The David L. Carrasco Job Corps Center director Mary Young is facing a complaint over how a recent union election took place. The complaint appears to be just one element of a growing situation at the Job Corps.

Victor Aguirre, the busy business agent for Local 351 of the International Union of Operating Engineers (the union just went on strike at El Paso Disposal), said he is expecting a ruling on the complaint from the National Labor Relations Board "pretty soon."

He said the final vote in the Nov. 9 election was 80-54. Among his complaints are:

-- Some employees were promised wage increases; others were intimidated by the "intent to have the HR Manager as the Co. Observer during the election."

-- That Young used a public address system to say that 70 employees already were counted as "no" votes, and encouraged others to vote "no"; and discouraged employees from supporting the union by "prosecuting the organizing committee in public thus attempting to set an example."

Aguirre also said that some employees who were off the day of the election were paid overtime to vote.

Young said that the Job Corps attorneys would respond to the charges, "but they're unfounded." She declined to speak specifically to the issues raised by Aguirre.

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The union is an interesting deal. While El Paso has a rich history of unions -- for example, the battles over unionizing Asarco -- with the decline of the manufacturing industry, particularly the garment factories, unions have not been the force they once were.

The IUOE in El Paso represents Western Refining, some Fort Bliss workers, El Paso Disposal, Beacon Transportation and other companies, with a total of 800 members in El Paso, Aguirre said. The IUOE also represents some service workers at the El Paso Airport Hilton, according to the group's listing of contracts; service workers are a growing sector of union activity, with the Culinary Union of Las Vegas setting an example and the Service Employees International Union organizing in Texas and in El Paso.

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Heard at the Stars for Kids fund raiser Saturday night (Nov. 17, 2007): El Paso County Commissioner Dan Haggerty calling fellow Commissioner Veronica Escobar's painting of the Franklin Mountains a "pile of bleep." But then he bought it, saying that at least his pile of bleep has a star on it.

Selling for below market rate: Paintings by commissioners Luis Sarinana and Miguel Teran, County Judge Anthony Cobos, and Judge Alfredo Chavez.

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Speaking of judges, running against Judge Patricia Macias is lawyer Lyda Ness Garcia.

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Seen: Rachel Quintana celebrating a short City Council meeting Tuesday at Crawdaddies on Cincinnati Street. Word has it she was going to join the Shapleigh crew at Ardovino's later on.

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From our good friend Joe Oliva of the Pearson Group, which meets to discuss politics on Saturday mornings (names bolded by NPT for emphasis): "The Ray Pearson Forum will resume on December 1st with a visit from Javier Chacon from elections headquarters. As you know from reading today's paper our good friend Helen Jamison, the county elections administrator, retired. Our sources tell us that Javier, will in all likelihood, become the new administrator, so start getting you questions ready for Javier."

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Help us keep you informed. Keep the tips flowing by contacting Owen at owen@epmediagroup.com, or send them to npt@epmediagroup.com and we'll pass them along.

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Previous Inner Loops

-- 11.16.07: HACEP commissioners missed being in the news, so we're getting the ball rolling for them. Plus other tidbits. The Inner Loop, digging for fish bait since 2007.

-- 11.11.07:Margo against Haggerty -- book it. A fund-raiser, and a dropout in the Sheriffs race? The Inner Loop, short and sweet, because you're not going very far today.

-- 11.2.07: Guess who's coming to dinner? Read items about Giuliani, Teran, Castro, Strelzin, Asarco and the Children's Hospital election. The Inner Loop, where we dress appropriately for every occasion.

-- 10.26.07: Dannenbaum, Madla, and Shapleigh. Quintana and Karlsruher. Olivo and Smith. Ruiz, Marquez and Moreno. Teran and friends. Wilson, Castro, Ortega and O'Rourke. And two Texas Senators. The Inner Loop, bringing people together since 2007.

-- 10.15.07: El Paso GOP: Elephant or mouse? Meanwhile, Democrats are busy raising money, and we know where that comes from. Plus, Asarco, EPISD and Montoya, HACEP, the Children's Hospital and Castro's fund-raiser. This week's Inner Loop, delayed and stopping just short of completion.

-- 10.5.07: Money, and lots of it. Noriega, Watts, Cornyn, Shapleigh, Pickett, Hahn, Brown, Kennedy, Huerta and a cast of about 1,000 members of the El Paso "hot core" of political animals and political prey. And who was at Rick Perry's fund-raiser? The Inner Loop keeps circling.

-- 9.28.07: Regional Congressional politics, but where's the big guy? Meanwhile, we see and hear Kennedy, O'Rourke, Elizondo, HACEP, a handful of judges, and a crowded house in the sheriff's race, with a new entry ready to announce. The Inner Loop, where the rubber hits the road to the best of all possible El Pasos.

-- 9.21.07: This week, we take you inside the tinfoil hat, featuring a cast of thousands: Lee Trevino, The Strelz, Asarco and Quintana, a Shapleigh sitdown, Reyes, Leon, Wiles, fundraisers and more. The Inner Loop avoids traffic by circling around the urban gridlock of El Paso politics.

-- 9.14.07: Getting loopy this week with Richardson, Esparza, Shapleigh, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Tenet, Parra, Aguilar and Moreno, just to name a few. Is there a voter rollback in Ysleta? How about candidates for district courts? Read on for questions, answers and mass confusion.

-- 9.7.07: Theresa Caballero and Jaime Esparza, plus other campaign contributions. Margo and Haggerty, Tilghman and Reyes, Rosenbaum and Quintana, Samaniego, Cobos, Perez, Friends of the El Paso School District, Hunt, Hicks and Pickett, Marquez and Moreno, and so on. To paraphrase a comic genius, El Paso, we have met the enemy, and they is us.

-- 8.24.07: Pushing the polls has begun, the city is facing "one tough lawyer" (but not that one) in the Elizondo case, a city appointment dilemma (hint: Holguin wins on one, but will the mayor get his Jobe?), and Shapleigh, Chavez, the Republicans and more. By the way, where'd Ann Lilly get off to?

-- 8.17.07: It's election season, and here are a few dates to keep. Also, some fund-raiser updates, a TIRZ tidbit, some FBI fallout, a lawsuit over construction at the UTEP Garden Inn, Glass Beach and more.

-- 8.10.07: Moreno’s challengers emerging, and a few other answers about candidates for Chavez’s judge seat and Teran’s county seat. Also, an intriguing City Council board appointment, a high-level Hunt resignation, a major Margo move, and more morsels for you political junkies.

-- 8.3.07: Notes and quotes about Reyes, Perez, Teran, Moreno, Lozano and more. Plus tidbits about CF Jordan, the Children’s Hospital, and finance reports. A new NPT feature.