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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 June 10-14, 2002
Previous weeks' news: June 3-7 -- May 28-June 1 -- May 20-24
FRIDAY, June 14 --
Sweeney will keynote WSLC
Convention in Spokane Aug. 19-22
In today's Seattle Times -- Retailers
brace for port strike or work slowdown
In yesterday's Daily World -- Grays
Harbor College instructors alleging retaliation lose in court
In yesterday's Columbian -- Locke,
Gorton stump for Referendum 51
In today's Tri-City Herald -- Umatilla
official wants union negotiator removed
In today's Bellingham Herald -- AARP
takes on drug makers regarding price fixing (op-ed)
In today's Washington Post -- Rove
urges "war" for permanent repeal of estate taxes
...plus -- The
inherited wealth lobby -- Dionne column: Opponents
of repeal offered alternatives this week to cut the estate tax rate, to
raise the assets freed from the tax to $3.5 million ($7 million for couples)
and to put in stronger protections for family enterprises. But the moderate
alternatives have been rejected by politicians who will be satisfied only
with the complete repeal of the inheritance tax. In so doing, they are
stiffing even the upper middle class in order to stand up for the
beneficiaries of less than one half of 1 percent of all estates.
In today's N.Y. Times -- Unions
say United Air is too rosy on contracts
...plus -- Plutocracy
and politics -- Krugman column: Workers' wages
roughly doubled in the last 20 years, with most of that gain eaten up by
inflation. But earnings of top executives rose 4,300 percent. An influential
body of opinion has reacted to global warming and the emergence of an
American plutocracy the same way: "It's not true, it's not true, it's
not true, nothing can be done about it."
THURSDAY, June 13 --
Community
leaders rally with Seattle hospitality workers
In today's Seattle Times -- Senate
rejects permanent repeal of estate tax -- Both Washington Sens. Murray
and Cantwell voted against permanent repeal.
...plus -- The
world does not owe us a living -- Editorial warning Boeing and Port of
Seattle workers not to get too uppity, and begging the question: Does the
state owe companies a profit?
In today's Spokesman-Review -- Report
says Kaiser may sell Mead smelter
In today's Everett Herald -- BIAW
submits Referendum 53 signatures
In today's Yakima Herald -- Proposed
Medicaid changes draw ire
In yesterday's Daily World -- Lawsuit
against Grays Harbor College administrators goes to jury
In today's Seattle P-I -- Taxes,
user fees might help keep parks open
...and yesterday -- How
the government can prevent another Enron (Connelly column)
In today's Washington Post -- Labor
Department publishes union financial documents online
In today's L.A. Times -- Poultry,
grocery firms face (voluntary) ergonomic rules
In today's N.Y. Times -- Vermont
to require drug companies to disclose payments to doctors
...plus -- Bermuda
move may sound good, but investors could get burned
WEDNESDAY, June 12 --
INS-Sky Chef raid was
about scapegoating, not airport security
In today's Seattle P-I -- Ref.
53 on unemployment insurance likely to confound voters
...plus -- It's
contract time for Boeing's edgy Machinists union
...plus -- Boeing
refines outsourcing -- and makes the unions nervous
In today's Seattle Times -- Save
Seattle City Light before management destroys it -- Op-ed by two IFPTE
Local 17 members: Greed, mismanagement and deregulation have resulted in
astronomical rates for residential customers and electricity being turned
into a speculative commodity. City Light's $1.7-billion debt poses the real
threat of privatization: selling the utility to profiteers.
In today's Eastside Journal -- Court
workers protest: "What is the price of public safety?"
In today's Tri-City Herald -- Gas-tax
increase could rescue rush hour
In yesterday's Daily World -- Hoquiam
M&O may not ward off deficit; city layoffs possible
...plus -- Grays
Harbor College president denies retaliation against union-activist
instructors
In today's Spokesman-Review -- Clark
PUD demands $60 million refund from Kaiser
In yesterday's Wenatchee World -- Bonuses
lead to Chelan PUD retirement windfall
...plus -- Eastmont
teachers say "no" to contract
In today's Bellingham Herald -- "Medifair"
is workable answer (editorial)
In today's News-Tribune -- There's
no reason to applaud a distrust of government -- Richard Davis column: There's
short-term political gain to be realized by exploiting our inherent wariness
of public institutions. Because distrust can be used to generate support for
tax cuts and spending limitations, a campaign strategy used here and across
the country has been to lampoon bureaucrats and mock elected leaders. While
the campaigns succeed at the ballot box, the victory comes at great cost.
New at AFLCIO.org -- Millions
of world's children at work, not in school
In today's Washington Post
-- Former
Enron workers to get more severance pay
Today from MSNBC -- New
rules would hold CEOs liable for fraudulent company reports
In today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- UPS
chief: Agreement with Teamsters "getting close"
In today's N.Y. Times -- Senate
leader opens debate on estate tax repeal
TUESDAY, June 11 --
Congress must follow our
lead, ban mandatory OT for nurses
...plus -- Judge
postpones court date for state ergonomics rule
In today's Olympian -- Eyman
group pleads for money in late push to get I-776 on ballot
In today's Everett Herald -- New
SPEEA president sees silver lining in recall vote
...plus -- Mill
Creek's city workers reject contract
In today's Seattle Times -- Important
overdue gains for day care workers -- Varner column: Seattle recently
became one of only a few cities where child-care workers have successfully
organized (with SEIU Local 925). This is a necessary effort to reverse the
trend of low pay and high turnover... It boggles my mind that after treating
day-care workers like unskilled day laborers, we then expected them to offer
the best care to our most precious assets.
...plus -- Medicare
reimbursement rates unfair to Washington patients (Op-ed by Rep. Adam
Smith)
In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing
about to begin assembly of extended-range 777 jetliners
...plus -- Roads
vs. rail again at issue as new version of region transportation plan
proposed
In today's Spokesman-Review -- State
to cut funds for the disabled, elderly
New at AFLCIO.org -- Enron
workers win battle to secure severance payments
New from The Nation -- Unions
on the Net: Labor making fuller use of online communications
In today's N.Y. Times -- Business
wins again in disability ruling limiting scope of ADA
Today from AP -- Labor
Secretary Chao: Work standards an ILO issue, not a trade issue
In today's Washington Post -- Bush
urged to condemn GOP monitoring of lobbyists -- President Bush
"wanted to change the tone in Washington, but today we learn he's
working in tandem with those keeping secret lists of people's personal
activity," said Senate Majority Whip Harry M. Reid. "For what?
Intimidation, professional retaliation, or maybe even character
assassination. I don't think it's criminal, but I think it's on the verge of
being criminal."
MONDAY, June 10 --
State ergonomics
rule will get its day in court
In today's Wall Street Journal -- Boeing
mulls convention jet as "backup" for Sonic Cruiser plan
In today's Seattle P-I -- Longshore
strike or lockout could stagger nation's economy
...plus on Saturday -- SPEEA
council approves proposal to hold recall vote
...and on Sunday -- Highway
costs aren't what's shocking (editorial)
In today's Spokesman-Review -- Support
statewide roadwork, voters (editorial)
In Sunday's Bellingham Herald -- Democrats
back gas-tax hike
In today's Seattle Times -- Hospitals
cast new lures to attract nurses
In Sunday's Oregonian -- Labor
finds a unifying force in Oregon AFL-CIO leader Tim Nesbitt
At AFLCIO.org -- GOP
effort to repeal estate taxes "a shameless gift" to the richest
-- In last week's 256-171
vote, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd) was the only Democrat from Washington to
join GOP Reps. Dunn, Hastings and Nethercutt in voting YES on ending the
estate tax. For more information on why repealing this tax is a bad idea,
see the new
Center on Budget Policies and Priorities report.
In today's N.Y. Times -- Enthusiasm
ebbs for tough reform in wake of Enron
...plus -- Watch
it: If you cheat, they'll throw money -- There may be only one type of
job in which somebody can commit a felony and, after being fired as a
result, still receive a severance package worth many years of salary. The
job is chief executive of a large corporation.
...plus -- Gaming
the drug patent system -- Editorial: With high drug prices becoming an
acrimonious part of the health care debate, attention has justifiably
focused on the devious tactics used by some pharmaceutical companies to
extend the patents of their best-selling drugs, forestalling competition
from cheaper generics. These underhanded tactics must be stopped.
In the American Prospect -- Greens
to liberals: Drop dead!
Previous weeks' news: June 3-7 -- May 28-June 1 -- May 20-24
FRIDAY,
JUNE 14
Sweeney will keynote WSLC Convention in
Spokane Aug. 19-22
AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney will be keynote speaker at the Washington State Labor
Council's 2002 Constitutional Convention planned for August 19-22 at the
Ridpath Hotel in Spokane. Under the theme "Labor is Your
Neighbor," the principal issues to be discussed will be union
organizing, the health care crisis, state transportation needs, Enron and
pension security, and strategic initiative campaigns.
Morning plenary sessions will feature speakers, congressional and legislative leaders, and panel discussions with national and regional experts on each of those issues. Delegates will choose from afternoon workshops on those topics, and others regarding state tax reform, workers' compensation, websites/effective communications, substance abuse prevention, and much more.
The WSLC will host a special public forum Monday evening (Aug. 19) on "Balancing the Community Checkbook" to discuss state revenue and tax issues. Among the evening social events -- in addition to the annual reception, banquet and COPE barbecue -- will be a special screening of the critically acclaimed film 10,000 Black Men Named George hosted by the local chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.
All
who plan to attend the Monday-to-Thursday convention will be encouraged to
arrive early on Sunday, and discover firsthand how the Labor-Neighbor
political action program works and why it has proven so successful.
Convention delegates will hit the streets of Spokane that day to meet fellow
union members and discuss the issues that matter most to working families.
Please
download, print, post and distribute
this convention flier (a 277 KB Adobe Acrobat file) to promote the
event.
The flier is part of an effort being made at the suggestion of WSLC- affiliated unions to encourage greater attendance among rank-and-file members. Every year, dozens of unionists attend for the first time and report that they were surprised by the variety and depth of the information provided.
As the flier indicates, delegates will get an education, have some fun and make a difference by participating. They will help decide the policies and priorities of the state's largest labor organization, and also will debate constitutional changes in how the WSLC operates.
So, members of WSLC-affiliated unions across the state are encouraged to contact their locals or councils and find out how they can serve as a delegate (or alternate) representing their unions at the convention.
Get involved! Get to Spokane this August!
THURSDAY,
JUNE 13
Community leaders rally with Seattle
hospitality workers
|
Remaining Voice@Work Month events
Justice for Janitors Rally and March (SEIU, Local 6) Cineplex Odeon
Theaters (Stagehands & Projectionists Local 15, IATSE)
GLBT Pride Parade (Out Front Labor / Pride At Work) |
University
of Washington Commencement Day (GSEAC/UAW, SEIU 925, SEIU 1199NW)Hotel workers and their supporters rallied Wednesday in downtown Seattle in a call for fair contracts as employers and employees deal with the impacts of Sept. 11 and the recession on the hospitality industry. A delegation of religious, community, political and labor leaders made several stops during a "Walk With the Workers" to deliver signed letters to hotel managers expressing concern about working conditions and urging a successful conclusion to contract negotiations.
Workers represented by Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 8 are in contract negotiations now with the Westin Hotel, the Edgewater Hotel, the Space Needle Restaurant and the Washington Athletic Club. Current bargaining agreements expired June 1.
At the bargaining table, management is asking for benefit rollbacks in health insurance, seniority rights and free parking, among other issues. The union is seeking to protect these benefits and seeking modest cost-of-living wage increases, especially for "back of the house" employees like housekeepers and kitchen workers who barely earn a living wage in their non-tipped positions.
"We are asking companies not to balance the current recession on workers' backs," reads a HERE Local 8 flier distributed at Wednesday's noontime rally, "While the 9/11 tragedy and ensuing recession have created hard times for the hospitality industry, rebuilding this industry depends on a partnership between workers and companies. Forcing workers to do double-duty while other job positions are eliminated is not acceptable. Denying workers living wages will not help the Seattle community rebuild tourism.
"We urge these companies to settle fair contracts soon, with no rollbacks, so we can move on to a productive Seattle summer."
With the expiration of contracts June 1, tensions are high among hotel workers. The union bargaining committee walked out of a recent negotiating session with the Space Needle Corporation in response to management's proposal to eliminate paid meal breaks, and certain overtime and on-call pay provisions. The proposal also sought to water down seniority, cut banquet gratuities, and restrict vacation availability for kitchen workers.
"We are very concerned about the working conditions of Seattle's hospitality workers," states the letter signed by community, religious, political and labor leaders, and delivered to hotel managers Wednesday. "That's why we are proud to support your collective bargaining relationship with your employees, and we choose to patronize your facility... We are watching these (contract) discussions carefully, and we want you to know we are supportive of a speedy and fair resolution."
For more information, contact HERE Local 8 at (206) 728-2326.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 12
KCLC: INS-Sky Chef raid was about
scapegoating, not security
The following Letter to the Editor by Steve Williamson, Executive Secretary of the King County Labor Council, appeared in today's edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
There are 8.5 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. work force today. Our economy functions partly because hard-working immigrants handle some of our toughest and least desirable jobs. But instead of getting their piece of the American dream, they're delayed by the red tape and failed policies of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
In defending the recent scapegoating of immigrant Sky Chef workers by the INS and suggesting that airport security was compromised, your May 24 editorial missed the fact that the workers had no tarmac access. The airline food they prepare offsite is subject to a separate, thorough and independent security check.
This confusion is consistent with some Americans' love/hate relationship with immigrants. Many employers knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, pay poorly and ignore workplace laws hoping immigrants won't speak out. When the work is done, some call in the INS.
We benefit, often at their expense. We get an amazing array of agricultural products and other services at low prices. And because immigrants pay taxes but are ineligible for most benefits, they contribute to services we receive.
But scapegoating around security issues isn't just unfair to immigrants; it leads to unsound conclusions about how to create a secure society.
Here's reform that promotes security:
- Amnesty, encouraging undocumented workers to step forward and register.
- Revised guest-worker program (with full labor rights) to ease travel but increase documentation.
- Accelerated INS processing of citizenship/permit applications.
- Fair wages, adequate training and, therefore, reduced turnover, creating a more stable work force.
One of our post-9/11 duties is to build a more secure society. Another is to teach our children how to seek meaning from disaster. Scapegoating accomplishes neither. Unifying around principles of justice is where our long-term security and our legacy lie.
Steve Williamson
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
King County Labor Council
TUESDAY,
JUNE 11
Congress must follow our lead, ban mandatory
OT for nurses
Because of the chronic nursing shortage, hospitals have increasingly forced nurses to work overtime to fill the gaps. But the practice has actually made the shortage worse by causing exhaustion and burnout among nurses.
This year, the Washington State Legislature did something about it. After a session in which dozens of nurses represented by SEIU District 1199NW, the UFCW and the Washington State Nurses Association swarmed the halls of the Capitol, the legislature passed SB 6675 prohibiting health care facilities from forcing nurses to perform overtime work. Washington is now the fifth state to pass legislation addressing this important issue.
Now, it's time for Congress to act. Washington Reps. Jay Inslee (D-1st), Brian Baird (D-3rd), Norm Dicks (D-6th), Jim McDermott (D-7th) and Adam Smith (D-9th) have all signed on as co-sponsors of HR 3238, the Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act, which will prevent nurses across the country from being forced to work mandatory overtime shifts.
"The public needs to know the effects working long hours have on our health care system. They affect the ability of health care providers to recruit and retain nurses, and it affects the care we as patients receive. Bringing these issues to our nation's attention will help improve our nation's health care system and ensure that nurses work in a safe environment," Rep. Smith said.
On May 8, hundreds of nurses from around the country celebrated National Nurses Week with a trip to the U.S. Capitol, where they set off alarm clocks in unison to let Congress know that patients need quality time, not overtime.
Nurses are working an average of 338 hours of overtime a year, said Diane Sosne, RN, president of SEIU District 1199NW. This is a crisis that will only get worse, unless we improve the staffing and patient care conditions that are driving nurses away.
ACTION ALERT: Visit the SEIU Action Center to send an automated fax -- which you can customize with your own personal comments -- to your congressional representatives, especially if you live in the district of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd), "Doc" Hastings (R-4th), George Nethercutt (R-5th) or Jennifer Dunn (R-8th). A spokesperson from Rep. Larsen's office said he is expected to make a decision within one week on whether to sign on to HR 3238 as co-sponsor.
Thank you for taking a few moments to be heard on this issue.
MONDAY,
JUNE 10
State ergonomics rule will get its day in court
Judge delays hearing scheduled for
Friday, June 14
As many of you know, the business community's attack on the state ergonomics standard has not been limited to legislative and political action. The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will be also be defending the rule in court.
Judge Paula Casey has POSTPONED the court date originally set for Friday, June 14 at Thurston County Superior Court. The WSLC will post the new date and time at this site as soon as that information becomes available.
The business community, having succeeded in stopping the federal government from implementing a standard on the nation's No. 1 job safety issue, has waged a particularly aggressive fight to prevent Washington state from establishing a standard compelling employers to take steps to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Like Washington's progressive indexed minimum wage law that is now being championed in other states throughout the country, business groups fear a successful state ergonomics rule here would spread to other states.
A hysterical campaign of misinformation about the rule by the Association of Washington Business and other business lobbying groups succeeded in generating enough outrage and confusion to convince Governor Gary Locke to delay enforcement of the rule by two years, ostensibly so employers could have more time to study the rule and prepare to comply. But business groups have vowed to use those two years trying to kill the bill in the legislature and in court, rather than educating member employers on how to comply.
Friday's hearing will take up the suit filed against L&I by the so-called WE CARE (Washington Employers Concerned About Regulating Ergonomics) Coalition which argues, among other things, that L&I has exceeded its authority in adopting the rule, it did so without following proper procedures, its cost-benefit analysis is flawed, there isn't enough scientific evidence to support the need for ergonomics prevention, and the implementation plan is inadequate. Check out the WE CARE brief.
WE CARE attorneys from Stoel Rives LLP will try to convince Judge Casey that they know better than the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel of ergonomics experts -- which included representatives from business. After a year of study, that panel unanimously concluded that L&I's rule is understandable and enforceable in a fair and balanced manner.
Like their tobacco industry counterparts, WE CARE attorneys will try to convince Judge Casey that they know better than the National Academy of Sciences and countless universities which have conducted exhaustive studies of the relationship between work and repetitive stress injuries, and concluded that simple, cost-effective steps can be taken to prevent these injuries.
Further, they will claim that Boeing, Weyerhaueser, Seattle City Light and many other enlightened employers who have voluntarily implemented ergonomics prevention programs because they have led to considerable savings in workers' compensation premiums must be using flawed cost-benefit analyses.
And ultimately, they will try to argue that the state's constitutional obligation to protect the health and safety of workers should not apply to the 50,000 workers who suffer these injuries every year, costing the state workers' compensation system some $400 million annually.
It should be entertaining -- and infuriating -- so make plans to attend the hearing.
Return here for information about when the hearing will take place.
If you have any questions, contact WSLC Safety and Education Director Randy Loomans at (360) 943-0608.
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 © 2002 Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO