WSLC Reports Today -- May 13-17, 2002

WSLC Reports Today logo UPDATED DAILY -- M-F by 9 a.m. Pacific

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

Reports for May 13-17, 2002

Previous weeks' news: May 6-10 -- April 29-May 3 -- April 22-26

FRIDAY, May 17 -- Tell your Senators to support Corzine Fast Track amendment
...plus -- Cantwell sides with GOP to reject labor-supported Dodd amendment to Fast Track
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing warns 1,100 in region they will lose jobs in July
...plus -- Aramark loses Boeing food services deal, may lay off 436
...plus -- Strapped UW freezes faculty wages, hikes tuition; and is losing English professors
...and yesterday -- Postcard campaign wants to help illegal immigrant workers
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Farm workers get $750,000 in pesticide case
...and yesterday -- Workers unionize at Sacred Heart Medical Center
— In today's News-Tribune -- Good Samaritan technicians, housekeepers unionize
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Rally Saturday recalls 1952 visit by Paul Robeson
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Foreign steel flap could stall Marrows bridge, boost cost
— In today's Everett Herald -- Companies want state to rethink B&O tax
— In today's Olympian -- State workers believe in the services they provide (column)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Wal-Mart, other employers cashing in when employees die
— Today at AFLCIO.org -- Hershey Chocolate workers strike while CEO rakes in $22 million
— In today's N.Y. Times -- US Airways tells unions the details of cost-cutting plans
...plus -- House passes Welfare bill with stricter rules on work
— In today's Washington Post -- Senate backs wage insurance for workers hit by trade

THURSDAY, May 16 -- 1,200 at Sacred Heart vote to join UFCW 1001
...plus -- 550 Good Samaritan employees vote to join SEIU 1199NW

In the new Seattle Weekly -- A legend reclaimed (re: Paul Robeson concert Saturday)
Today at WashTech.org -- Court upholds Microsoft "permatemp" settlement
— In today's News-Tribune -- Dust-up over Asian steel hampers Narrows Bridge project
— In today's SCJ -- Mixed signals on regional road plan; officials debate whether to put it on ballot
— In today's Yakima Herald -- Too much big business in initiative politics (editorial re: Eyman's I-776)
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- National nuclear operator looks at taking over FFTF
— In today's Seattle Times -- "Permatemp" lawyers get $27 million
...plus -- Six more at L&I disciplined over improper e-mail
...plus -- A state divided will not get its goods to market (Balter column)
— In today's Olympian -- Ballard's retirement leaves void in the House
— In yesterday's Vashon Beachcomber -- Vashon CCC files ULP against SEIU in mediator dispute
...plus -- Former Vashon CCC resident's daughter will join picket line
— In today's L.A. Times -- Las Vegas hotel housekeepers (HERE) take strike vote
— In today's N.Y. Times -- GOP dispute delays vote on Welfare bill
...plus -- House GOP blocks vote on banning use of offshore corporate tax havens
— In today's Washington Post -- Small business group (NFIB) sticks to one side of political fence

WEDNESDAY, May 15 -- "A Million Voices for Legalization" campaign launches today
...plus -- "Rolling Thunder" coming to Seattle; organizing meeting Thursday
...plus -- 5,000 UW staff open negotiations Thursday; rally planned
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Kaiser lockout ruled illegal, but back pay won't come soon
— In today's Olympian -- House GOP leader Ballard says he won't run again
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing to "shrink footprint," downsize in Renton, Everett and California
— In today's Eastside Journal -- Boeing says Lockheed Martin isn't sharing (JSF work)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Mercer Island considers low-cost housing for public employees
...plus -- Don't play politics with my life -- Op-ed: I have worked for over 30 years at exploitive, low-wage jobs. If I had to stay home because one of my children was ill, I lost a day's pay and I faced disciplinary actions when I returned to work... it is what the world of low-paying labor routinely expects of a working mother. Yet, President Bush does not think I'm working hard enough.
— In today's Salem (Ore.) S-J -- Capital Consultants settles with investors (union trust funds)
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Senate scorns Bush veto threat, amends Fast Track bill
...plus -- Teamsters will vote this weekend on UPS strike authorization
...plus -- A surprise from Sen. Clinton -- Editorial: Hillary has decided to side with Bush and others advocating punitive new work requirements in legislation to be voted on this week in the House.
— In today's L.A. Times -- In milestone ruling, Saipan garment workers can sue retailers as class
— In today's Washington Post -- GOP rakes in $33 million at dinner, sells 9-11 photo of Bush

BREAKING NEWS -- From Seattle P-I -- GOP leader Clyde Ballard announces retirement

TUESDAY, May 14 -- NLRB judge rules Kaiser lockout illegal, orders back pay
...plus -- APRI hosts Seattle screening of "10,000 Men Named George"
— In today's Seattle Times -- Machinists, Boeing face tough talks on contract
...plus -- Social Insecurity: Women deserve retirement equalizer (Varner column)
— In today's Olympian -- Car dealers' association backs Referendum 51
...but -- Environmental activists might oppose gas tax Ref. 51
...plus -- Postal customers deliver record haul (up 30%) in food drive
— In today's SCJ -- Mail carriers' annual drive brings in tons of food items
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Funding troubles stalk Eyman's group (Forget the AP story in today's papers with headlines like Eyman donates time, money as I-776 falters. The Herald story poses the correct question: Why won't Eyman give back more of the $200,000 he took in order to "save" I-776?)
— In today's Eastside Journal -- County looking into using jail work crews at parks
— In today's News-Tribune -- Budgetary smoke-and-mirrors (tobacco bonds) worked out after all
— In today's Yakima Herald -- Aluminum workers at Goldendale approve contract
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Field hands find they can now own the land in Eastern Washington
— In today's Oregonian -- Capital Consultants court settlement struck
...plus -- Drug firms increase dosage of campaign cash in Oregon (look for the same here)
— In today's Washington Post -- New Senate proposal snags Bush's bid for Fast Track
...plus -- Bush pushes bigger workload for Welfare recipients
...and completing the Bush trifecta -- Cringe for Mr. Bush -- Editorial: Yesterday Mr. Bush signed a farm bill that represents a low point in his presidency -- a wasteful corporate welfare measure that penalizes taxpayers and the world's poorest people in order to bribe a few voters... During the next months, when the administration says there is no new money for welfare mothers or health care or low-income housing, remember Mr. Bush's farm bill.
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Edison (firm that pioneered school privatization) faces financial crisis
...plus -- The great evasion -- Krugman column: The Bush administration, always quick to question the patriotism of anyone who gets in its way, has said nothing at all about the growing number of U.S. corporations declaring themselves foreign to avoid paying taxes.

MONDAY, May 13 -- IBEW, Teamsters plan consecutive rallies Tuesday in Seattle
— In today's News-Tribune -- For 747, it's move it or lose it (re: moving production line)
...and yesterday -- State employees denied benefit of high pension-fund investment returns (op-ed)
— In yesterday's Seattle Times -- Who's the boss? "Co-employers" make it murky
— In today's Oregonian -- Importers scramble as longshore labor talks begin
— In today's L.A. Times -- In New York, "Workfare" record evokes caution
— In Saturday's Detroit Free Press -- Detroit lawyer named NLRB chief; turns board Republican
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Dissent in GOP forces changes in party's Medicare drug plan
...plus -- The Bermuda tax triangle -- Editorial: Congress must look at ways of closing these (corporate tax) loopholes. Even in the best of times, it is outrageous for companies to engage in offshore shenanigans to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Doing so after the Enron scandal, in dire fiscal times and when the nation is at war is unconscionable.
— In today's Washington Post -- Worked till they drop -- What happened to Li Chunmei last November is described by family, friends and co-workers as an example of what China's more daring newspapers call guolaosi. The phrase means "over-work death," and usually applies to young workers who suddenly collapse and die after working exceedingly long hours, day after day.
...and on Saturday -- GOP shunning use of word "privatization" regarding Social Security

Previous weeks' news: May 6-10 -- April 29-May 3 -- April 22-26

FRIDAY, MAY 17
Tell your Senators to support Corzine Fast Track amendment

U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) is sponsoring an amendment to the Baucus-Grassley Fast Track trade negotiating authority bill that would protect essential services -- like Social Security -- from being privatized in future trade agreements, and union activists are being asked to contact their Senators to urge support of the amendment. (See Call to Action below.)

The Amendment would establish as a negotiating objective that the U.S. Trade Representative shall ensure that any trade agreement not include a commitment to privatize significant public services, including national security, Social Security, public health and safety and education.

New rules on trade in services are being negotiated at the World Trade Organization as part of a round to expand the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process. This could lead to trade agreements under which services traditionally administered by federal, state and local governments would be threatened. Policies that protect public services but that could put competing private providers at a disadvantage could be challenged, even if government involvement is needed to guarantee access to such essential services as Social Security, health care and education.

For instance, states could be barred from providing subsidies to public universities to level the playing field with private providers. In the end, the cost of higher education for all students would increase.

The U.S. Trade Representative should leave decisions relating to the privatization of national security, Social Security, public health and safety, and education services to Congress and other elected officials.

The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that any change in the provision of significant public services be made democratically, based on our national values. The amendment would ensure that Congress and elected state and local officials have a full opportunity to debate the merits of privatizing essential public services. Even if Congress grants the president extended authority in trade matters, it should retain full and unfettered responsibility with respect to the provision of public services.

The current Fast Track bill would increase the power of trade negotiators to place new constraints on the ability of Congress and state and local lawmakers to set public policy regarding a broad range of services. Given the potentially serious and far-reaching consequences of these agreements, it is imperative that Congress develop clear, enforceable limits for our negotiators in order to ensure that new trade rules do not undermine the provision of key public services. This amendment will keep responsibility for public service provision in the United States where it belongs: Congress.

In crafting this amendment, Sen. Corzine worked with many unions, including the CWA, AFSCME, AFT, UAW, TWU, Teamsters and SEIU. Many of these unions join the AFL-CIO in opposing Fast Track trade negotiating authority all together, but they are also working to ensure public services are protected from privatization efforts in international trade agreements.

CALL TO ACTION:
Union members, trade activists and other supporters of quality public services are asked to contact their U.S. Senators and urge their support for the Corzine Amendment.

— Send an automated or personalized e-mail.

— Call Sen. Patty Murray's office at (206) 553-5545 or (202) 224-2621 in D.C.;
and Sen. Maria Cantwell's office at (206) 220-6400 or (202) 224-3441 in D.C.; or call the AFL-CIO Toll Free number (during regular business hours): 1-877-611-0063.

And while you're at it, send an automated or personalized fax expressing opposition to Fast Track, in general.

FRIDAY, MAY 17
Cantwell sides with GOP to reject Dodd amendment to Fast Track

Following is a statement from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in response to Thursday's U.S. Senate vote to table the Dodd amendment to the Fast Track trade promotion authority bill. Sen. Maria Cantwell was one of five Democrats who sided with Republicans in defeating the measure. (See the roll call vote.)

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney

Senators voted today to defeat an amendment offered by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) that would have taken reasonable measures to ensure that workers' most basic rights and freedoms are honored in future trade agreements. Instead, five Democrats and 47 Republicans voted against ensuring that our trade partners follow basic workplace principles including no child labor, no slave labor, no discrimination on the job and freedom of association for workers.

We are very disappointed that the Senators walked away from the principles embodied in the U.S. - Jordan Free Trade Agreement which passed with unanimous support in the Senate last year. We must make sure that the global economy works for all working people, not just for big corporations, and the Dodd amendment would have set an important floor for workplace standards in trade deals.

THURSDAY, MAY 16
1,200 at Sacred Heart vote to join UFCW 1001

Following is a press release issued today by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1001:

SPOKANE—After an intense anti-union campaign, 1,200 Service and Maintenance employees at Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC) voted 582 to 261 for union representation with UFCW Local 1001.

“We were confident the employees would see through administration’s propaganda and vote overwhelmingly for the voice and respect union representation brings,” says Local 1001 Organizing Director Peter Diaz.

The election is one of the largest union wins in recent history.

The Service and Maintenance employees sought union representation to gain a voice in the changes occurring at SHMC and the health care industry. With union representation, SHMC Service and Maintenance employees want to ensure the highest possible patient care to the community.

“Sacred Heart is a good place to work, but it’s not the place it was 20 years ago”, says Audrey Hill, a Baker at Sacred Heart and a 20 year employee. “It’s time Administration treated us with the same respect we show the patients. Of course we’d like better wages, but we also deserve fairness. With a union we can earn that.

“I’ve worked in a union hospital in the past, and the union difference is like night and day”, says Michael Peart, a 6 year Intake Coordinator at Sacred Heart. “We need a contract and the backing of a union to defend our rights. I’m convinced the more respect we earn, the better patient care we’ll deliver.”

“In the past when something happened to us at work we were on our own. Now with a union we’ll have the backing of all of us working together. I’m looking forward to having the protections of a union”, says Shannon Gertsch, a 4 year Laboratory Assistant at Sacred Heart.

Service and Maintenance employees will begin negotiating their first contract shortly. In December, 570 technical employees voted 2-1 for representation with UFCW Local 1001. Bargaining for their first contract is under way, and with the Service and Maintenance employees, Local 1001 will be bargaining for over 1700 Sacred Heart employees. UFCW Local 1001 is the largest, non-registered nurse, health care union in Washington State.

Here is a story that ran in yesterday's Spokesman-Review regarding the vote:

Sacred Heart staff to vote on union
1,200 workers will decide today (Wednesday) on organizing

By John Stucke
Staff writer
About 1,200 Sacred Heart Medical Center workers will vote today on joining a union.
"It's the largest union action in Washington state in recent history," said Peter Diaz, organizing director of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1001.
Those voting today are service and maintenance employees. The jobs range from cooks and child-care workers to laboratory assistants, surgery attendants and receptionists.
If successful, the vote will make Spokane's largest private employer its largest union shop, surpassing even Kaiser Aluminum Corp. some four years ago when Steelworkers walked out of bustling plants.
And it follows a growing trend in Spokane's health care industry.
The ramifications aren't lost on Sacred Heart administrators, who wrote letters last week to employees.
"While I respect your right to choose, I must tell you I am profoundly disappointed that we are at this point without trying any other alternative remedies," wrote Skip Davis, chief executive officer at Sacred Heart.
He added: "Assess the promises and representation being made by those that would lead you to believe anything is possible. Unfortunately, that's never been the reality and it is of particular concern in today's climate."
The vote follows a December action by 570 medical technicians at Sacred Heart, who voted to join UFCW Local 1001. Already, about 1,200 nurses at Sacred Heart are members of the Washington State Nurses Association.
"We need a voice in staffing issues like the RNs and LPNs have. We bear the brunt of staffing cutbacks," a pro-union flier quoted workers as saying. "When administration wants to save money, we just get more work piled on us. Not only is it a safety issue, it's also a patient care issue."
Union organizers have used a blend of pay promises, patient care and workplace improvement talk to find an audience among Spokane health care workers. It is proving to be a potent mix when compared to Spokane's financially successful hospitals and clinics.
Sacred Heart, which operates as a nonprofit hospital, posted earnings of $26.3 million in fiscal year 2000, according to audited reports submitted to the state Department of Health.
Hospital managers have said they are trying to respond to employee concerns.
At Sacred Heart, management said it boosted pension plan benefits and doubled life insurance plans.
The labor activity has touched other health care providers, too.
Registered nurses and case managers at St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute organized this year.
A year ago, nurses and therapists at Group Health Cooperative joined a union.
So did health educators, nutritionists, dental hygienists and others at the Spokane Regional Health District.

THURSDAY, MAY 16
550 Good Samaritan employees vote to join SEIU 1199NW

Following is a press release issued today by District 1199NW of the Service Employees International Union:

PUYALLUP – About 550 Good Samaritan Hospital technical and service employees—including respiratory therapists, certified nursing assistants, health unit coordinators, technologists, housekeepers, and dietary staff—voted on Wednesday to form a union with Service Employees International Union District 1199NW. Ballots were counted on Wednesday evening. The vote was 266-166.

“This is a big victory for the entire community, because it means that frontline employees will have a stronger voice at the hospital. Our goal is to protect and improve the quality of care our patients receive here. As Good Samaritan expands, we want to protect the family feeling that makes it a great hospital,” said Lisa Johnson, a surgical technologist at Good Samaritan.

Good Samaritan employees formed a union so they can speak with a united voice about issues that affect patient care and services. In an era of budget cutbacks in hospitals, a growing number of hospital employees are joining together to advocate for pay and benefits that will attract and retain good health care workers to provide quality care.

In a special report released last fall, the Washington State Hospital Association warned that patient care in our state’s hospitals is threatened by looming shortages of qualified staff. High job turnover is a problem at many hospitals.

Good Samaritan employees voted to join SEIU, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing union of health care workers. In Washington, about 15,000 hospital and clinic employees are represented by SEIU. Nationally, more than 750,000 health care workers are members of SEIU.

For more information, contact Carter Wright, Communications Director of Service Employees International Union District 1199NW at (425) 917-1199.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
"A Million Voices for Legalization" campaign launches today

In 30 cities across the nation today, including Seattle and the Yakima Valley, local and national labor, religious, ethnic, community and immigrant organizations are announcing A Million Voices for Legalization, an unprecedented grassroots campaign designed to urge the White House and Congress to move forward on immigration reform.

Over the summer, the groups will work together to gather a million postcards before the November elections to show America’s political leaders that there is still broad support for immigration policies that give hard-working, tax-paying immigrants already in the United States the opportunity to earn legal status.

“Millions of immigrants work every day, contributing to our economy and communities, and paying taxes,” said Phet Singkeo, a Seattle home care worker and Laotian immigrant. “They should not have to live in fear of being deported just for showing up for work. We need immigration reform now to give hard-working immigrants the ability to gain legal status.”

Adobe Acrobat (PDF) versions of the postcards can be downloaded in English and in Spanish, with additional languages coming soon. The postcards urge President Bush and Congress to "support immigration policies that reward work by giving hard working, tax paying immigrants already in the United States the opportunity to earn legal status."

According to a recent UCLA study, immigrants contribute more than $440 billion dollars to our economy. Undocumented immigrants fill scores of vital jobs that would otherwise go vacant. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. economy would shut down if we sent every undocumented immigrant home today.

Local organizations participating on the campaign include the Service Employees International Union, United Farm Workers, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, Washington Association of Churches, Committee for General Amnesty and Social Justice, Casa Latina, Teamsters Local 556, the NW Immigrant Rights Project, and the NW LELO.

Among the other cities launching the campaign today are Washington D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Chicago, Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, Portland, Las Vegas and Houston.

Contact Sergio Salinas at SEIU Local 6, (206) 448-7348 x336 for more information about the campaign or how to get involved.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
"Rolling Thunder" coming to Seattle; meeting Thursday

"For too long progressives have walked fearful of their shadows, whimpering and whining about what’s wrong and fighting amongst themselves over crumbs. That time is over. It’s time to sing and and work and build a new community dedicated to hope and real change. And good beer..." -- Jim Hightower

The Rolling Thunder Down Home Democracy Tour is a festival of music, arts and grassroots organizing. It’s a county fair with guts. A revival with a reason. A concert with consciousness. And it's coming to Seattle on August 24!

Unionizers and wage earners, hipsters and farmers, activists and artists, stargazers and soccer moms, high-schoolers and life scholars, welders and body-builders, and everyone else are invited to attend a Rolling Thunder organizing meeting tomorrow (Thursday, May 16) at 6 p.m. at the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Avenue (First and Broad). Come get an update on progress so far, get the opportunity to share ideas and get your organization involved.

Spearheaded by Jim Hightower, a progressive commentator from Texas, the first festival took place in Austin in April. It included well-known performers from hip hop, Tejano, rock, folk, and other musical genres, plus hands-on workshops, games, food booths, and scores of tables and booths for
community organizations.

Unlike other festivals that may allow a few non-profit tables around the fringe, the whole idea behind this festival is to fuse grassroots politics, music and fun while reaching out to new people.

The Austin Rolling Thunder stop had more than 7,000 participants; in Seattle, we expect more than 10,000. Now is the time to get involved in a project that can bring new volunteers, new members and new donors to your organization, and reach thousands of people about your issues and message. The tour also aims to bring together a broad spectrum of organizations to collaborate and build stronger progressive networks at the local level.

Questions? Want more info? Attend Thursday night's meeting, check out the Rolling Thunder web site at www.rollingthundertour.org or contact Bob Barnes at (206) 841-4650.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
5,000 UW staff open negotiations Thursday; rally planned

Some 5,000 classified staff will open contract negotiations with the University of Washington on Thursday, May 16, and employees -- joined by State Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney and Sen. Adam Kline -- will cheer on their bargaining team at a kick-off rally from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the top level of the South Campus Center Parking Garage. (The facilities are on Columbia Road one block south of Pacific Street. From Pacific Street, turn south onto 15th Ave NE, then east onto Columbia Road.)

The UW employees, who are members of Service Employees International Union, Local 925, are sounding the alarm that budget cuts and staffing shortages are having a negative effect on the quality of education and health care provided at the UW.

"In a year of legislative budget cuts, we intend to use our bargaining power to protect the quality of education and health care at the University of Washington," says Stephanie Morgan, a medical assistant at Hall Health Center on the UW main campus. "According to a recent union survey, 75% of our members reported that their workload had increased, and 61% said that staffing levels were a problem in their departments. This is a growing threat to the quality of services our members can provide to the public."

The union survey covered the concerns of employees at UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and University of Washington's academic and administrative departments.

Local 925 members at the University work in medical settings, process admissions, raise and manage money, keep libraries running, advise students, design publications, write grants, manage human and material resources, and provide other support services. The SEIU Local 925 union contract expires Nov. 15.

For more information, contact SEIU 925 organizer Tyler Bass at (206) 322-3010 x24.

TUESDAY, MAY 14
NLRB judge rules Kaiser lockout illegal, orders back pay

A National Labor Relations Board judge ruled today that the Kaiser Aluminum lockout -- from January 1999 to September 2000 -- was illegal and has ordered the company to pay 20 months of back wages and benefits for some 3,000 steelworkers in what is believed to be the largest such award in history.

Kaiser is likely to appeal the ruling, which could cost it up to $200 million. The company is now in federal bankruptcy court after filing for Chapter 11 reorganization Feb. 12. This type of bankruptcy delays payments of bills run up before the filing, but requires the company to pay new bills.

Once one of Spokane's largest employers, Kaiser's smelters in Tacoma and Spokane (Mead) are currently closed, but its rolling mill in Spokane (Trentwood) is still operating, albeit with a much reduced workforce.

The judge's ruling today offers vindication to the workers and the United Steelworkers of America who argued all along that the lockout was illegal. Following is a statement from David Foster, United Steelworkers of America District 11 Director and Chairman USWA/Kaiser Negotiating Committee:

Today’s ruling by Judge Richard Stevenson has upheld the longstanding contention of Kaiser steelworkers that they were illegally locked out by Kaiser Aluminum for 20 long months from January 14, 1999 until September 20, 2000. As a result, the Judge has ordered Kaiser Aluminum to pay full back wages and benefits to the Kaiser employees who endured enormous hardships during the labor dispute.

I hope that this decision will serve as a powerful deterrent to other corporations and their legal advisors who seek to destroy the collective bargaining process in America through lock outs and the hiring of replacement workers.

When various offsets for interim earnings by the Kaiser steelworkers are taken into account, I expect the ultimate award to be in the range of $180-$200 million. This is the largest back pay award in the 65-year history of the National Labor Relations’ Board. Previously, the largest award was the $30 million paid to members of the NFL Players Association.

Our union contended before the onset of the lock out that Kaiser’s bargaining proposal unlawfully broke up the Kaiser multi-plant bargaining unit and was so vague as to its wage proposal that employees would have had no idea what they were accepting. After eleven months of trial, thousands of pages of testimony and hundreds of exhibits, Judge Stevenson agreed with these basic contentions.

While I am gratified that the union’s position has been upheld, I remain saddened by the enormous sacrifices born by the families of Kaiser steelworkers, many of whom are today laid off and have not worked in over three years. Throughout this long struggle, Kaiser steelworkers earned a place of great distinction in the history of America’s labor movement for having overcome the nation’s largest illegal lock out, forging landmark alliances with the environmental movement and spearheading the labor protests against the WTO in Seattle. I am sure that their legacy will be to inspire future generations of American workers to fight for their rights with equal determination.

TUESDAY, MAY 14
APRI hosts Seattle screening of "10,000 Men Named George"

The Seattle Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute will present a screening of "10,000 Men Named George," the critically acclaimed story of Randolph's efforts to organize the sleeping car porters of the George Pullman Co., this Friday, May 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hall 8 of the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 First Ave. Tickets are $5 at the door (but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.)

For the scores of black men who served as railroad sleeping-car porters for the Pullman Company in the early 20th Century, being addressed by name was a step down from being called "boy." Because there was only one name to go around.

"The company was owned by a man named George Pullman. And George Pullman came up with this concept of naming all the porters 'George,' " said Robert Townsend, director of the Showtime original movie. "So that if you wanted service on the train, all you had to do was say, 'George!' And somebody would turn around and get your bags, or get your coffee, or make your bed, or what have you. It was like a publicity stunt, but then it took away their identities, so nobody had a name."

In the movie, Andre Braugher plays Asa Philip Randolph (1889-1979), the well-to-do minister's son whom Townsend calls "the Godfather of the Civil Rights Movement." From 1925 to 1937, Randolph fought to unionize the Pullman porters and secure them a living wage and dignified working conditions.

In addition to organizing the porters, Randolph helped persuade President Harry S Truman to ban racial discrimination in the military and conceived the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1941 to protest discrimination in federal employment. The original march was called off when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that banned such discrimination, but the march came to fruition in 1963, and the event yielded Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Still, "It was this struggle with the Pullman porters that really, truly made his mark," Townsend says. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters challenged the influential Pullman Company's ferocious resistance to organized labor and, after a 12-year battle, became the first African-American labor union to negotiate a contract with an U.S. corporation.

For more information about Friday's screening of "10,000 Men Named George," contact Verlene WIlder, President of APRI's Seattle Chapter, at (206) 441-7102.

MONDAY, MAY 13
IBEW, Teamsters plan consecutive rallies Tuesday in Seattle

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 46 invites all union supporters and activists to attend a rally Tuesday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pier 69 (the Port of Seattle headquarters at 2711 Alaskan Way) preceding the port commissioners' 1 p.m. meeting there. This is one of a series of rallies to call attention to Port actions to privatize jobs while granting public subsidies to private contractors.

Beginning at 2 p.m. at the same location, the Teamsters union, with support from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, is having a rally for union solidarity in organizing and environmentally responsible policies at the Port.

The ILWU, Teamsters and International Longshoremen's Association (the East and Gulf Coast longshore union) have joined forces to increase organizing on the waterfront. The 2 p.m. rally is intended to boost the Teamsters' organizing efforts with owner-operator truck drivers. It takes place during the Port Commissioners meeting, and will emphasize the impact on clean air of a system which forces owner-operators to sit for hours at a time with their rigs idling. The unions have drafted legislation to help alleviate these costly and polluting delays.

As for the IBEW, since the Port of Seattle privatized its members crane-maintenance jobs, the union has fought to hold commissioners accountable by scrutinizing Port actions the union considers "corporate welfare." In addition, the IBEW has accused (and sued) the Port of violating the Open Public Meetings Act in its decision to privatize the crane jobs.

The IBEW's flier for Tuesday's rally poses the questions:

— How much more corporate welfare can we afford?
— How many more family wage jobs will the Port give away to corporate interests?
— Why do new Port Commission public hearing rules disallow questions by the public?
— Why won't Port officials answer questions asked by publicly elected Port Commissioners?
— Why does the Port consider itself immune from public accountability?

Find out for yourself whether the IBEW and their supporters are able to get answers to any of these questions by joining them at Tuesday's rally from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Then take a late lunch and come back at 2 p.m. to show solidarity with the Teamsters and ILWU.

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.