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. 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 June 2-6, 2003

Previous weeks' news: May 27-30 --  May 19-23 -- May 12-16

FRIDAY, June 6
— In today's Seattle Times -- Locke to woo Boeing with tax cuts so huge, they'll "gulp" -- Governor to release 7E7 proposal today, plus his own version of unemployment insurance reform.
...plus -- Drug price control bill OK'd; state to list "preferred" medications for purchase
— In today's Olympian -- State budget goes to Locke; SEIU blasts Democrats over home care
— In today's News Tribune -- Bon workers seeing -- and wearing -- red over proposed cuts
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Bon, UFCW call in federal mediator -- Bon wants to cut wages $4 an hour for some employees, eliminate holiday pay and increase employees' health care costs.
(And this related story today from the PSBJ -- Bon parent's sales beat expectations)
...plus -- Part-time community college teachers may get health insurance
...plus -- Washington is a wise choice for Boeing (Martha Choe op-ed)
— In today's South County Journal -- Renton feels left out on 7E7 
— In today's Oregonian -- Feds accuse Williams Controls of ULPs, seek worker reinstatement
At AFLCIO.org -- Sweeney: Medicare drug deal makes "bad situation worse" for retirees
— In today's Washington Post -- Senators reach deal on Medicare drug benefit
...plus -- Senate votes to expand child tax credit to low-income families
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Comp time bill retracted in House -- A senior Republican aide said they were so short of votes the measure was not likely to return, adding, "It will probably just fade away."
...plus -- Ten unions back Apollo Project energy research plan 
...plus -- Duped and betrayed -- Krugman column: How can we maintain Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security at today's tax rates? We can't.
...plus -- Regrouping on a labor effort to elect a Democrat; "Partnership" names new board 
— In today's Chicago S-T -- Unions must cut off self-anointed messiah of minority vote (column)
— Today at MSNBC.com -- Ashcroft wants Patriot Act widened
— Related stories from The Onion archives: Bill of Rights pared down to a manageable six
...plus -- Ashcroft orders staff to chain him tightly before next full moon

THURSDAY, June 5 -- Labor wins: Lacking votes, GOP pulls bill attacking OT pay
— In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing Machinists want labor to bend (more) on jobless benefits
...plus -- Surprise 7E7 contender: Moses Lake ...plus Assembling 7E7 to take only 3 days
...plus -- The legislature's unfinished business -- Editorial: The Washington State Labor Council, which resisted for years any cuts in this program, has made significant concessions... Whether these concessions are enough will be argued, but labor's proposals are in the right direction.
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- No clear cut fix to unemployment system (AP)
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Senate OKs budget; House may vote on it today
— In today's Olympian -- Senate budget deal spreads the pain -- Five Dems join GOP in voting "yes."
— In today's News Tribune -- Locke changed budget debate before it began (Callagham column)
— In yesterday's Longview Daily News -- Prescription drug bill a good fit for austere budget (editorial)
Other labor news:
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- 500 PSNS civilian defense workers rally against personnel reforms
(Also see Rumsfeld urges reshaping on Pentagon employee system in today's N.Y. Times.)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Seattle's landmark Camlin Hotel to close
— In today's News Tribune -- Broadway Center, union stagehands reach settlement
— In today's Oregonian --- Washington's budget same as Oregon's: grim
...and yesterday -- Government takes control of bankrupt CF's pension plan
At AFLCIO.org -- NLRB opposes California law to prevent tax-funded union campaigns
— In today's Washington Post -- Split within labor may affect drive to unseat Bush
— In today's L.A. Times -- Industry group says labor laws violated in China by Nike, Levi's, 5 others
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Senators negotiate on extending child tax credit ...plus The poor held hostage for tax cuts -- Editorial: Millions of low-income families were cruelly denied child credits in Bush's latest detaxation victory. Now, with consummate arrogance, Republican leaders in Congress are threatening another irresponsible tax-cut bidding war as the price for repairing the damage.

WEDNESDAY, June 4 -- WSLC opposes anti-union budget "compromise"
— In today's Seattle P-I -- State gives too much to unemployment -- Editorial: Labor has given a lot of ground to help bail business out of the jam it got itself into over unemployment insurance. It should give no more. (Click here for more information about UI reform proposals.)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Possible loss of unemployment benefits chills seasonal workers
...plus -- Lawmakers want to put Boeing aid in the fast lane -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants the Legislature to pass a new Boeing tax break and reshuffle the new transportation budget.
— In today's News Tribune -- Lawmakers must fix unemployment system -- and fast (editorial)
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Prescription drug plan accord reached
— In today's Everett Herald -- State legislators call budget a bitter but necessary pill
— In today's Olympian -- Nonbudget obstacles remain, including unemployment, drug reform
Today at LCLAA's website -- Dinner. dance Friday in Seattle to benefit fired Allied janitors
...plus -- Reading Sunday in Seattle by author of ¡Si, Se Puede! children's book
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- PSNS labor unions to hold protest rally today
(Also see Pentagon assails work rules in today's Washington Post)
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Supporters of change in OT rules face tough political battle
— In today's Everett Herald -- 7E7 suitors crawling out of the woodwork (column)
— In today's King Co. Journal -- Sen. Roach keeps changing her address to suit political aspirations
— In today's Washington Post -- Middle-class share of tax burden set to rise
— In today's N.Y. Times -- DeLay rebuffs attempt to restore lost child tax credit
...plus -- Northwest flight attendants sue company over wage concessions
— In the new Onion -- Bush visits USS Truman for dramatic veterans'-benefits-cutting ceremony

TUESDAY, June 3 -- WSLC Legislative Update: At what price, competitiveness? (UI update)
...plus at AFL-CIO's "Take Action" site -- U.S. House to vote Thursday on taking away OT pay
...plus at SEIU 775's "Take Action" site-- Tell legislators to reject anti-union budget
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Sides squaring off on overtime bill in Congress
...plus --  Home health aides proposal the victim of willful neglect (Sen. Lisa Brown op-ed)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Unemployment talks stall over benefits for seasonal workers
— In today's News Tribune -- Budget deal complete; jobless bill still in works
— In today's Olympian -- Budget divides parties; deal draws scorn from House Democrats
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Budget proposal angers union (SEIU 775)
— In today's Everett Herald -- Legislature is one step closer to budget victory (editorial)
— In today's King County Journal -- Who wants to win the 7E7? -- A look at what other states are saying about their bids to attract assembly work for Boeing's next generation of jetliners.
— Today at BusinessWeek Online -- Boeing plays defense -- Boeing's getting by with Pentagon contracts while astutely cutting costs, but the stock isn't likely to rise until civilian orders pick up.
— In today's Seattle P-I -- After long decline, state's welfare rolls surge
...plus -- Battle of politics, personalities for vacant King County Council seat
— In today's Seattle Times -- GOP has got to be joking -- Editorial: Former state legislator Phil Fortunato is not the right person to fill the open seat on the King County Council.
— In today's Salem S-J -- Oregon GOP offers $1 billion in new revenue to avoid health cuts
At AFLCIO.org -- Sweeney: FCC decision "does our democracy irreparable harm"
— In today's L.A. Times -- Revised FCC regulations already the status quo -- Critics say the public stayed mute largely because the very media outlets charged with informing it -- particularly in TV and radio -- ignored the issue until the die was cast.
— In today's Washington Post -- Media giants hint they might be expanding
...plus -- Senators rush to propose expanded child tax credit
— In today's N.Y. Times -- For jailed immigrants in 9-11's wake, a presumption of guilt
...plus -- Standard operating procedure -- Krugman column: Misleading the public has been a consistent strategy for the Bush team on issues from tax policy to the war in Iraq.

MONDAY, June 2 -- PDC seeks appeal of court ruling limiting union political action
At WashTach.org -- Rep. Jay Inslee says U.S. won't stem outsourcing
— In today's Seattle Times -- Deal reached on $23 billion state budget -- House and Senate budget leaders have agreed to reject the state's first-ever contract with home-care workers.
...plus Saturday -- Deal near to cut workers' comp; Boeing wish list prompts labor to cut deal
...plus -- AFL-CIO works to put tax-overhaul package on 2004 Oregon ballot (AP)
— In Saturday's Everett Herald -- Labor pushes for 7E7
...plus today -- State's "tiered" effort makes solid case for 7E7 
...plus -- It's not enough to just say, "We want Boeing here" (column)
— In the P.S. Business Journal -- Unemployment insurance reform vital for 7E7 bid -- Editorial: It will be interesting to see whether anyone dares overturn the reform bandwagon this time.
— In Sunday's Olympian -- Anxious pols court Boeing for new jets, jobs -- and votes
— In Sunday's News Tribune -- Tax-break bill sought by Boeing puts Rep. Dunn in dilemma
— In today's Seattle P-I -- SEIU's Stern raises bar for Democrats on health care (scroll down)
At AFLCIO.org -- 11.9 million children empty-handed in Bush's millionaire tax cut
— In today's Washington Post -- Children left behind -- Editorial: Stiffing these children was not a last-minute oversight or the unfortunate result of an unreasonably tight $350 billion ceiling. In fact, the Bush administration didn't include this provision in its original, $726 billion proposal. The House didn't include it in its $550 billion version. The Senate Finance Committee didn't include it in its package.
...plus -- FCC set to vote today on easing media ownership rules
— In today's L.A. Times -- Teamsters reach deal with car haulers
— In Saturday's N.Y. Times -- Labor turns to a pivotal 17,000-member organizing drive at Cintas

Previous weeks' news: May 27-30 --  May 19-23 -- May 12-16

THURSDAY, JUNE 5
Labor wins: Lacking votes, GOP pulls bill attacking OT pay

Thanks to a massive lobbying effort from organized labor, it became clear to House Republican leaders in Congress late Wednesday that they lacked the votes to pass a bill attacking overtime pay standards. So they have removed it from today's calendar. Although early press reports describe it as a win for labor, it's really a win for every working family in this country that relies on overtime wages to pay the bills.

H.R. 1119, sponsored by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and co-sponsored by Washington's own GOP Reps. Jennifer Dunn and "Doc" Hastings, would allow employers to give workers compensatory time off, rather than time-and-a-half pay, for every overtime hour worked. This unraveling of the Fair Labor Standards Act would mean millions of workers could receive less pay for more work.

But the fight is not over. GOP leaders vow to bring the bill back once they have had time to deal with the "campaign of lies waged by the leaders of organizations like the AFL-CIO," said Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee.

Accusations of lies ring comically hollow from GOP leaders who dubbed their bill “The Family Time Flexibility Act” in an attempt to portray it as family-friendly. This weak spin has been widely ridiculed in newspaper editorial pages nationwide, such as More family time? Yeah, right in today's Des Moines Register.

(Speaking of "flexibility," that's also how Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is spinning his effort to deny the union rights of more than 700,000 civilian defense workers, just as President Bush has done with Homeland Security and many other federal workers. See today's Bremerton Sun to read about a big Puget Sound Naval Shipyard rally yesterday against Rumsfeld's proposal.)

The AFL-CIO estimates that 226,000 letters were sent opposing H.R. 1119 to members of Congress since March 27 from their Working Families e-Activist Network alone. Many other unions had similar campaigns that generated thousands more such letters, phone calls and faxes as part of the campaign.

Thank you to all who contacted Washington's congressional delegation, especially those of you in GOP Rep. George Nethercutt's 5th District. His political aspirations appear to have kept his name off the list of H.R. 1119 co-sponsors and perhaps also gave him cold feet in committing to a "yes" vote.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
WSLC opposes anti-union budget "compromise"

The Washington State Labor Council will be notifying state legislators today of its opposition to the budget compromise reached by House and Senate negotiators. Union members and other supporters are encouraged to leave a message for their Senator, Representatives and the Governor at 1-800-562-6000 expressing opposition to this anti-union budget, as well.

The proposal is anti-union because it eviscerates the collective bargaining process that was created by Initiative 775 to allow state home-care workers to improve their working conditions and the quality of care by forming a union and bargaining a contract. Reports indicate this budget rejects the collectively bargained contract, and instead, simply allocates a one-time 75 cents per hour raise to those workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 775, as well as the agency home care workers.

This “compromise” follows the pattern that existed prior to passage of I-775 and before the voters supported collective bargaining for these low-paid workers. It allows legislators who are hostile to collective bargaining and oppose the existence of a union contract to have their way. Imagine if a private employer were to reject a contract, refuse to allow renegotiation of that contract and unilaterally impose something less to avoid the existence of a contract. It would be plainly illegal.

This fundamental failure of the budget compromise represents a slap in the face for people who believe in democracy and allowing workers to have a collective voice in their conditions of work. It violates the fundamental principles of unionism and respect for workers. And alone, it would warrant the WSLC's strong opposition, but there is more.

This proposal would balance the budget on the backs of working and poor people. State employees not only fail to receive a cost of living raise but end up, as a result of increased charges for health care coverage, suffering a decline in their compensation. Home care workers, who provide critical services to those in need -- and save the state money by avoiding institutionalization of their clients -- are kept at poverty wages. There are cuts to health care services to the poor as a result of changes to the Basic Health Plan and Medicaid. 

And at the same time, the legislature could not muster the will to close corporate tax loopholes. The legislature could not even muster support for a surtax on luxury cars purchased by the wealthy. It is clear that this budget proposal protects the "priorities" of the wealthy and the corporate interests, while targeting working people and the poor with cuts.

The WSLC urges legislators who support unions and collective bargaining to vote against this budget “compromise.”  We can and must do better.  But the first step of offering a new vision is taking a stand against this proposal.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
Reading Sunday by author of ¡Si, Se Puede! children's book

Washington State Jobs with Justice will bring Diana Cohn, the author of the extraordinary bilingual children’s story, ¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!, to the Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S. Main St. in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square on Sunday, June 8 at noon. Following a reading will be music, food and conversations with Seattle-area janitors.

In this book, Cohn has broken new ground with the story of Carlitos, whose mother does not earn enough money to support him and his grandmother. She tells Carlitos that she and the other janitors she works with must strike in order to make more money. Through the telling of the story, Carlitos is exposed to the strength and courage of his mother, and the experience helps him and his classmates learn how to support the janitors’ struggle.

Set in the backdrop of the 2000 Los Angeles Janitors’ Strike, Cohn’s book has been used across the country by teachers, workers and community activists to create an informative method for children to learn important lessons. Most importantly, the book illustrates how adults as well as children can win living wages and necessary changes in their communities through working together.

Cohn’s book highlights important issues that affect communities around the nation, as well as shedding light on local issues affecting janitors. Almost one-third of the 3,500 men and women janitors in the Seattle-area are non-union janitors who do not receive any of the comprehensive family health and dental benefits that their union counterparts earn, and are paid poverty wages.

For more information, contact Jobs with Justice at wsjwj@igc.org or (206) 441-4969.

MONDAY, JUNE 2
PDC seeks appeal of court ruling limiting union political action

The Public Disclosure Commission last week formally requested that the state Attorney General's office petition for an appeal of the recent Court of Appeals decision limiting union political action. On May 13, in Edelman v. PDC, the court ruled that interpretation of state campaign laws in effect the past decade has been incorrect, and that different locals of the same union should not be allowed to make campaign contributions independently to the same candidate and must share a single contribution limit.

WSLC Rick Bender has called the ruling "a stunning bit of history revisionism... (that) takes a vaguely written initiative approved 10 years ago and radically reinterprets the rules in a manner specifically intended to silence the voice of working families."

The PDC, citing the statewide importance of the rule, expressed the opinion last week that the State Supreme Court should ultimately decide the issue of contribution limits as those limits relate to affiliated entities.