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Reports for May 5-9, 2003

Previous weeks' news: April 28-May 2 -- April 21-25 -- April 14-18

FRIDAY, May 9 -- State's congressional delegation (except Dunn) backs job-protection bill
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Signature gatherers take too much initiative with I-841 -- People being paid to gather signatures for Initiative 841 have told Spokane voters some dire -- but untrue -- tales about the new state ergonomic rules.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing's Mulally: State must do more for business
— In today's Everett Herald -- Mulally lays out 7E7 position -- "What's the 'E' stand for?" the Boeing chief quips. "Everett? Europe?" (Funny, funny stuff.)
— In today's King County Journal -- Mulally says recovery just around corner for commercial jets
...plus -- Don't penalize poor to balance the budget (editorial)
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Budget deal proves elusive in Olympia; special session delayed
— In today's News Tribune -- Court narrowly upholds cigarette tax hike, saving Basic Health
— In today's Olympian -- HRC complaint from union merits action, official says
At AFLCIO.org -- Sweeney: Ullico changes will "restore financial viability, confidence"
— In today's Washington Post -- Ullico picks new chairman in management shake-up
...plus -- GOP senators back tax increases in attempt to save dividend cut
— In today's N.Y. Times -- The tax-cut fixation -- Editorial: Bills moving through Congress continue to emphasize upper-bracket boons while totally ignoring the plight of the nation's unemployed workers.
...plus -- Into the sunset -- Krugman column: The "sunset" clauses of the current tax cut, whereby cuts expire after a few years, represent the same bait-and-switch tactics we fell for in 2001.
— In today's L.A. Times - Halliburton's bill for Iraq work mounts, but little help for Iraqis to show for it 

THURSDAY, May 8 -- EFF e-mail encourages state employees to violate ethics laws
— In today's Olympian -- Mass e-mail from EFF to state workers puts some on edge
...plus -- 400 UW research techs win first contract with wage, benefit parity
— Also in today's Olympian -- Special session delayed as budget agreement proves elusive
— In today's Seattle Times -- Hearst: By the time judge rules on JOA, it could be too late for P-I
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Seattle to lay off 178 teachers ...plus Marysville to lay off 157 teachers
...plus -- Republicans stick with terrifying man -- Means column: Thomas Scully, Bush's Medicare administrator who wants to privatize the system, spends his time badmouthing the popular program he runs -- one that has succeeded providing basic health insurance to virtually every senior citizen.
— In today's News Tribune -- Boeing peddles 717-200 as convenient business jet
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Governor Locke inks in-state tuition bill for immigrants
...plus -- Postal carriers also will carry food this Saturday
— In today's King County Journal -- Annual Letter Carriers' food drive scheduled for Saturday
— In yesterday's Aberdeen Daily World -- Letter Carriers' food drive set for May 10
— In today's Oregonian -- Benefit-cutting "reform" of PERS barrels forward; unions vow to sue
At AFLCIO.org -- Letter Carriers make it easy to donate food this Saturday
— In today's Washington Post -- GOP senators reach tax cut pact -- To keep the $430 billion measure from costing more than the $350 billion that a recently passed Senate resolution allowed, Republicans were seeking at least $80 billion in offsetting tax increases or spending cuts.
...plus -- Judge rules plan insufficient to save salmon; Bush may have to reconsider breaching dams

WEDNESDAY, May 7 -- New online resource available for unemployed workers
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Spokane School District budget in $9 million hole
— In today's Everett Herald -- 157 Marysville teachers get layoff notices due to state budget cuts 
...plus -- No-new-taxes budget remains only way to go -- Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-Snohomish) op-ed: There is no budget "deficit." We are going to collect... more than enough to pay for what this state needs. So this budget discussion isn't about cuts, it's about slowing the growth of government. (Apparently, it's also about slowing the growth of our children's educations.)
...plus -- Boeing 767 tanker deal talks are in their final stages
— In yesterday's King County Journal -- Cities need to control health costs -- Editorial: It's time for public employees to more fully share in the cost of their health coverage.
— In today's News Tribune -- Letting human services erode would be irresponsible (Burbank column)
— In today's Oregonian -- Medic union (ATU 757), ambulance service reach tentative accord
At AFLCIO.org -- Half a million nurses launch campaign for safe staffing standards
— Today from Reuters -- Cheney says he'll be Bush's running mate in '04 -- Halliburton stock soars.
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Ullico to name new leader: LIUNA President Terence O'Sullivan
— Today from UPI -- Pentagon, NASA seek to join Homeland Security in banning unions
— Last week in the S.F. Chronicle -- Family unfriendly labor law -- Column: don't be fooled by this Republican-led effort to end the 40-hour workweek or you'll wind up working more and earning less.

TUESDAY, May 6 -- Fundraiser Friday for Allied janitors fired during organizing campaign
— In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing tries name game, sleeker look for new jet
...plus -- Talmadge, Eyman join forces in jail guards' bid to shrink King County Council
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Rep. Jack Cairnes running for vacant King County Council seat
— In Monday's Everett Herald -- Tax credits for biotechs may be lost in state budget mess
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Locke losing grip on economic monster (Caldwell column)
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Letter carriers to collect food on Saturday
— In today's Salem S-J -- Attorneys say enforcement of state worker rights lags in Oregon
— In today's Oregonian -- Louisiana Pacific considers moving HQ out of Portland -- LP says a move  would stem from internal logistical issues and travel cost-cutting. But it could add fuel to arguments of government critics who contend regulations inhibit the business climate. Sound familiar?
At AFLCIO.org -- New book reveals why we can't afford prescription drugs
— In today's Washington Post -- Getting a fix on drug costs (re: Katharine Greider's "The Big Fix")
...plus -- Tax cut trickery, Part II -- Editorial: Households earning more than $1 million would receive an average tax cut in 2003 of $105,600 under a new House plan and $89,500 under the Bush plan.
— In today's S.F. Chronicle -- Federal unemployment benefits running out again
— In today's N.Y. Times -- House considers measure to cut billions in pension obligations -- Bill would allow businesses with union workers to reduce their company pension obligations by billions of dollars, because statistics show that most blue-collar workers don't live as long as other Americans.

MONDAY, May 5 -- Get your donations ready: NALC Food Drive is this Saturday
— In Sunday's Seattle P-I -- House should replace Chopp -- Editorial: House Speaker Frank Chopp's dogged allegiance to labor groups is troubling, insisting on pay raises for public school educators and state employees in a budget nearly $3 billion in the red.
— In today's Olympian -- State budget writers face tough choices
...and on Saturday -- Bill would ease leave restriction, allow state workers to donate paid time off
— In today's Everett Herald -- No-new-taxes budget remains only way to go (Rep. Kristiansen op-ed)
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Will Governor Locke jump for Boeing?
— In the new P.S. Business Journal -- Lawmakers heed business climate issues
...plus -- Association health care divide business community
— In today's News Tribune -- Western State union leader (WFSE 793) temporarily replaced
...plus -- A good end to WEA's bad deal on gambling (editorial)
— In today's Oregonian -- Portland ambulance workers (ATU 757) vote to go on strike
...plus today -- As state government grew, agency protecting workers was cut; now more cuts loom
At AFLCIO.org -- 8.8 million now officially jobless; more like 15 million
— In today's Washington Post -- Jobs and the jobless -- Editorial: If Mr. Bush is so worried about the unemployed -- and about boosting the economy -- the administration and its allies in Congress ought to support an extension of federal unemployment benefits, set to expire at the end of this month.
...plus -- Bush's tax cut drive: Heat replaces sweet, but shift in tactics hasn't swayed holdouts 
— Today from Reuters -- AFT Healthcare study: Overworked nurses put patient care at risk
— Today from MSNBC.com -- Feds probe Boeing over possible use of rival's documents in bid
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Case challenges employees' waiving right to sue -- The case addresses one of the most pressing questions in employment law today: Can employers force workers to waive their right to bring employment-related civil rights suits and to accept arbitration instead?

Previous weeks' news: April 28-May 2 -- April 21-25 -- April 14-18

FRIDAY, MAY 9
State's congressional delegation (except Dunn) backs jobs bill

Washington's congressional delegation, with the exception of Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-8th), are co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to bring the United States into compliance with World Trade Organization rulings, avoid sanctions by the European Union and promote jobs in the United States. H.R. 1769, The Job Protection Act of 2003 led by Reps. Phil Crane (R-Ill.) and Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), is supported by the AFL-CIO, Boeing and Microsoft, among others.

The World Trade Organization has ruled that the U.S. Foreign Services Corporation/Extraterritorial Income tax deduction was not in compliance because it unfairly promoted exports. As of May 7, the European Union is formally authorized to impose $4 billion in trade sanctions against the United States at any time. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has said the issue can not be settled through negotiation, so legislation repealing the FSC/ETI is necessary to avoid EU sanctions.

There is general agreement in Congress that the FSC/ETI should be replaced with another tax benefit for U.S. companies, but there is significant disagreement on what the new benefit should be. The Job Protection Act of 2003 would repeal the FSC/ETI and replace it with a domestic manufacturing and production income exclusion that promotes U.S. job creation and retention. Under the measure, a company that makes all of its goods in the U.S. would be eligible for the entire benefit, while a company that makes half its goods here would get half of the benefit.

"Companies receiving tax benefits should be providing jobs to Americans," said Rep. Adam Smith (D-9th). "This bill addresses the FSC/ETI issue in a way that is fair and promotes job growth here in America."

House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) is pushing rival legislation that would repeal FSC/ETI and provide a new tax benefit primarily to multinational corporations without distinguishing between domestic production and offshore operations. 

The AFL-CIO opposes this approach. "Congress should not give tax breaks to corporations that choose the low road strategy of remaining competitive by shipping jobs out of the U.S. to low-wage locations," wrote William Samuel, Director of the AFL-CIO Department of Legislation, in a letter to U.S. representatives.

"This is a critically important issue, and the actions of Congress will have serious consequences," Rep. Smith said. "We must act to avoid trade sanctions which will hurt our already-fragile economy, businesses and workers; however, we must act wisely so that we don't encourage businesses to move more operations overseas because of the way the tax code is structured. This approach will allow us to avoid trade sanctions and will promote jobs here in the United States. It's a win-win for America."

The Crane-Rangel bill is bipartisan and has the support of the majority of the Washington state delegation.  It is also supported by Boeing, Microsoft, and the AFL-CIO.

THURSDAY, MAY 8
EFF e-mail encourages state employees to violate ethics laws

THURSDAY, MAY 8
400 UW research techs win first contract, wage-benefit parity 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
New online resource available for unemployed workers

The National Employment Law Project has established a new online resource -- www.UnemployedWorkers.org -- for jobless workers and interested groups concerned about today's job market and the federal extension of unemployment benefits, scheduled to expire after May 31. Already, almost 3 million workers have run out of federal jobless benefits, and millions more will have no federal benefits available if Congress and the President do not strengthen and continue this important program.

With this new website, unemployed workers can now:

• Learn about all the latest benefits to support unemployed workers.
• Find support resources in their community.
• Learn about the federal extension of unemployment benefits, scheduled to run out May 31.
• Take action to protect and strengthen the federal extension of unemployment benefits.
• Share their story and hear the concerns of other jobless workers.
• Get the latest national statistics on the impact of the economy on the unemployed.

Help spread the word! Publicize this site to your union's members and anyone else you know who is currently unemployed. Include www.UnemployedWorkers.org in your newsletters and post links on your websites. For more information, contact Leora Hanser at the National Employment Law Project  at (212) 285-3025 x206.

TUESDAY, MAY 6
Fundraiser Friday for fired union-organizing Allied janitors

The following open invitation comes from Service Employees International Union Local 6 in Seattle:

Rosa, a mother of three, was fired after leading a union organizing effort in her workplace. 

Before her, Allied Building Services, a Bellevue-based cleaning contractor, also fired seven other janitors. Rosa was organizing to improve working conditions for herself and for her coworkers.

Allied janitors earn only $8.50 an hour and have no medical benefits. In addition, their employer violates these workers' legal right to organize. Allied is currently under investigation for numerous violations of federal labor law.

Join SEIU Local 6 on Friday, May 9, in a dinner of solidarity with Rosa and other fired workers. Rosa and the other workers continue fighting for justice and respect at the workplace.

Come and enjoy great Mexican and other ethnic foods, a short program, and then Salsa dancing. All proceeds from the dinner are going to support these workers during this difficult time.

When: Friday, May 9, 2003
Time: 7pm to 11pm
Where: Seattle Labor Temple
2800 1st Avenue in Seattle (Corner of First Avenue and Broad Street)

Tickets are $10 (includes food and entertainment). For more information, contact SEIU 6's Katy Carter at (206) 448-7348.

MONDAY, MAY 5
Get your donations ready: NALC Food Drive is this Saturday