Subsidiary of Precision Castparts eyed by union

PORTLAND — A federal agency ruled in favor of a union seeking to organize welders at a Precision Castparts subsidiary this week.

That could make way for a vote later this month to decide whether PCC Structurals workers join the union, but the Portland company said it plans to appeal the ruling.

Union leaders say that organizing the welders could be a first step toward unionizing a larger group of Precision Castparts employees, a landmark step at one of Oregon’s largest businesses.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers wants 100 Precision Castparts welders in the Portland area to vote on whether to join the union. That follows a 2013 push to organize 2,300 local workers, which lost when 57 percent of the prospective union members voted against it.

The Portland company opposes the action, arguing that unionization by a small group of employees would improperly affect the entire workforce. It said all workers should have a voice in any unionization vote. Earlier this week, the National Labor Relations Board ruled the vote can go ahead.