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Reports for March 27-31, 2000 

FRIDAY, March 31 -- Teamster sanitation workers take to the streets tonight
Just in from Reuters -- Clinton short votes to pass China trade pact
In today's Seattle P-I -- EU's trade talks with China break down 
In today's New York Times -- Stakes in China suddenly seem less appealing 
In today's Washington Post -- Waffling on China (an editorial) 
In today's (Tacoma) News-Tribune -- Economy enriches retirement trust funds
In yesterday's Seattle Times -- Teachers union again pushing pay initiative 

THURSDAY, March 30 -- AFL-CIO forums to press for immigration law changes 
In today's Yakima Herald-Republic -- Fruit companies deny hiring illegal workers
In today's Spokesman-Review -- Hands on (Kaiser oped by Al Link)
...and also -- Hands off (Kaiser oped by Don Brunell)
In this week's The Stranger -- A chat with a locked-our Kaiser worker
...and also -- Not all SPEEA members thrilled with new contract
In today's (Tacoma) News-Tribune -- Boeing Teamsters to vote on contract
In today's L.A. Times -- L.A. unions plan summer labor offensive 

WEDNESDAY, March 29 -- Women in Trades Fair this weekend in Seattle 
In today's L.A. Times -- Rival U.S. camps prepare for battle on China trade 
In today's Washington Post -- My "rights" in China (open letter by Chinese dissident) 
In today's Seattle Times -- Alaska Airlines exec meet with unions to quell criticism 
In yesterday's (Vancouver) Columbian -- Bus drivers lose jobs and hours 

TUESDAY, March 28 -- Know your patient rights!  Teach-in Saturday in Seattle
In today's Seattle P-I -- Garbage strike seen as possible in King County 
In today's Olympian -- Locked-out steelworkers camp at Capitol
In today's Spokesman-Review -- Top Kaiser negotiator lobbies for jobless benefits 
In today's (Tacoma) News-Tribune -- Now it's Teamsters rejecting Boeing offer 
In today's L.A. Times -- A growing voice for Florida farm workers 

This just in from Reuters... -- China trade pact in peril in Congress 

MONDAY, March 27 -- AFL-CIO scholarship, financial aid info now online
In today's Washington Post -- Unions mobilize to beat Bush, regain House
...and also -- Profit beats prudence on China (oped)
In today's (Tacoma) News-Tribune -- Kaiser protest free of violence
In yesterday's Seattle Times -- Millions of workers may get sweet home-loan deals 

News from previous weeks:  March 20-24 -- March 13-17 -- March 6-10  

FRIDAY, MARCH 31
Teamster sanitation workers take to the streets tonight 

All friends of organized labor are invited to a "Solidarity Vigil / Block Party" for some 500 Teamsters-represented Puget Sound-area sanitation workers who are prepared to strike corporate giants, Waste Management and Allied Waste, potentially stopping garbage pickups in King and Snohomish counties.  It is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in front of Local 174's offices at 553 John Street in Seattle. 

The current contract expires at midnight tonight (March 31) and the drivers are ready to take economic action, if necessary.  Join with Puget Sound area sanitation workers and their families as they rally in the street on the final evening of bargaining.

There will be live music, food, soft drinks, and lots of solidarity.  Bring yours. 

For more information, check out "Garbage-truck drivers set rally" in today's Seattle Times. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 30
AFL-CIO forums to press for immigration law changes 

Under the banner of "Building Understanding, Creating Change," hundreds of immigrant workers, community leaders and union activists are expected for the first AFL-CIO-sponsored forum on the challenges and successes immigrant workers are finding in today's America.  It will be held in New York City this weekend, and subsequent forums are scheduled in coming months for Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. 

"By bringing immigrant workers, community and union leaders together for in-depth full-day sessions, we can begin to find solutions to the problems and exploitation immigrant workers face in America today," said Linda Chavez-Thompson, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President. 

The AFL-CIO Executive Council in February passed a resolution calling for changes in immigration and workplace laws, including the repeal of employer sanctions which are routinely used to punish workers, and replacing them with laws that criminalize employer exploitation of immigrant workers.  The AFL-CIO also called for changes in laws that would allow undocumented immigrants who are in the U.S. and contributing to their communities an opportunity to become U.S. citizens. 

The forums, to be conducted by a panel of labor leaders chaired by Chavez-Thompson, will be used to get first-hand evidence of such exploitation and to help the AFL-CIO develop future recommendations and proposals for the labor movement. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29
Women in Trades Fair this weekend at Seattle Center 

The 21st annual Washington Women in Trades Fair will be held this weekend, March 31 and April 1, at the Seattle Center in a continuing effort to get the word out to women about the rewards and satisfactions of skilled trades work, including a decent living wage with benefits due to the unionization of these jobs. 

Currently about 3 percent of "non-traditional" work -- which includes construction work, police and firefighters, among other jobs -- is done by women nationwide.  Within the Seattle area the percentage is closer to 10 percent. 

"With the passage of Initiative 200, there could be less emphasis placed on hiring women," according to a statement posted at the Fair's website.  "This is of concern to trades women and fair-minded men, since we know that there is poor representation of women in most of these jobs.  The Trades Fair will offer employers the opportunity to contact women for hire.  It will also give women a chance to get information about apprenticeships, since many apprenticeships have booths at the Fair.  Many organizations recruit and then later hire from the women that are met at the Fair." 

This year's Fair will pay tribute to the many women that have been in the trades for 20 years and more.  There will be a presentation event at noon on Saturday honoring these tradeswomen in the Flag Pavilion. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 28
Know your patient rights!  Teach-in Saturday in Seattle 

What are your rights under the state’s new Patient Bill of Rights?  How can you effectively exercise them?  What’s the difference between our law and the federal Patient Bill of Rights now under consideration? 

Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn and U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott will highlight the agenda for "Rescue Health Care Day: Putting Patient Rights Into Action," a free teach-in that is part of a nationwide effort to empower health care consumers, on Saturday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 First Ave. 

Senn, well-known as a consumer advocate, will address the issue of how to get independent reviews of denied health care claims.  McDermott will speak on the prospects for a national Patient Bill of Rights now being considered by Congress and how it will build on what has been accomplished in Washington already. 

Other topics will include medical records privacy, health plan disclosure requirements, right to independent review of denial of coverage, right to sue, and the implementation process.  Consumers will also provide their own experiences in getting better health care benefits and reviews. 

Other speakers include Victoria Doyle, a health care consumer; Bob Walerius, an attorney with Reed McClure; Tom Curry, Washington State Medical Association; and Laura Groshong, Washington Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and Consumers. 

This event is one of 35 events taking place around the country to highlight the way managed care has hurt consumers and clinicians and what can be done to create an adequate health care system. These events have been coordinated by United We Stand, a consumer health care advocacy group, and National Coalition for Mental Health Professionals and Consumers, a mental health advocacy group that is coordinating the Seattle event. 

In Seattle, sponsoring organizations include the Washington State Labor Council, Washington Citizen Action, the King County Labor Council and Washington Protection and Advocacy Service. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 28
China trade pact in peril in Congress 

The following Reuters story by Adam Entous was posted Monday: 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Support in the U.S. House for President Clinton's landmark trade agreement with China is eroding because of an intense lobbying campaign by organized labor, one of Clinton's Democratic allies warned Monday.

House Ways and Means Committee member Robert Matsui said a growing number of Democrats who supported trade legislation in the past are bowing to pressure from the AFL-CIO and other labor unions, jeopardizing this year's prospects for passage of the market-opening pact with China.

Republican leaders have demanded that Clinton and his allies round up 90 to 100 Democratic votes in the House. But Matsui said there was little chance of meeting that target and warned that a vote may have to be put off until 2001 or 2002.

"It's going to pass,'' Matsui of California said. But he added: "It may not be this year.''

The trade agreement, a crucial piece of Beijing's application to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), calls on China to open a wide range of markets, from agriculture to telecommunications.

In exchange for China opening of its markets, Clinton says Congress must grant Beijing permanent normal trade relations (NTR) -- a status that would guarantee Chinese goods the same low-tariff access to U.S. markets as products from nearly every other nation.

U.S. Senate support is virtually assured, but union leaders and their allies said they were within striking distance of killing permanent NTR in a bitterly divided House.

In the last month alone, the 750,000-member United Steelworkers of America union has flooded Congress with 186,000 letters, warning that the pact would undermine workers' rights in China and could lead to 600,000 or more U.S. job losses.

In April, the AFL-CIO labor federation said it would organize a massive rally on Capitol Hill, expected to draw at least 10,000 activists.  To increase pressure, the union will also hold protests at lawmakers' district offices and air television ads in key states during the upcoming congressional recess, April 17 to May 1.

Matsui said the AFL-CIO campaign was having a major impact, chipping away at Democratic support for permanent NTR. "Labor is better at lobbying back home than business is,'' he said.

By Matsui's count, 70 to 80 House Democrats will vote in favor of permanent NTR, short of the number demanded by the Republican leadership.

Nevertheless, he urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert to schedule a vote by June.

"Why the leadership in the House cannot set a date so that we can move forward is just beyond comprehension. It jeopardizes passage,'' Matsui said.  "Every day that goes by puts us one or two votes behind.''

And this related story from Congress Daily: 

Hoeffel Changes Mind, Now To Oppose China PNTR 

The usually pro-trade Rep. Joseph Hoeffel, D-Pa., will oppose legislation granting China permanent normal trade relations status, National Journal News Service has learned.  An aide confirmed today the freshman legislator will release a statement declaring his opposition to PNTR in the coming days. Hoeffel's defection is a blow to advocates of expanded trade with China, who had counted the legislator among the roughly 70 swing votes they hope to secure for passage of the controversial trade measure. 

Hoeffel, a freshman who faces a tough re-election battle this year in a district based in suburban Philadelphia's Main Line, disclosed his decision at a meeting today with about 30 regional labor leaders - who were in Washington to voice their opposition to the China trade deal, as well as their displeasure with trade legislation that Hoeffel has supported, such as the Africa free trade bill.

But Hoeffel pre-empted the criticism by announcing he would vote "no" on PNTR, said Wendell Young III, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, who attended the meeting.  Among the reasons cited by Hoeffel for his opposition was concern with China's human rights abuses.  

Until today, Hoeffel was keeping everyone guessing about his position. Just last week, he met with members of the business community from his district who favor the trade deal in a meeting organized by The Business Roundtable, which plans to spend up to $10 million on a nationwide campaign to foster support for China PNTR.

Meanwhile, House Minority Whip Bonior, who is spearheading opposition to granting PNTR to China, will hold a news conference this week where he will announce the names of 15 members who intend to vote with him, despite their having previously supported annual renewal of NTR, according to his spokesman.

Bonior has said he has confirmed 30 vote switchers, but has not yet furnished any names.  The spokesman said the remaining 15 members are not yet ready to go public.  One factor that could encourage wavering members to make their positions known is an upcoming AFL-CIO rally on April 12. 

For more information about labor's opposition to permanent NTR for China, click here. 

MONDAY, MARCH 27
AFL-CIO scholarship, financial aid info now online 

Whether you're a young person preparing to put yourself through college or a parent looking ahead to your toddler's future, the AFL-CIO has now posted all the information gathered on union-sponsored scholarships and student financial aid on its web site at www.aflcio.org/scholarships/. 

"We are very excited to provide union members and their families with easier access to information to help their financial needs for education," said Susan Washington of the AFL-CIO's Education Department.  "We will be able to continuously update the site with new awards information that we receive from our affiliated unions." 

The information is divided into five sections: 

Online Resources -- Links to help you predict college costs, locate additional sources of financial aid and develop a financial plan that can make college possible. 

Union-Sponsored Scholarships and Aid -- The union movement helps thousands of students each year pay for college. Find out what's available from unions, state labor federations, central labor councils and local unions. 

Federal Financial Aid -- What kind of assistance is available from the federal government—and how to tap into it. 

National Labor College -- Labor's own college at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Md., offers a unique accredited degree program. 

Bibliography -- Books and directories to help with financial planning for college. 

If you have news items regarding unions or workplace issues in Washington state that you would like to see posted here, please submit them via e-mail to David Groves or via fax  to 206-285-5805.

Copyright © 2000  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO