Feed Editor Lite 20 Mar 2009 16:04:46 GMT The latest news from the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. http://www.wslc.org/ Sen. Patty Murray: "This competition has always been about delivering the best plane for our men and women in uniform at the best price for taxpayers, and today’s news (of Northrup withdrawing from the competition) doesn’t change that. Boeing still must bring a very competitive bid to the table that meets all the requirements the Pentagon has set forth... I have no doubt that Washington workers are ready to deliver." 9 Mar 2010 16:58:16 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/March/09.htm#Tuesday 4AC937CC-98AE-4FE4-913F-C1BAE6A1DA1C On Tuesday, insurance industry executives will gather in Washington, D.C., to plot how to kill comprehensive health care reform. Union activists and other health care supporters will be protesting outside that Ritz Carlton conference. But you can send the same message -- "STOP Big Insurance and Pass Health Reform! -- at a rally at noon on Tuesday outside the downtown Seattle headquarters of Regence BlueShield. 8 Mar 2010 16:55:34 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/March/08.htm#rally B555B2E0-86F1-416D-9A12-63EF9779331D During Saturday's public hearing on HB 1329, the child care collective bargaining bill, Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R-Maple Valley) reminded her fellow senators that when she and other legislators negotiated the formation of a public-private partnership called Thrive By Five, they made an agreement "that we would not unionize child care centers." Is this legal? 3 Mar 2010 17:03:33 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/March/03.htm#Wednesday FC739C1D-374F-41E8-934D-ED2FC207763D Union Privilege is a not-for-profit organization created by the AFL-CIO to offer consumer Union Plus benefits to retired and active union members and their families. By using the collective buying power of unions, the Union Plus program is able to offer valuable, discounted products and services exclusively to union members. Learn more. 1 Mar 2010 16:55:39 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/March/01.htm#Monday A6E67188-B169-4FC2-A3CF-58AA0EB7C9F1 Sometimes, a bad idea just keeps coming back. That's the case with a proposal being discussed in our state capital to deregulate our state liquor stores. The proposal is part of the state House's budget proposal released this week. It is was a bad idea when prior Republican and Democratic governors opposed it. It is still a bad idea in 2010. Why? Three words: safety, control and revenue 26 Feb 2010 17:01:05 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/26.htm#Friday 3E69CC7D-142A-4D90-B2BA-B563F790D332 The Whirlpool Corp. makes a big deal of its concern for the environment and the poor. But now, the company is about to throw 1,100 workers at its Evansville, Ind., refrigerator plant onto the streets and move their jobs to Mexico, where labor and environmental laws are weaker. Read more or go ahead and TAKE ACTION by signing an online petition to Whirlpool. 22 Feb 2010 17:00:16 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/22.htm#Monday FB08DCDA-D3BC-49A8-9436-A384D64FCAF5 The legislative momentum continues for protecting schools, health care, public safety and other essential services from another devastating all-cuts budget. After a successful hearing and rally, the House has passed SB 6130 to restore majority rule and allow the Legislature to address the budget crisis with a significant revenue package. 19 Feb 2010 23:09:49 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/10lu0219.htm 03C606EA-8FAB-438F-88A0-EAEB882F0540 Republican obstructionists in Congress have blocked President Obama's appointment of Craig Becker, a labor attorney, to the National Labor Relations Board because he supports unions. That's right. Should a Democratic president dare appoint someone with a history of siding with workers instead of corporations and Wall Street, that person is not suitable to serve no matter how much experience and qualifications they have. Obama has the power to put Becker on the NLRB anyway, the question is, will he use it? 17 Feb 2010 17:00:54 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/17.htm#Wednesday 53E2AEE8-627A-43FD-BD9B-86A00D35C5DA Several thousand people traveled to Olympia on Monday to tell state lawmakers to raise substantial revenue in order to avoid another round of devastating cuts in state services and jobs. Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender, one of the rally's speakers, told the Legislature to close special-interest tax loopholes and stop cutting public jobs, health care, schools, universities and other critical state services. 16 Feb 2010 16:41:48 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/16.htm#Tuesday A28812B8-958D-4E6D-99EE-39A0CDBEC1AE To get through this economic crisis, we desperately need to create jobs and promote hiring, but our state can't afford simply to slash state services -- and the jobs of the dedicated people who provide those services -- at the very time they are needed most. That was the common message delivered Thursday by Democratic leaders who addressed the 300-plus union members who attending the Washington State Labor Council 2010 Legislative Conference in Olympia. 12 Feb 2010 16:02:05 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/12.htm#Friday 4BC1EE09-436F-4735-B226-768B90D0189D Voters across Washington state have voted overwhelmingly to approve higher taxes to avoid more cuts at their local school districts. 10 Feb 2010 17:08:36 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/10.htm D7801E8E-38DB-4A9C-9BAE-40793FF50C7F Business interests had the opportunity to air their proposals to change Washington's public nonprofit workers' compensation system, including the possibility of privatizing it, at a Senate committee work session on Monday. Labor representatives expressed their opposition to such a proposal, but expressed a willingness to continue working with the business community to identify changes that all parties can support. 2 Feb 2010 17:02:56 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/02.htm#Tuesday 0573D0D9-62EE-4C13-9ABF-1AFD06644119 (SPECIAL REPORT ON WORKERS' COMPENSATION) -- All independent national evidence points to Washington as having both high benefits and low employer costs when compared to other states. That's why all proposals to change the system should be measured by whether they maintain or increase our state's success in providing "sure and certain relief" to injured workers and their families. 1 Feb 2010 17:14:41 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/February/01.htm#Monday BC9F50F9-C8F1-4713-880D-C17B0871CB50 As our national economy continues to hemorrhage jobs, the number of union members dropped 771,000 to 15.3 million in 2009. The rate of union membership remained virtually unchanged at 12.3%. Washington state remains ranked No. 4 in terms of union density in 2009, with the state's 574,000 union members accounting for 20.2% of the workforce. 25 Jan 2010 16:58:06 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/January/25.htm#Monday DDFCF92D-132C-45A1-A3B2-EFFE2B96B265 The governor has called for "decisive, compassionate leadership," but her supplemental budget would close institutions for developmentally disabled children and adults, essentially kicking some of our most vulnerable people out of the state's house. Plus, it would cost more money -- now and in the future. 15 Jan 2010 23:00:09 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/10lu0115.htm D93459FA-2484-4512-B48F-52FB85D21BCF Despite all the doom-and-gloom about the 2010 session of the State Legislature, and the $2.6 billion projected budget deficit legislators face, not everyone is upset. In fact, there are some who are very excited and view this session as a great opportunity -- one they've been waiting on for decades. 8 Jan 2010 23:01:28 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/10lu0108.htm B4EA8146-5E65-4492-B5FB-CD5C037592A1 Judy Schurke, Director of the Department of Labor and Industries, responds to an "alarmist, misleading" editorial in Wednesday's (Tacoma) News Tribune that suggested the state-run workers' compensation system was in danger of insolvency. 7 Jan 2010 16:58:22 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/January/07.htm#Thursday 1F5265E1-F9D6-4323-B0E2-F21CFB0A58F4 The Washington State Labor Council’s 2010 legislative agenda -- at both the state and national levels -- is focused on jobs, jobs, jobs. Creating jobs. Retaining jobs. Strengthening jobs. But while we are mindful that quality jobs will lead us out of recession, the WSLC also recognizes the moral imperative of protecting and strengthening the social safety nets that the victims of this recession need to survive; we must raise revenue to protect our families’ health and safety; and we must make sure our state is prepared to effectively implement national health care reform. Read 23 Dec 2009 16:39:02 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/December/23.htm#Wednesday DB31C1D8-14F8-4F36-93D9-B0E38315A8C9 Dozens of representatives of unions in Washington state gathered at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday to express their solidarity and support for tens of thousands of Transportation Security Officers organizing with the American Federation of Government Employees at some 450 airports across the nation. 17 Dec 2009 16:57:13 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/December/17.htm#Thursday DBEC417F-C8C6-47EA-BEF9-EFE7B915E0F8 In a guest column published today, Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender writes, "The labor movement makes no apologies for our mission to help workers find their voice in the workplace. We believe that our fight is even more crucial in the face of the shaky moral compass with which business directs itself today. That is why we will support champions of our values instead of giving in to corporate dominance over a subservient work force." 20 Nov 2009 16:56:12 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/November/20.htm#Friday 17654B53-65A8-41F6-90E0-A1FF477F8887 SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth says Boeing executives' decision to locate a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina "is bad for the company and employees and will ultimately be bad for shareholders." Read his guest column in today's Seattle Times. 3 Nov 2009 17:00:54 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/November/03.htm#Tuesday BCBF8EE7-F26C-4C38-B7AC-CB1F6A2717C2 IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski says Boeing's decision to build a second 787 assembly line in Charleston, S.C. is "an ill-advised, billion-dollar bet on a strategy that’s a proven loser." Read more, plus reactions to Boeing's decision from other labor and government leaders. 29 Oct 2009 16:52:59 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/October/29.htm#Thursday 44FCE409-8205-45E0-9D11-0603FE84CD30 A media campaign by business lobbying groups is making false and misleading claims about Washington's State Fund workers' compensation system. Their goal is to promote business-sought "reforms" that cut injured workers' benefits. Today, the Washington State Labor Council wants to begin setting the record straight in order to facilitate an honest discussion on the issue. 21 Oct 2009 16:54:31 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/October/21.htm#Wednesday DFAC051A-6A45-4CD2-B1B0-43CCE4A2F3BA (Guest column by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Rep. Steve Conway) -- Some argue the proposed workers' compensation rate increase for 2010 is evidence the system is broken and vow to seek changes that will cut injured workers' benefits to drop premiums even lower. Such changes would be unfounded. The problem isn't the system, it's the recession. 13 Oct 2009 17:00:13 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/October/13.htm#Tuesday 0581AE18-22DD-4346-94C2-3AD17475FFA7 Union offices, rank-and-file members and others are urged to purchase 100% union-made coffee -- produced by ILWU members in Hawaii. This excellent coffee is competitively priced and for every pack ordered, a rebate goes to the Foundation for Working Families, a non-profit organization to help union members in times of hardship or disaster. 9 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/October/09.htm#Friday D799E4F2-D592-4D08-B75B-CCA1CE655ED6