Legislative news:
■  In today's NY Times -- Wal-Mart in their cites, states press for health benefits -- Lawmakers in 30 states (including Washington) are introducing legislation that would require large corporations to increase spending on employee health insurance. AFL-CIO press conference is this morning.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Don't let Tim Eyman slip-slide away (Sen. Kline op-ed) -- Tim, if you're going to sell us another initiative, pretend to speak for the little guy, and rail against "fraud, waste, and abuse" by us evil "politicians," then answer the doggone question. Where's the fat?
■  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Ericksen outlines state GOP agenda -- House and Senate Republicans pledge to join together to support their "Commitment to Washington" plan. 
■  In the new Stranger -- Strategy session: This year's session will be all about election posturing
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Council OKs all-mail voting -- Snohomish County joins 33 other counties in Washington that hold all-mail elections.

Local news:
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Global Horizons fixed all but one labor violation -- Newspaper must have gotten another threatening letter from GH's lawyers. Meanwhile GH's president vows to appeal the state's decision to revoke the company's license. See yesterday's GH news for more info.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- State Basic Health Plan's oversight criticized -- Audit: The program that provides health coverage to about 102,000 low-wage workers lacks oversight and direction.
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Sacred Heart talks ongoing -- About 450 technical workers (UFCW 1001) anticipate a new contract this month as union bargaining with the hospital moves along. The employees have been working without a contract since Dec. 31.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Care service (OPEIU 8) to shut down -- The program, run by Visiting Nurse Services of the Northwest, serves some 200 seniors and disabled people in the county.
■  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Decision on Southworth passenger ferry still out to sea
■  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Fire District 10 aiming to correct weaknesses (editorial)

Mine disaster news:
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Tragedy reminds us that not every worker is safe in the U.S. (Virgin column)
■  In today's News Tribune -- West Virginia's tragedy, America's debt (editorial)
■  In today's NY Times -- Company owner says cost cutting didn't lead to mine explosion
■  In today's NY Times -- The Sago Mine disaster (editorial) -- Just as Hurricane Katrina forced us to look at the face of lingering poverty and racism, this tragedy should focus us all on another forgotten, mistreated corner of society. The dozen dead miners deserve to be memorialized with fresh scrutiny of mine safety regulation and a resurrection of political leadership willing to look beyond Big Coal to the interests of those who risk their lives in the mines.

National news:
■  Today from Bloomberg -- Machinists object to cuts at Northwest Airlines -- The company is trying  to eliminate almost half of the union members’ jobs to cut costs in bankruptcy.
■  In today's Capital Times -- Alito's rulings put him at odds with workers (op-ed from Wisconsin AFL-CIO)
■  In today's LA Times -- GOP tries to outrun Abramoff scandal -- From the White House to Capitol Hill, prominent Republicans scramble to shed campaign contributions linked to the disgraced lobbyist, and a painful debate opens within the party over its leadership and direction.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Abramoff tribal clients donated thousands to state lawmakers
■  In today's Washington Post -- Cheney defends spying on Americans -- Taking a break from his campaign to legalize torture, the vice president says domestic spying could have averted 9/11.

Last Throes update:
■  Today's from AP -- Attacks in Iraq kill 110 as post-election violence escalates -- Also today, five more American soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4

Global Horizons news:
■  Today from AP -- Farm labor contractor Global Horizons loses license -- Global did not apply to renew its license for 2006 by the Dec. 31 deadline, so it cannot legally operate in Washington.
■  Also see our Oct. 19 posting -- UFW: Global Horizons labor abuses continue after settlement 
■  And our Sept. 23 posting -- State settles with firm accused of exploiting Thai farm laborers
■  Also, for your continued reading pleasure -- Check out an Aug. 31 letter from a Global Horizons attorney demanding that the Yakima Herald-Republic publish a correction and retraction of "Chicken Little assertions won't solve farm labor issue," an op-ed co-written by the WSLC's Jeff Johnson and the UFW's Erik Nicholson, and finally, the WSLC's response to the attorney.

Legislative news:
■  Today from AP -- Legislators promise prompt action -- Legislative leaders all agreed they need to set aside part of the surplus to whittle down a $4 billion unfunded liability for public pension systems. Gregoire seeks $176 million, but some say more should be put into a pension reserve.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Democrats plan to "tweak" '05 agenda -- Democrats want to spend more on education, health care and an economic-development plan that centers on alternative fuels.
■  In today's Olympian -- Legislators likely to leave big issues for 2007 and beyond
■  In the Seattle Weekly -- The new year agenda -- Democratic leaders resolve to combine "kitchen table" issues, like education and jobs, with fiscal prudence. It's an election year, after all.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Lawmakers' first task: Move the primary date (editorial) -- The need for this change is so obvious that it hardly needs explaining. With the majority of voters now casting ballots by mail, seven weeks between primary and general elections simply isn't enough.
■  In today's News Tribune -- Bringing data to bear on state health spending (editorial) -- Something clearly needs fixing, and Gov. Christine Gregoire is making a brave stab at the problem.

Local news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Run Southworth ferry privately, adviser suggests -- A passenger-ferry service using private operators, makes the most financial sense among three ferry proposals reviewed by a consultant hired by a task force looking at Puget Sound foot-ferry service.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Attention now turns to building the 787 -- With it looking like a best seller, Boeing and its partners are about to take a giant step in the life of a new airplane: manufacturing.
■  From AP -- "Buy American" dropped from refueling tanker program, allowing Airbus to compete 

National news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Horror follows joy; 12 miners found dead in W.Va. coal mine
■  In today's Wash. Post -- Safety violations have piled up at coal mine -- In the past two years, the mine was cited 273 times for safety violations, a third of which were "significant and substantial." 
■  At AFLCIO.org -- President Bush delivers "stunning blow," to America's steel pipe workers
■  Today at Working Life blog -- Watching Wal-Mart in Maryland -- Next week, keep an eye on the Maryland state legislature. It looks like it will override the governor's veto of a bill that would require retailers like Wal-Mart to increase their share of spending on healthcare for its workers.

TUESDAY, JAN. 3  ■  Karen Keiser's retirement party TONIGHT at Seattle Labor Temple

Legislative news:  The 2006 session convenes Monday, January 9. Learn more at www.leg.wa.gov.
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Legislators, spend energy resolving three big issues (editorial) -- Stay the course on the WASL, take the initiative on tort reform, and tighten the law on sex offenders.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Remember $30 car tabs? They could be coming back -- "We feel (weight-based surcharges are) reasonable," said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island. "There is a direct correlation between the weight of a car and (its) wear and tear on roads."
■  In the Columbian -- Proponents of renewable energy say they'll pursue 2006 ballot initiative
■  Today from AP -- Lobbying in Olympia, environmentalists now touting benefits to economy
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Another NASCAR go-round -- Some say a speedway in Kitsap County would spark an economic boost for the region and state, but it will have to overcome deep and widespread suspicion in Olympia about using public dollars to finance another sports complex.

State of the Unions news:
■  Yesterday from Gannett -- AFL-CIO president upbeat about labor's future -- Sweeney: "America's labor movement is stronger when we are united and the AFL-CIO will continue to look for ways to speak with a unified voice... the agreement we came to with the solidarity charters for the local labor movement... was a big step in keeping our unions united at the local level."
■  In yesterday's Washington Post -- Love, labor, loss -- A daughter's death stirred SEIU President Andrew Stern to challenge himself -- and unionism. He has taken the American labor movement to the brink of a new era, for better or worse, while an interior dialogue of grief and loss has shaped his leadership, adding volume to an already voluble voice.

National news:
■  In today's NY Times -- A fair day's pay (editorial) -- Unions and others are increasingly taking minimum wage increases directly to voters. Their intentions are laudable, but the efforts only highlight Congress's failure to set the federal minimum wage at a reasonable level. (Also see yesterday's post: Washington's workers celebrate minimum wage increase to $7.63)
■  In today's Washington Post -- Hispanics underrepresented in the federal workforce
■  In today's LA Times -- Workers' comp to be revisited in California -- An overhaul of the state's once-troubled system has cut premiums, but Democrats say some were denied proper care.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Rescuing U.S. automakers: A view on "Buy American" from the Left (op-ed) -- Rescuing American automakers from competitive quicksand and high health-care costs with "buy American" campaigns only encourages more self-indulgent greed.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Rescuing U.S. automakers: A view on "Buy American" from the Right (op-ed) -- We cannot afford to shrug off the downturn of an industry that directly contributes 3.5%  of our GDP and accounts for more economic productivity per worker than almost any other.

Last throes update:
■  In today's Washington Post -- A life, wasted (guest column) -- Early on Aug. 3, 2005, we heard that 14 Marines had been killed in Haditha, Iraq. Our son, Lance Cpl. Edward "Augie" Schroeder II, was among them. Let's stop this war before more heroes like our son are killed.
■  In today's Military Times -- Military poll finds high morale, but less support for Bush, war -- Approval of Bush’s Iraq policy fell 9 percentage points from 2004; a bare majority, 54%, now say they view his performance on Iraq as favorable. Support for his overall performance fell 11%.

MONDAY, JAN. 2  ■  Keiser's retirement party Tuesday night at Seattle Labor Temple
■  In the Puget Sound Business Journal -- In person: Talking with Karen Keiser, State Senator

Also today:  ■  Washington's workers celebrate minimum wage increase to $7.63
■  In today's NY Times -- States take lead in push to raise minimum wages
■  In today's NY Times -- Another Marie Antoinette moment (editorial) -- If the minimum wage had advanced at the same rate as CEO compensation since 1990, America's bottom-of-the-barrel working poor would be enjoying salad days, with legal wages at $23.03 an hour instead of $5.15. It would be nice to see corporate America put more effort -- and money -- into fair living wages for workers and less into exorbitant pay packages and bonuses for corporate chieftains.

Local news:
■  In the Dec. 30 Seattle P-I -- Heating oil truck drivers (IBT 174) agree to contracts, end strike
■  In the Dec. 24 Everett Herald -- AWPPW has contract agreement at Kimberly-Clark mill in Everett
■  In the Dec. 30 Kitsap Sun -- IBU, ferry food operator OK plan -- Union agrees to health-care cuts, avoiding a planned Jan. 31 shutdown of the galleys on the Southworth-Vashon-Fauntleroy route.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Ferry food: Work it out (editorial) -- Food service on ferry vessels isn't just a profit center; it's part of the service that should be reasonably expected onboard. For the sake of customer service, one would expect the ferry system to support those trying to provide it.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Pensions go the way of the dinosaurs (Benbow column) -- If you've got one, count your blessings. Even financially strong companies are dumping them these days.

Legislative news:
■  In today's News Tribune -- New vehicle fees kick in, but could crumble to Eyman initiative
■  From AP -- Rep. Steve Kirby wants to repeal "sin taxes" -- House Democrat is asking colleagues to give his blue-collar constituents a break by repealing new liquor and cigarette taxes.
■  In today's King Co. Journal -- Lawmakers to discuss Snoqualmie Pass fixes Tuesday at Gonzaga

National news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Immigration bill only a half measure (editorial) -- Better enforcement must be part of immigration reform. But a one-sided approach that doesn't consider the economic ramifications on businesses and whole communities is bound to fail.
■  Today from AP -- Cruise lines hire low-cost workers -- To support their families, thousands of workers on U.S. based ships work 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week for 10 months at a stretch -- some for salaries as low as $75 per month. (They) are a critical ingredient in an industry that avoids U.S. tax and labor laws and reaps billions in profits every year.

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2006
Washington's workers celebrate minimum wage increase