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/ Business lobbying groups in Washington state have launched their final desperation push to pressure state lawmakers to approve "compromise-and-release" lump-sum buyouts of injured workers. Advocates for preserving the safety net for injured workers need to respond by calling House Speaker Frank Chopp and urging him: "No compromise-and-release in any form! No slashing injured workers' benefits!" 28 Apr 2011 17:06:58 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/28.htm 4C36DD9C-827D-4DED-BF44-03DD5FC38D86 If Congressional Republicans, including Washington's own Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dave Reichert, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and "Doc" Hastings, were listening to the American public, they wouldn't be pushing so hard to turn Medicare over to Big Insurance through a voucher program and slash Medicaid for seniors, children and people with disabilities. A new Washington Post/ABC poll shows that more than three-fourths (78%) of Americans do not want Medicare cut to reduce the national debt, including 65% who are strongly opposed. This compares with just 21% who favor cutting the program. 26 Apr 2011 17:00:49 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/26.htm#Tuesday FA062F84-806F-433B-9ADA-A2E8C33E4A8C Every year, we commemorate April 28 as Worker Memorial Day, a day to mourn those who died due to injuries or illnesses sustained on the job, and a day to rededicate ourselves to the fight to improve workplace safety and avoid these preventable tragedies. With the recent one-year anniversary of the deadly Tesoro refinery explosion in Anacortes, and with the significant increase in workplace fatalities in Washington State in 2010, this year's Worker Memorial Day commemorations planned in Bellingham, Everett, Tacoma and Tumwater will be especially poignant and meaningful. 26 Apr 2011 17:01:18 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/25.htm#Monday 667D688C-4965-4038-84A5-D0C6DDDC6C51 One week from today, WSLC Reports Today's more than 13-year run as your source for daily news and information online -- Almost Every Day! -- will come to an end. Alas, time and technology have caught up with the capabilities of this site and software, and it's past time for it to be put to rest. Appropriately, on May Day 2011, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will launch a new project online that continues the tradition of providing you the ONLY source of news and information dedicated to union members and the concerns of Washington's working families. So mark your calendars for Sunday, May 1. 26 Apr 2011 17:02:09 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/22.htm#Friday 4EAA5394-B65F-4196-8FB3-DD5881A72ED0 Each year, hundreds of workplace hazards are left uncorrected, exposing many workers to potential dangers while a business owner appeals a citation issued by the state Department of Labor and Industries. On April 15, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill into law that changes this and makes Washington the second state to require businesses to correct serious safety violations -- and the hazards they pose -- during the appeal of any safety-and-health citation. 19 Apr 2011 17:01:27 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/19.htm#Tuesday 68619C09-B482-493B-A88A-250815B462BC Three days after more than 10,000 people rallied at the State Capitol, in part to urge an end to attacks on unions and collective bargaining rights, the State Senate resurrected an attack on the bargaining rights of Washington State Ferries workers. And this after, ferry workers just negotiated and approved a new contract with wage and benefit concessions that will save the state an estimated $10 million a year. 18 Apr 2011 17:02:50 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/18.htm#Monday A396352A-7854-45F4-8F0D-4F982FC85433 On the heels of a week of protests at the State Capitol, community organizations, faith leaders and labor allies have united to embark on a People's Walk for Our Future. Over the course of five days, a group of men and women representing communities devastated by budget cuts -- including Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council -- will walk 50 miles from Auburn to Olympia to demand that lawmakers listen to the people of Washington and Put People First in the budget. 14 Apr 2011 17:00:33 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/14.htm#Thursday D7A29EF3-97F7-4F58-BAFE-127A726F514A Last November, voters in every county of the state turned down the ballot proposition to privatize workers' compensation because they know that, by and large, folks don't fare well when they come up against private insurance companies. Yet there are proposals before the Legislature to put in place the primary tool that private insurers use to gain their advantage. It's called "compromise and release." The premise is that the insurance company will settle out your claim -- stop fighting you -- if you agree to a reduction in benefits and then release the company from further liability. 13 Apr 2011 17:12:03 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/13.htm#Wednesday 33D2163C-DBD7-4068-A0E6-C049FE2794E7 A week of successful "We Are One" events across Washington state culminated Friday in the largest labor rally in a decade as more than 10,000 union members and their supporters rallied Friday at the State Capitol to urge state legislators to "Put People First" to stop the attacks on working people and their unions, to demand that powerful corporations share in the sacrifice of addressing the state's $5 billion revenue shortfall, and to refocus on creating good jobs. 11 Apr 2011 16:48:15 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/11.htm#Monday BE3A8EDE-39EF-4F67-80F5-DED41A9F0754 Former Washington State Labor Council staff member Roger Reidel, 70, passed away Wednesday morning at his home in Port Angeles, surrounded by his wife and loving family, after a brief illness. Reidel served at the WSLC's Labor Liaison to the former Job Training Partnership Act (now Workforce Investment Act) from 1989 to 1996, assisting workers displaced by plant and mill closure and other mass layoffs. 7 Apr 2011 17:00:40 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/April/07.htm#Thursday EC517973-F80D-495F-BB9D-E93C877E6C00 In a show of cross-border solidarity, Canadian union members joined their U.S. counterparts in a march and rally at the Vancouver, B.C., shareholder meeting of a Canadian bank that bought the Wisconsin bank where top executives gave big campaign contributions to Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Those executives now are about to pop open their "golden parachutes." 23 Mar 2011 16:52:35 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/March/23.htm#Wednesday 827225B1-F552-473F-BA13-A7D724C614EE Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee will hear three brand new bills that may represent the middle ground between where business and labor stand on this contentious issue. These new bills -- combined with SB 5801 already signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire and the House-approved HB 2002 -- represent a total of more than $520 million in cost savings to the workers' compensation system over the next four years. 22 Mar 2011 17:00:01 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/11lu0322.htm EF9CA931-D572-4A1B-A203-F8E70927732D The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO has announced the hiring of Karen Deal as its new Political Director. In this position, she will draft, implement and direct the political efforts of the state's largest labor federation, representing approximately 500 local unions and 400,000 rank-and-file members. Deal has served as Political Director for UFCW Local 21, a WSLC-affiliated union, since 2005. 18 Mar 2011 16:57:39 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/March/18.htm#Friday 4CE2ED48-AE4C-4737-A1EA-B2385B36D7F2 Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday signed Senate Bill 5801, which directs the Department of Labor and Industries to create a statewide provider network for injured workers, as well as expand access to the state's Centers for Occupational Health Education. The legislation is expected to save $218 million over the next four years. 15 Mar 2011 16:59:52 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/March/15.htm#Tuesday 3055D074-8FE7-4608-B556-70AA631AF7AB Legislation before the State Legislature -- pushed by multinational corporations and the notorious billionaire Koch brothers -- urging Congress to pass the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has died without a vote in the State Senate. SJM 8006, sponsored by Sen. Val Stevens (R-Arlington), failed to survive Monday's cutoff deadline for legislation to pass from its house of origin. 10 Mar 2011 17:02:17 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/March/10.htm#Thursday 1CBB4257-DEAC-4616-AEEE-0BBB3437C6BA By a 34-15 vote on March 5, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved a revised SB 5566 that converts our state's workers' compensation system from one that provides "sure and certain relief" to injured workers into an adversarial process that allowing employers to lawyer-up versus injured workers and negotiate lump-sum "compromise and release" buyouts. Twelve Democrats sided with all Republicans in voting for SB 5566. 8 Mar 2011 17:00:52 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/11lu0308.htm C8E1AD79-3827-41FE-BE54-13B90F555E59 After weeks of negotiation, the Legislature approved legislation last week addressing both taxes and benefits in our Unemployment Insurance system. In addition to granting businesses permanently lower U.I. tax rates, it provides federal extended benefits, plus enhancements to the existing training benefit program and a temporary $25 boost in weekly benefits for all new claimants. 14 Feb 2011 16:52:58 GMT http://www.wslc.org/legis/11lu0214.htm 9391CE44-8669-42EF-BCED-0A23B466B9F8 Imagine a company that does business in every county in Washington state, pumping billions in payroll dollars into our economy. Better still, this company is counter-cyclical, ramping up hiring and payroll when the state economy is struggling. That "company" exists. It's Washington's unemployment insurance system, and in 2010 it pumped more than $4.3 billion into our state economy. But some political and business leaders tend to ignore its benefits -- and the many businesses and jobs it has preserved -- and focus on decrying its costs. 9 Feb 2011 17:00:08 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/Outside-EC3.htm 4D9597F4-9FFB-4197-B829-263D160F0839 The Washington State Labor Council is urging union leaders, staffers and rank-and-file members to join the WSLC 2011 President's Club, which will help fund the recruitment and development of labor and community candidates for political office, plus support labor education efforts at the new State Labor Education and Research Center at the Georgetown Campus of South Seattle Community College. 7 Feb 2011 16:56:11 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/February/07.htm#Monday A9C3155C-826D-4EF3-8DFB-95A6AEED844F One of the most persistent myths about Washington state's business climate is that our workers' compensation costs are higher than in most other states. The fact that many employers and public policymakers believe this to be true is another indication of the power and resonance of the negative internal rhetoric about our competitiveness. The truth is Washington is that 35 states have higher employer costs than Washington for workers' compensation coverage. 4 Feb 2011 16:48:25 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/Outside-EC2.htm 70FE09D3-C656-4937-A84D-5FD298798333 There is a commercial leasing opportunity at the Davis-Williams Building in Olympia -- at 9th Avenue SE and Columbia Street SW, just two blocks from State Capitol campus -- and the Washington State Labor Council would love to share this prime office space with other union organizations. More than 50,000 square feet are available, although it can be split into smaller units. 26 Jan 2011 17:15:34 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/January/26.htm#Wednesday F9788DA5-3A22-461D-B36E-2B3227C1D413 As our national economy continued to sputter in 2010 -- especially in heavily unionized sectors like construction, manufacturing and transportation that are the backbone of our economy -- the rate of union membership nationwide dropped to 11.9%, compared to 12.3% the previous year. In the state-by-state breakdown, Washington state remains ranked No. 4 in terms of union density in 2010, with the state's 552,000 union members accounting for 19.4% of the overall workforce. 26 Jan 2011 17:00:34 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/January/26.htm#WA BB1B99B1-9529-4A21-A3C0-CDA53BA4BE05 The latest state rankings by groups from outside the state continue to rank Washington among the very best states to do business. These studies find our state has comparatively low business taxes, a lighter regulatory burden, a highly skilled and highly trained workforce, excellent higher education, and for those reasons and many others, our state economy and "business climate" continues to outperform those of other states. 12 Jan 2011 16:53:51 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/January/12.htm 86FE9BA4-9FD9-4CF6-B6EF-411B92868A8D New executive officers -- President Jeff Johnson and Secretary-Treasurer Lynne Dodson -- were sworn into office Wednesday at the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor organization which represents the interests of more than 500 affiliated union organizations and some 400,000 rank-and-file union members statewide. Johnson and Dodson were elected last month to succeed former President Rick Bender and Secretary-Treasurer Al Link, who had served as the WSLC's executive officers since 1993 and 1994, respectively. 6 Jan 2011 16:49:16 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2011/January/06.htm#Thursday C58A86B8-3C27-415A-9E81-BC26AC342FAE This week, the Washington State Labor Council, in partnership with the State of Washington Employment Security Department, launched a new resource for laid-off workers and downsizing companies. Funded by a U.S. Department of Labor grant, the WSLC launched TAA-Washington.org, a new website to help workers and businesses affected by foreign competition access the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program. 19 Nov 2010 17:01:48 GMT http://www.wslc.org/reports/2010/November/19.htm#Friday 6959F71A-487C-4A45-A181-A2A6FFCC1EBE 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