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Links to press stories are functional at the date of posting.  In some cases, free registration is required at newspapers' sites.  Links sometimes "expire" when the source would like to begin charging for old news. WSLC Reports Today  links to all stories of interest to organized labor; some positive, some negative. The intention is to inform. The creation of a link does not constitute an endorsement of that story's content.

Reports for February 1-4, 2005

Previous weeks' news: Jan. 24-28 -- Jan. 17-21 -- Jan. 10-14

FRIDAY, Feb. 4 -- Health care: A shared responsibility (WSLC Legislative Update)
Also today -- ILWU to host nation's largest Black History Month event in Tacoma
— In today's Everett Herald -- 18 felons in county voted illegally -- Again, the only felon interviewed says he voted for Rossi. That means, in every news report to date, Rossi maintains his clean sweep of support from dead people and felons. If Rossi wants to insure the election's "integrity," perhaps he should call for the prosecution of these widows, widowers and felons who voted for him. Instead, he wastes precious taxpayer dollars suing 81 parties in a desperate, pathetic quest for a do-over.
Olympia news: — In today's Seattle P-I -- Court kills state estate tax -- Budget shortfall just got deeper. 
— In today's Olympian -- Support the mental health parity bill (editorial)
— In yesterday's Columbian -- Sen. Benton wants to shred paperboy exemption to child labor laws
— In The Stranger -- The messenger -- Meet the badass Democrat Washington can't afford to lose.
Other local news: — In today's Seattle P-I -- Order for 30 737s keeps Boeing ahead in Japan
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- $30 million asbestos settlement reached -- About 120 families, many of whom worked at the P.S. Naval Shipyard or were Navy sailors, will receive part of the record deal.
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Hanford employment has peaked, official tells economic forum
— Yesterday from AP -- Health care roulette: One in three young Oregonians going without
National news: — In today's LA Times -- Bush tries to steer public opinion on Social Security
— In today's Washington Post -- Bush blacklists critics from attending "public" Social Security speeches
...plus -- Benefit cuts would offset contributions -- Contributions to private investment accounts would be offset by dollar-for-dollar reductions in Social Security's guaranteed benefits. In other words, it's a wash for anyone who chooses the private accounts, except for the financial firms that manage them.
...plus -- Workers under 55 would need to save more under proposals
— In today's News Tribune -- What Bush didn't say about Social Security (editorial)
— In today's NY Times -- Gambling with your retirement -- Krugman column: Do you believe that we should replace America's most successful government program with a system in which workers engage in speculation that no financial adviser would recommend? Do you believe we should do this even though it will do nothing to improve the program's finances? If so, Bush has a deal for you.
...plus -- January jobs report once again below expectations -- The unexpectedly modest pace of job growth so far in 2005, leaves a long-forecast boom in employment still somewhere off in the future.

THURSDAY, Feb. 3 -- Is the sky really falling? -- Assuming the worst paints a bleak picture for the Social Security system. (WSLC President Rick Bender's monthly column)
— In today's NY Times -- Introducing private investments to the safety net -- The political struggle over the proposal will revolve around the introduction of stock market risks, the extent to which guaranteed benefits would be cut and the cost of moving to a system of personal accounts, more than $700 billion in the next decade and trillions afterward. The president did not address these matters.
— In today's Seattle P-I -- When it comes to Social Security, generational gaps are wide chasms
— In today's Washington Post -- Participants would forfeit part of private accounts' profits
Today from Olympia -- SB 5097, apprenticeship utilization bill, passes Senate 27-19
— Today from AP -- House approves performance audit bill for agencies (Eyman whines, no one cares.)
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Bill would reverse state's school-levy supermajority law
Other local news -- Raymond Mason replaces Steve Ignac as Community College Liaison
— In today's Oregonian -- Midwest McTwist -- In a fast-food twist on job outsourcing, the Hermiston McDonald's and some others in the Mid-Columbia area are testing a system to route drive-through customers' orders through a North Dakota call center. TAKE ACTION: Tell McDonald's to stop!
— In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing output to rise -- Overall jet production to ramp up by as much as 35% over the next two years, but the future of Everett's 747 and 767 assembly lines is in doubt.
— In the PS Business Journal -- Boeing CEO Stonecipher says sale of Wichita facility is close
— In today's News Tribune -- Boeing has no one to blame but itself, says Airbus official
— Today from AP -- Workers at Hanford feared backlash for reporting problems
— In yesterday's Daily World -- Grays Harbor Transit may cut service or raise fares
— In today's Seattle Times -- State does the math on foot-ferry options
Other national news: — In today's Washington Post -- Surviving the shift -- American workers have had to adapt as global trade and technology transform the nation's workforce.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2 -- Take Action: Support Pasco's Tyson workers who want a union
— In today's Seattle Times -- Democrats press for 5 weeks of family leave with pay -- "The only people this bill would benefit are people who are not good employees," says talking-point-challenged lobbyist Dan Fazio of the Washington Farm Bureau.
— In yesterday's Olympian -- Paid family leave effort gets a fresh push in Olympia
...plus -- Get rid of the 60 percent supermajority for school levies (editorial)
— Today from AP -- Rep. Tom Campbell abandons House GOP caucus -- The legislator from Roy will remain a Republican, but says he's increasingly unhappy with his caucus' "cozy relationship" with the insurance and pharmacy industries and was infuriated when he was dumped from the House Health Care Committee. He says Speaker Frank Chopp will add him back to that committee.
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Gregoire delays release of budget proposal, hoping for better revenue forecast
— In today's Seattle Times -- Living within the state budget -- Editorial: State forecasts show new revenue at 7% above old revenue, yet claimants on the state budget feel shortchanged. They want more.
Other local news: — Today from AP -- Boeing profits dive but beat Wall Street expectations
— In today's Seattle Times -- Paccar rolls out record profit in 2004, "the best year in its history"
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Some Spokane Co. staff raises expected under contracts (paid subscription req'd) -- About a quarter of the county's unionized employees will get 2% raises per year for three years, retroactive to Jan. 1. Employees have also agreed to begin paying a portion of their dependents' health-care premiums, amounting to about $40 per month for a family of four.
— In today's Everett Herald -- Port of Everett OKs deal to sell property to firm building new sawmill
...plus -- Politics can make or break jet deals like China's 787 order
— In yesterday's Daily News -- Union rep says Longview ignored firefighters' offer to avoid arbitration
— In today's Oregonian -- Alaska Airlines shifts a blow to flight attendants in Portland -- After employees protest a plan to move operations out of Portland, the airline will delay the change by two months.
National news: — In Sunday's NY Times Magazine -- The new boss -- Andy Stern, who leads Service Employees International Union, the largest union in the country, is willing to tear apart the labor movement -- and perhaps the Democratic Party as well -- in order to save the American worker.
— In the new BusinessWeek  -- Declaring war on Wal-Mart -- Far from calming the critics, Wal-Mart's recent PR campaign has been like blood in the water -- particularly to organized labor, which is gearing up to launch what's likely to be its most ambitious effort ever against any company. The centerpiece: a massive national campaign to spotlight Wal-Mart's employment practices.
— In today's Washington Post -- Democrats claim sufficient votes to halt Bush's Social Security plan
...plus -- Lockheed wins flight service jobs from FAA -- Firm gets 10-year, $1.9 billion contract to provide general aviation flight services now performed by about 2,500 FAA employees
— In today's NY Times -- Bush to propose elimination of federal subsidy for Amtrak
...plus -- Health Secretary calls for Medicare changes -- He seeks to cut payments for prescription drugs and give states new power to reduce or reconfigure benefits for millions of low-income people.
— Today from AP -- Bankruptcy just an illness away, says Harvard study -- Medical woes cause half of personal bankruptcies, and insurance is no protection, says study to be released today.
— In today's LA Times -- Small firms fight back on trade -- Executives from small U.S. companies said it took a revolt on their part to get the powerful National Association of Manufacturers to deviate even slightly from its decades-old free-trade stance and call for getting tougher on China.

TUESDAY, Feb. 1 -- wslc.org is back in business -- The Washington State Labor Council's technical difficulties are over, and e-mail service has been restored.
— In Sunday's Tri-City Herald -- Supporters rally for union at Tyson's Pasco meatpacking plant
— In Sunday's Seattle P-I -- The Jungle's new century -- Editorial: Conditions for U.S. meatpacking workers are scandalous. A damning new Human Rights Watch report shows the widespread effects on workers of constant corporate cost cutting, union busting and political irresponsibility.
— In today's News Tribune -- Bag handlers picket Alaska -- Airline meets resistance from the IAM over its bargaining-table threat to lay off 500 workers and contract out their jobs.
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Farm workers to undergo tests for nerve damage
— In Monday's News Tribune -- IAM sees new shine on bargaining table -- IAM 751 President Mark Blondin: "Things are looking better than they did the last time around... Boeing needs a contract to signal their customers that they’re a reliable supplier."
— In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing's bet on 787 looking like a smart one (editorial)
National news: — In Monday's LA Times -- Healthcare overhaul is quietly underway -- Emboldened by their success at the polls, Bush and GOP leaders in Congress believe they have a new opportunity to move the nation away from the system of employer-provided health insurance. In its place, they want to erect a system in which workers take personal responsibility for protecting themselves and their families: They would buy high-deductible "catastrophic" insurance policies to cover major medical needs, then pay routine costs with money set aside in tax-sheltered health savings accounts.
— In today's Washington Post -- Courting his critics, Bush may back curbs on private accounts
...plus -- No Social Security "crisis" -- Editorial: This is less a crisis than a problem.
— In today's NY Times -- A spoonful of sugar -- Editorial: The president still wants us to swallow the idea of replacing Social Security with "private" accounts — no matter what he calls them.
...plus -- Many unhappy returns -- Krugman column: The stock-return numbers that the privatizers of Social Security use to buoy their claims don't add up.
...plus -- Hitting the tax break jackpot -- American companies are benefiting from a one-time tax break on foreign profits, but are not adding jobs as Congress expected.
— Today from AP -- United Airlines gets more givebacks from the unions

Previous weeks' news: Jan. 24-28 -- Jan. 17-21 -- Jan. 10-14

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4
ILWU to host nation's largest Black History Month event Feb. 22

The following press release has been distributed by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union:

ILWU HOSTS NATION’S LARGEST BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT:
“A CALL TO CONSCIENCE” FOR A NEW PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT

Danny Glover, Naomi Tutu, Chuck D among luminaries scheduled to speak about historic links between African Americans, women and labor unions at Tacoma’s Pantages Theater, Feb. 22. 

WHO:              ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer William E. Adams and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union host one of the nation’s largest and more provocative celebrations of Black history, women and labor at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Wash.  

WHAT:            “A Call to Conscience: A Celebration of Black History, Women and Labor” brings together renowned celebrity activists like actor Danny Glover; political commentator and author Arianna Huffington; radio personality/hip-hop icon Chuck D; international peace activist Naomi Tutu; TransAfrica Forum President & CEO Bill Fletcher; Dominique Dawes, first African American Olympic gold medal gymnast and president of the Women’s Sports Foundation; local musician Darren Motamedy and spoken word artist Zeek Green with community leaders and elected officials in the Northwest’s largest Black History Month celebration.  Master of Ceremonies is Seattle radio personality Tony B., from KUBE 93 FM.

A new documentary film, “The Black Composers,” produced by Adams, will also have its world premiere in a free screening at the Pantages Theater the day before, on Feb. 21, with a reception starting at 5:30 pm.  “The Black Composers” features original interviews with such modern film score composers as Quincy Jones, Patrice Rushen, Stanley Clarke and Terrence Blanchard and includes classic footage from films from the 1960s through the present. A concert from 6:30-7:30 pm will feature an all-star jazz trio composed of Hubert Laws (fl); Bennie Maupin (ts/fl/clt); and Todd Cochrane (p) playing an original tribute to the Black Composers. 

Students from more than 300 public and private schools in Seattle and Tacoma will explain on both nights -- in essays ranging from 100-250 words -- why Black History Month is relevant to all cultures, and how women and labor unions have been an important part of African American history.  Age-group finalists of the “Call to Conscience” Black History Month essay contest will get a seat at the table with the speakers and one senior high school student will be given a $1,000 scholarship.

WHEN:            FREE Film Premiere: “The Black Composers”

                        5:30-6:30 p.m., reception; 6:30-7:30 p.m., original jazz tribute to the Black composers; 7:30-8:30 p.m. film screening. Monday, Feb. 21

                        Gala Event: “A Call to Conscience: A Celebration of Black History, Women and Labor.” 
11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22

WHERE:         Pantages Theater
901 Broadway
Tacoma, WA  98402

For tickets: www.broadwaycenter.org or call 253.591.5894.

WHY:              In the spirit of Rev. Martin Luther King and Paul Robeson, Sr. -- both honorary ILWU members in their lifetimes -- the ILWU convenes this year’s “A Call to Conscience” event to encourage a new political consciousness among residents of Seattle and Tacoma, to remind all Americans about the important relationship that unions have had with African Americans historically and to propose a progressive movement for the country’s future.  After years of the current administration ignoring working families’ concerns like skyrocketing health care costs, education and job outsourcing, Americans everywhere are rediscovering the power of community organizing and voting to address their concerns.  Speakers at “A Call to Conscience” will challenge Americans who came together over the past four years to continue to work for social change.

CONTACT:    To arrange advance interviews with celebrity speakers, community leaders and local ILWU spokespersons attending at this year’s “Call to Conscience” events, please call John Showalter, 415-775-0533, x. 117.  A copy of the poster for the Feb. 22 event is also available at: www.ilwu.org or via the event title link above.

The ILWU represents 60,000 working women and men in five states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii) and Canada. Through more than 60 locals ILWU unites longshore workers, warehouse workers, watchmen, clerks, ferry and tugboat workers, tourism industry workers and agricultural workers.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3
SB 5097, apprenticeship utilization bill, passes Senate 27-19

The Apprenticeship Utilization Bill passed the State Senate on a 27-19 vote Wednesday, a major step toward promoting more family-wage training opportunities throughout the State of Washington. SB 5097 would codify and make permanent the executive order requiring 15 percent of work hours on major public works projects be performed by state-approved apprentices, a standard in place for nearly five years now. (See the Jan. 21 WSLC Legislative Update for details on the bill.)

The House version of the bill, HB 1028 sponsored by Rep. Steve Conway (D-Tacoma), was approved last week by the House Labor and Commerce Committee and could get a floor vote at any time. Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) has vowed to move it soon.

Here is Wednesday's roll call vote on final passage of SB 5097, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), with Democrats listed in bold:

VOTING YEA:  Senators Berkey, Brown, Doumit, Eide, Fairley, Franklin, Fraser, Hargrove, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe, Oke, Poulsen, Prentice, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rockefeller, Shin, Spanel, Thibaudeau and Weinstein.

VOTING NAY:  Senators Benson, Brandland, Carrell, Deccio, Delvin, Esser, Finkbeiner, Hewitt, Honeyford, Johnson, McCaslin, Morton, Mulliken, Parlette, Pflug, Schmidt, Schoesler, Sheldon, and Swecker.

EXCUSED:  Senators Benton, Stevens and Zarelli.

Last year, similar legislation easily passed the House but was killed without a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate by then-committee chair Sen. Jim Honeyford (R-Sunnyside). Now in the minority, Sen. Honeyford sponsored amendments Wednesday to weaken the bill -- including one to allow "trainees" in programs not certified by the state to qualify as apprentices -- but his efforts failed.

But one unfriendly and unrelated amendment created some drama by almost passing, if not for the tie-breaking intervention of Lieutenant Governor and Senate President Brad Owen.

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) sponsored an amendment that had nothing to do with the apprenticeship utilization bill, but instead would have changed the Administrative Procedures Act and revised the Apprenticeship Council's appeals process for program certification. Legislators who spoke in support of the amendment, including Minority Leader Sen. Bill Finkbeiner (R-Kirkland), accused unions of filing the equivalent of "frivolous lawsuits" when they file an appeal of a council decision.

Sen. Jim Hargrove (D-Hoquiam) joined all Republicans and "Democrat" Sen. Tim Sheldon -- who was voting on his day off as Mason County Commissioner -- in voting for the amendment. With Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver) absent, that left the vote at 24-24. Lt. Gov. Owen broke the tie with a "no" vote and the amendment failed 24-25.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Mason replaces Ignac as Community College Labor Liaison

Steve Ignac, the WSLC’s Labor Liaison for Community and Technical Colleges, has resigned to accept a new position with the Carpenters union. Raymond Mason will replace him in this position funded through a grant from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. Mason has served as the WSLC Liaison for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program and directed the Welfare to Work project.

"We are sorry to lose Steve and we very much appreciate his years of service and dedication to the organization," said WSLC President Rick Bender. "But we are fortunate to have someone like Raymond, with the experience and contacts to step in and carry on Steve’s important work."

Mason will continue efforts to increase participation of worker representatives on all college general and program advisory committees. He will recommend policies and procedures for vocational programs to the State Board and inform college staff about labor’s vocational programs. 

If you have any questions or are interested in being an Advisory Committee Member to your local college, please contact Raymond Mason at rmason@wslc.org or (206) 281-8901.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Take Action: Support Pasco Tyson workers who want a union

More than 1,500 workers at Tyson Foods' meatpacking plant in Pasco -- most of them Latino, Bosnian, and Vietnamese immigrants -- have been fighting to remain members of Teamsters Local 556 since early last year. In April 2004, Tyson management tried to get workers to vote out their union, but workers voted to remain union members and to enter into contract negotiations. Instead of respecting the vote, Tyson has frozen workers wages and tried to break the union again. February 9-11, the workers must vote again to stay members of their union.

TAKE ACTION: It is important that Tyson workers know that they have the support of the community in their fight to preserve their democratic right to choose union representation. Please take a moment to sign an online petition to let the workers know that they have your support! 

A new report by Human Rights Watch, Blood, Sweat and Fear: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants, criticizes Tyson for violating workplace health and safety, workers' freedom of association, and the rights of immigrant workers in its meatpacking and poultry plants across the nation.  A second report by two university researchers found that Tyson's Pasco plant is one of the most unsafe meatpacking plants in the nation, with injury rates nearly three times the industry average.

To attempt to intimidate the Tyson workers and try to bust their union, Tyson has employed tactics including compelling workers to attend mandatory "captive audience" meetings to listen to anti-union propaganda, one-on-one meetings between union supporters and supervisors, and ending dues check-off (the automatic payroll deduction of union dues) to try to financially break the union or force workers into accepting a substandard union contract. The contract that Tyson is threatening to impose would freeze workers' wages for five years and would eliminate important union rights which would effectively end union representation at the plant. 

Meatpacking is dangerous work, especially at Tyson's Pasco plant where the injury rate is nearly three times the national average for plants of comparable size.  Last year, one Pasco worker had his arm cut off in a hock cutter after Tyson removed safety mechanisms from the machine. The Department of Labor and Industries fined Tyson, saying, "they knew it was dangerous and didn't do anything." Tyson workers need their union not only to bargain for wages and health care for their families, but to seek a commitment by the company to avoid work processes that jeopardize worker safety and food safety. 

The workers cannot stand up to this giant corporation alone. They need to know that they have the support of people around the country as they go to vote again to choose a voice at work. Please let the workers know that they have your support.

Thank you.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
wslc.org is back in business

The Washington State Labor Council experienced technical difficulties all day Monday and Tuesday morning after Qwest mistakenly disconnected the WSLC Seattle office's DSL service and its Seattle fax line. Because all WSLC e-mail runs through a local server in Seattle, the staff and officers were unable to retrieve or send e-mail during this disruption.

But as of about 10:45 a.m. this morning, service has been restored!  It is safe once again to e-mail WSLC staff and officers. In fact, you may want to resend anything that you sent Monday or earlier Tuesday morning to ensure its receipt.

Thank you for your patience during this disruption.