personally.”

As far as union solidarity, Scott has been a dedicated partner in helping Local 1094 raise our profile around eastern Washington. Recently, Local 1094 was proud to sponsor “Unity in the Community” at Spokane’s Riverfront Park, alongside Scott and Spokane CMC. Outreach like this strengthens our union and our communities.

“I support the union and working families,” he said. “With my situation being a single dad, I think we should support all of our working families, even your little mom and pop places.”

That’s the kind of commitment to working families we’re proud to support, and why we’re grateful to have partners like Scott in our corner.

Meet Bryan James, Your New Business Rep

Greetings, everyone!

For those of you I haven’t met yet, my name is Bryan James, and I’m honored to serve as your new Business Representative for Local 427. I officially stepped into this role following Rick Parthree’s retirement, and over the past several weeks I’ve been spending as much time as I can getting out to jobsites, introducing myself to members, and learning how I can best serve our local.

Rick left some big shoes to fill. He worked tirelessly to build strong relationships and move Local 427 forward, and I’m grateful for everything he accomplished. My goal is to build on that foundation and continue strengthening our union for every member across Eastern Washington.

A little about me: I was born on a military base in California while my father was serving in the Air Force. After traveling around the country, my family eventually settled in Spokane, where I met my wife. Her family owned a drywall company, and that’s how I got my start in the trades. I’ve spent more than 20 years as a plasterer and drywall finisher before joining the union nearly five years ago.

Like many members, I came to the union because of the benefits, retirement, and security it provides for working families. It didn’t take long for me to realize the union is about much more than that. The more involved I became, the more I saw how much happens behind the scenes to advocate for our members, organize new work, and create opportunities for the next generation of tradespeople.

One of my biggest priorities is getting more members involved. Our monthly meetings are where your voice is heard and where decisions are made that affect all of us. Every time another member participates, our local becomes stronger. When we stand together instead of speaking as individuals, we have a much greater ability to improve wages, working conditions, and opportunities for everyone.

Local 427 covers nearly 70,000 square miles, so there’s plenty of windshield time. It’s not unusual for me to put 2,000 miles on the truck in a month visiting contractors and jobsites across the region. I’ve already met members who told me they’d never met a business representative before and changing that is important to me.

Many of you near Spokane have probably already heard from me as I’ve been checking on members affected by the recent wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings. If you or someone you know has been impacted, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We want to make sure everyone is aware of the available assistance and resources.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me enjoying the outdoors. I spend as much time as I can hunting, fishing, camping, and shooting archery. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to compete at the National Field Archery Association’s Marked 3D National Championship in Redding, Calif. — an amazing experience.

Bryan James competes at the Marked 3D National Championship in Redding, Calif.

I look forward to meeting more of you in the months ahead. Whether it’s on a jobsite, at a union meeting, or over the phone, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself or reach out with questions. Thank you for everything you do for our union and our communities.

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Together, we build stronger communities, protect workers' rights, and create opportunities for success. Stay united, stay strong with IUPAT District Council 5!