Overtime Joe brings Oregon national ridicule

Ongoing saga of greed, deception captivates audiences
The Oregonian spikes a story that reflects poorly on state's labor leaders

Embarrassment continues to be heaped on Oregon's most powerful government union. And now its president is being subject to a first-in-the-nation recall petition.

from Willamette Week: An update to the June 27 Rogue of the Week: After nearly a month of online raging about SEIU Local 503 boss Joe DiNicola seeking overtime compensation, a petition calling for DiNicola's resignation has begun circulating on the web. Signature collector Rosalie Pedrazo wouldn't comment on how many signatures have been gathered.

The debate surrounds DiNicola's efforts to collect about $110,000 in back pay, something his critics say he is not entitled to. "Imagine his [DiNicola's] surprise," writes Robert Gourley in comment 117 on the original Rogue that appeared in WW, "when members collect enough signatures to call for a Mulligan." DiNicola and a spokesperson for LERC - the U. of O.'s tax-subsidized Labor Education and Research Center - did not return calls seeking comment.

Meanwhile, the Virginia Public Service Workers Union, UE Local 160 picked up the WW Rogue story and posted it on the web. Their slogan is "The Members Run This Union", and they titled their reprint: "One reason UE is different than SEIU".

• "More on Overtime Joe" from statesmanjournal.com
• petition information sheet: http://gtff.net/rats/final_facts_7-18-07.doc
• petition: http://gtff.net/rats/7-18_petition.doc