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Photo by Bob Pennell Walt Conner, an electrical union representative, says the Southern Oregon Labor Temple is thriving after moving and changing its name. He says union officials hope to restore this old sign and place it on their new building. The sign bears only the letters AFL -- indicating it dates from before 1955, when the American Federation of Labor merged with the the Congress of Industrial Organizations to become the AFL-CIO. Hanging together works for unions Labor temple is one of three left in state By JIM DAVIS At one time, labor temples served as gathering halls, offices and places to find a job for unions and their members across the country. Over the years, however, the temples disappeared in community after community -- except in Jackson County. "We're one of the few labor temples left around," said Daniel Roberts, a Laborers Union representative in Jackson County. "Most of the unions have gone their own ways -- most have their own buildings." The Southern Oregon Labor Temple -- previously the Medford Labor Temple -- is one of only three left in the state. For a variety of reasons, it has thrived, and recently moved from Medford to a new building in Central Point. And the concept of a "temple" -- a single building for several labor organizations -- is good for unions in Jackson County, said Walt Conner, a representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and secretary of the temple. "We all had the same thought that unions need to stick together," Conner said. "We need to be in the same house." The Medford Labor Association started the Medford Labor Temple when it bought its building at 26 Grape St. in 1947. Unions bought into the temple by buying stock in the association. Over the years, the temple became a meeting place for unions and management, attracted politicians such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and served as the launching pad for rallies on issues ranging from employment to raising the minimum wage. Recently, the Medford Labor Temple was the headquarters for six local unions -- including the Teamsters. But the building -- and the area -- developed problems. Designed as apartments, the building didn't function well as offices, Conner said. After decades of use, the building had problems, including asbestos, and an old fuel tank under a conference room had to be rendered safe. And parking -- a problem throughout downtown -- became more of a headache, said Dan Ratty, a business representative for the Teamsters. "We couldn't have a morning or afternoon meeting," Ratty said. "All of our meetings had to be after 5 p.m., because of the parking." When the Grants Pass Labor Temple closed about five years ago, the Medford temple promised union leaders in that city to serve their needs by finding a central location, Conner said. Last year, the temple built a cinderblock building next to the new Oregon State Police headquarters in Central Point and moved there in November. The cost of the new building and land was $848,000, Conner said. Ratty said a single building made economic sense. For example, a single union in Portland -- where a couple of thousand members work within a few miles of each other -- can build its own offices. His union has a couple of thousand members -- but they're spread out across much of Southern Oregon. Also, Ratty said, unions have regionalized, and Medford and Jackson County have become a hub. For the Teamsters, the office in Central Point has become headquarters for much of Southern Oregon -- including Klamath and Deschutes counties. For the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Labor Temple is the headquarters for about 2,000 members from all of Southern Oregon, the Eugene-Springfield area, much of Eastern Oregon and three counties in Northern California. Roberts said that all unions are looking for the same things: family-wage jobs, medical and retirement benefits. By staying together under one roof, the unions in Jackson County can stay in constant contact with each other. "If we spread out, we lose contact with each other," Roberts said. "We need to keep those ties; we need to keep in contact." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA