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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 March 8-12, 2004

Previous weeks' news: March 1-5 -- Feb. 23-27 -- Feb. 16-20

FRIDAY, March 12 -- Session ends; sign up for WSLC Legislative Report & Voting Record
...plus -- Sen. Murray: All laid-off Boeing workers now eligible for TAA
— In today's Olympian -- Budget bears good news for some, bad news for others
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Lawmakers relax health insurance rules for small employers
...plus -- Legislature: The good, bad and the ugly (editorial)
— In today's King County Journal -- 10-year debate over charter schools expected to end
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Kudos to Brandland, Morris for fight to keep Intalco open (editorial)
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Poulsbo, union (IBT 589) reach agreement on new contract
— In today's King County Journal -- Swedish proposes new hospital in Issaquah
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Potato industry reacts to Simplot closure of Hermiston plant -- Food Processors Association plans study on how to make the Northwest more competitive with the rest of the world: "Our real competitor is not Oregon and Idaho but China and Chile."
At AFLCIO.org -- Down to the wire: The fight to save overtime pay
— In today's L.A. Times -- Greenspan backs extension of jobless benefits -- As does a unanimous Washington State Legislature (see HJM 4037), but not the Republicans who control Congress.
— In today's Washington Post -- Trade chief, Democrats spar over "protectionist" label -- Bush's attack on "economic isolationism" is the new Republican battle cry over trade, arousing ire from Democrats who say the term grossly mischaracterizes their concerns about free trade agreements.
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Update on Bush effort to create his first manufacturing job -- Bush's choice for "manufacturing czar" withdraws his name after revelations about his experience laying off U.S. workers and opening a factory in China. Bush's six-month quest to find a czar is back to square one.
...plus -- No more excuses on jobs -- Krugman column: No sensible person blames Mr. Bush for the onset of the recession in 2001. But he does deserve blame for the fact that all he has to show for three years of supposed job-creation policies is a mountain of debt.

THURSDAY, March 11 -- More than 200 in Congress sign Employee Free Choice Act (at AFLCIO.org) -- Every Democrat from Washington state -- Senate and House -- have co-sponsored it.
— In today's Olympian -- AFL-CIO targets moderate Republicans for support of labor law reform
...plus -- Budget deal checks health costs -- State workers' monthly premiums, now averaging close to $80 per employee, should remain at that level instead of rising to about $109. WFSE supports budget deal: "If this hold-the-line compromise passes, it will be the first time your average premiums haven’t increased since the slight decreases in 1997 and 1998."
...plus -- Legislature approves charter schools bill, completing governor's education package
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Outsourcing bill dies, but backers keep issue alive
— In today's Seattle Times -- Locke to have final say on primary system
Other labor news:  Caregivers at Hospice of Spokane approve first union contract
— In today's King Co. Journal -- Boeing asks some Auburn employees to take days off without pay
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Health care costs a rising concern for Boeing, unions
— In today's Oregonian -- Health benefit spike forecast -- New survey says the costs this year for Northwest employers will increase 14 percent on average, forcing tough decisions.
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Energy Northwest announces job cuts; up to 60 by June 30
— In today's Seattle Times -- Watch out when workers discover they're chumps -- Harrop column: For two decades, politicians have been shifting the tax burden from high-income taxpayers to the sweating masses. Lunch-pail Americans represent easy pickings, since their taxes get automatically plucked out of weekly paychecks... Social Security is the working stiff's tax.
— In today's Washington Post -- Bush can't even create ONE manufacturing job -- Six months after promising to create an office to help the nation's struggling manufacturers, President Bush settled on someone to head it, but the nomination was being reconsidered last night after Democrats revealed that his candidate had opened a factory in China.
...plus, in a related story -- (Free) Trade gap exceeds $43 billion, a record total for one month
— In today's N.Y. Times -- In rebuff to Bush, Senate raises bar to 60 votes for new tax cuts
— In today's S.F. Chronicle -- Upstart 24-hour talk radio network prepares to turn the dial to the left -- But you won't hear "The O'Franken Factor" in Seattle. Initial markets: S.F., L.A., Chicago and N.Y.C.

WEDNESDAY, March 10 -- Bush tries to silence critics of impending overtime pay cuts
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Political groups spend millions to take on Bush in ad campaign
Plus at WashTech's TechsUnited.org -- Educating the outsourced: Is it the answer?
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Outsourcing's long-term effects on U.S. jobs at issue (in-depth report)
— In today's Olympian -- House OKs study on effects of outsourcing (Check out the 64-31 roll call.) 
— In today's News Tribune -- State budget deal could add $150 million (AP)
Plus at SPEEA.org -- SPEEA urges rejection in member vote on Wichita Boeing contract
— In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing ignores ethics policies, report finds (AP)
...plus -- 767 tanker's roller coaster ride turns for the worse and better (Corliss column)
— In yesterday's Columbian -- Refusing to work (editorial re: State Senate's Friday disappearing act)
— In today's King County Journal -- Don't gamble on Eyman scheme to cut taxes (editorial)
— In today's News Tribune -- Risk to Social Security political, not financial (Krugman column)
...plus -- Only problem with Social Security is Bush's meddling (Burbank column)
...plus -- Strikes hit bottom line of grocery companies (AP)
— In today's Oregonian -- More grocery strikes possible across the U.S.
— In today's L.A. Times -- Grocery job is hard to replace -- A temporary worker earned more than he ever had before. A picket suffered a blow to his self-esteem.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Organized labor fights for its survival at AFL-CIO meeting (AP)
— Today from the AP -- AFL-CIO President Sweeney says Bush AWOL on jobs 
— In today's N.Y. Times -- AFL-CIO puts IAFF president, an early Kerry backer, on strategy panel

TUESDAY, March 9 -- Help spread word about tax credits for low-income working families
...plus yesterday -- WSLC Legislative Update: GOP's right wing takes flight
— In today's Seattle P-I -- State House OKs Top 2 primary; Montana is backup if courts toss it
...plus -- State Senate closes door on civil rights -- Editorial: With a deadline looming for important bills on small business, jobs, food safety, health care and education, Senate Republican leadership decided denying civil rights was more important.
...plus -- A tiny percentage -- Editorial: Corporate America, like other taxpaying entities, has an obligation to pay its fair share. And the evidence is mounting that they are not.
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Sacred Heart nurses plan to picket hospital -- WSNA nurses upset with wage and health insurance proposals in a new contract offered by management.
— In the Seattle Weekly -- Wanted: More hard hats -- The well-paying construction trades anticipate a shortage of workers, but hard work is a tough sell in this high-tech age.
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Log shortage hits lumber mill; no jobs affected yet
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Intalco tax relief heads to Locke; break contingent on keeping jobs
— In today's Seattle Times -- Grocery union (UFCW) prepares workers for more strikes (AP)
...plus -- Eyman wants more gambling to pay for tax cuts (AP)
...plus, in a related story -- Gov. Locke declares this week Problem Gambling Awareness Week
— In today's News Tribune -- Give green light to charter schools (editorial)
— In today's Everett Herald -- Marysville will pay ousted schools chief $340,000 in buyout
— In today's N.Y. Times --- Labor forced to reassess as leaders convene -- The nation's labor leaders are struggling at their annual meeting to find ways to keep the union movement from sinking further after it suffered several recent setbacks. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is facing some pressure because eight years after he took office, vowing to make unions stronger, labor is still in decline.
...plus -- Promises, promises -- Krugman column: Despite a string of dismal employment reports, the Bush administration insists that its economic program, which has relied entirely on tax cuts focused on the affluent, will produce big job gains any day now.
— In today's L.A. Times -- In Congress, rising deficit hangs over Bush tax cuts 

MONDAY, March 8 -- WSLC Legislative Update: GOP's right wing takes flight
...plus -- Take Action: Stop Congress from cutting $11 billion in Medicaid funds
— In Sunday's Olympian -- High hopes, sour mood for lawmakers' last week
...plus on Saturday -- Senate avoids gay rights vote by adjourning early, killing many bills
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Locke gives communications staffers pay raises -- WFSE: "It just doesn't look good when rank-and-file state employees have now gone three years without any pay raises."
— In Sunday's Everett Herald -- Export of jobs a thorny issue -- "When it was blue-collar workers, nobody cared. Now that it's white-collar workers, everybody cares," said WSLC's Randy Loomans. "These are our tax dollars that are going to pay the salaries of foreign workers. It's a travesty."
— In today's King County Journal -- Seattle to recognize city workers' gay marriages (AP)
...plus -- Eyman tries two-pronged attack on property taxes (AP)
— In Sunday's Tri-City Herald -- Hanford workers' safety is a community concern (editorial)
— In today's News Tribune -- 7E7 deal-sweeteners didn't sour Boeing deal (editorial)
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Social Security not in crisis, yet (editorial)
— In today's L.A. Times -- How the supermarket strike was settled -- The longest supermarket strike in U.S. history was settled in Steve Stemerman's hotel room... Moments before they shook hands on a deal, the UFCW's lead negotiator had noticed that two of the supermarket reps were sitting on the bed, and he couldn't resist joking about "the union getting into bed with the employers."
— In today's N.Y. Times -- The unrecognizable recovery -- Herbert column: Over the past three calendar years the number of people aged 16 to 24 who are both out of work and out of school increased from 4.8 million to 5.6 million, with males accounting for the bulk of the increase.
— In today's Washington Post -- Teacher of the year snubs Education chief over "terrorist" remark -- Bush official says remark was a "bad joke." But teacher says: "Nazi death camps aren't funny. Lynching people isn't funny. . . . And terrorism isn't funny. I just couldn't show up and shake that man's hand after he made those remarks."

Previous weeks' news: March 1-5 -- Feb. 23-27 -- Feb. 16-20

FRIDAY,  MARCH 12
Session ends; sign up for WSLC Leg. Report & Voting Record

The 2004 session of the Washington State Legislature ended on schedule Thursday with the passage of a supplemental budget that includes full funding of the historic first contract for state home-care providers and avoided increases in out-of-pocket health expenses for state and school employees, the first year rates haven’t gone up since 1998.

The session proved to be a mixed bag with some significant successes and some troubling defeats on important working family issues. (For the final status of 2004 bills of concern to organized labor, check out the WSLC's Legislative Tracker™.)

LATE SUCCESSES:  In the final hours of the session, a workers' compensation overpayment/business fraud bill, brokered by L&I Director Paul Trause and negotiated between business and labor representatives, was approved. We believe this bill demonstrates that good-faith negotiation between business and labor can lead to what we hope are positive changes to our workers' compensation system.

Also Thursday, the House refused to concur with labor-opposed Senate amendments on a bill that would have created Health Care Lite™ for small employers. As reported in our last Legislative Update, Rep. Eileen Cody's (D-Seattle) attempt with HB 2460 to find middle ground on a business-sought effort to make health care more affordable for small employers was passed by the House. But the Senate changed the bill in an unacceptable way to allow insurers nearly complete and total freedom to determine what they want to cover. Thanks to your calls to lawmakers and the principled actions of Rep. Cody, Speaker Frank Chopp and other House Democrats, the House refused to concur with Senate changes. The Senate ultimately backed off, passing the bill as approved in the House. The WSLC still has concerns about HB 2460, but as approved Thursday it is far better than the Senate version.

Along with passage of HB 2460 came approval of a welcome bill that will give TAA dislocated workers access to purchasing the Basic Health Plan if the purchase of their COBRA benefits are unaffordable.

LATE DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The WSLC was extremely disappointed with the passage of a poorly conceived primary election bill and the charter schools bill, which was forced to the floor by House Democratic leadership. This new investment in essentially private schools happens at a time our state is cutting funding for public schools, and occurs despite the clear opposition of voters and school advocates.

Also unfortunately, the Senate refused to consider the House-approved HCR 4419 creating a task force to study the impact of offshore outsourcing on both the public and private sectors of Washington state.

The WSLC will soon publish our 2004 Legislative Report and Voting Record summarizing the session and listing each legislators' labor voting record for this critically important election year. We plan to have the printed copies available in mid-April. The 2004 WSLC voting records should be available separately by the end of the month. 

An abbreviated version of the 2004 Legislative Report and Voting Record will be posted at this website (see last year's) and e-mailed to subscribers on the WSLC E-mail List.

GET A PRINTED COPY MAILED TO YOU:  If you would like to have a free printed copy of the full report mailed to you, fill out the online form indicating so, along with your name and address. (All affiliated unions and traditional-mail subscribers to our weekly Legislative Update newsletters and monthly printed newsletters will already receive a copy and need not fill out the form.)

GET COPIES TO DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR UNION'S MEMBERS:  As always, the WSLC will print as many copies as requested free of charge for affiliated union organizations.  All we ask is that the recipient unions make sure the reports are distributed by mail or some other way that ensures they get into the hands of union shop stewards, political action committee members and/or rank-and-file members. To place orders for your union, send an e-mail to David Groves at dgroves@wslc.org, indicate how many you need and whether you can pick them up (at our Seattle or Olympia office), or need them shipped to you.

FRIDAY,  MARCH 12
Sen. Murray: All laid-off Boeing workers now eligible for TAA

The following news release was distributed this morning by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA):

Murray Applauds Additional Trade Adjustment Assistance for Laid-Off Boeing Workers
Extended benefits mean resources, assistance for workers and families in difficult time

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Patty Murray, highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Employment, Safety and Training Subcommittee, today announced that all laid-off Boeing Commercial Airplane Group workers and employees laid-off at the Triumph Group in Spokane, are now eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

Boeing Commercial Airplane Group workers and Spokane Triumph workers will now be eligible for federal income support, training assistance, and a job search allowance.  Senator Murray worked with the Machinists Union, the Washington State Labor Council and the Department of Labor to ensure approval of the Machinists’ petition.

“This assistance is absolutely critical for the Boeing and Triumph workers across our state who have lost their jobs due to forces beyond their control,” Senator Murray said.  “TAA will mean the difference between someone who is trapped outside the workforce without the skills they need and someone who can compete and win in today’s economy.  I am proud to have stood beside these workers and their families to make sure they have the resources and assistance they need to move to new jobs, higher incomes and brighter futures.”

Under the TAA, the Boeing and Triumph workers will be eligible for: 

Training: Workers may receive up to 104 weeks of approved training in occupational skills, basic or remedial education, or literacy training.

Income Support: Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) are weekly cash payments available for 52 weeks after a worker's state unemployment compensation is exhausted.

Job Search Allowance: reimburses workers for approved expenses if successful in obtaining employment outside the normal commuting area.