UPDATED DAILY -- M-F by 9 a.m. (Pacific)

Links to press stories are functional at the date of posting.  In some cases, free registration is required at newspapers' sites.  Links sometimes "expire" when the source would like to begin charging 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 21-25, 2004

Previous weeks' news: June 14-18 -- June 7-11 -- June 2-4

FRIDAY, June 25
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- CWU faculty OKs unionization (AP) -- 264-153 vote in favor of United Faculty of Central (affiliated with both the AFT & NEA) makes CWU first to organize under 2002 law.
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Safeway backs Oregon dairy workers trying to organize -- PR-challenged grocer writes Threemile Canyon Farms, urges talks with UFW, which the dairy refuses to recognize.
— In today's Everett Herald -- 767's clock is ticking -- With its replacement still in the development stage, Boeing hopes the military tanker deal goes through as the backlog of 767s to be built shrinks to 24.
— In today's Olympian -- Gov. Locke criticizes Bush's migrant worker plan, favors amnesty
— In today's Oregonian -- Freightliner, 4 unions reach tentative 3-year deal -- Workers wouldn't recover all they gave up in 2001, prompting some to forecast rejection by members. Voting begins today.
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Uninsured pay a high price as rising health costs fuel spike in bankruptcies
— In today's Seattle Times -- Medical debt blamed for rise in bankruptcies -- In the past 12 years, personal bankruptcies have tripled, and the percentage caused by medical debt has risen from 14% to 50%.
— In today's News Tribune -- Pierce County considers pay for called-up employees
Election news: — In today's Bremerton Sun -- Charter schools measure (Ref. 55) qualifies for ballot (AP)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Faith fires drive to register voters -- A new local coalition of African-American churches and faith-based and secular groups (including the A. Philip Randolph Institute) is launching a campaign to register and mobilize voters, particularly those of color or those who are low-income.
— In today's Oregonian -- Nader getting support from unlikely voters -- Pro-Bush conservative groups to attend Nader convention in hope of getting him on Oregon's ballot and hurting Kerry's chances.  A new business poll shows Kerry with a 47-43 lead in Oregon, but a 45-43 lead with Nader in the race.
Other national news: — At AFLCIO.org -- Report: Comcast drives down wages, bullies workers
— In today's Washington Post -- Democratize the Lord of the Boards -- Pearlstein column: Reluctantly, begrudgingly, Corporate America has come to acknowledge that it created the environment that made the scandals at Enron, WorldCom and Adelphia possible.
...plus -- Social Security's surprising turn -- Op-ed: The program, once described by President Bush as "the single most successful program in American history," has actually shown significant financial improvement in recent years.  How can that be in the face of so many doomsday forecasts?
...plus -- Supreme Court sides with Cheney, won't order energy papers' release -- "That's some great  #!&@-ing news!" says Enron trader. " #!&$-in' A," says foul-mouthed Vice President as he ducks disclosure. In a related story, Cheney's Halliburton ducks funeral costs of an employee killed in Iraq.

THURSDAY, June 24 -- Feds jeopardizing health care for thousands of Kaiser retirees
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Feds balk at USWA's pension benefit agreement with bankrupt Kaiser
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Compressor blast at Simpson mill in Shelton injures 5 workers
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Issue of workers' comp is a tangly one -- Virgin column: There's little political capital to be earned by diving into the middle of the brawl. The public doesn't much notice or care, but interested parties (i.e., business and labor) with considerable clout sure do.
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- Doctors, nurses at La Clinica in Pasco seek to unionize (USNU 141)
— In yesterday's Daily News -- Importer picks Longview Aluminum smelter site; new jobs on the way
— In today's News Tribune -- Boeing looking for ways to make tanker cheaper (AP)
...plus -- Private prison industries serve worthy goals (editorial)
Election news: — In today's Seattle P-I -- Canadian firm downplays link to backers of gambling initiative -- Firm's U.S. subsidiaries are the biggest financial backers of I-892. Federal law says it is illegal for a foreign corporation or citizen to contribute "directly or indirectly" to a federal, state or local election.
...plus -- Gambling industry has itself a hired gun in Tim Eyman (op-ed)
— In today's Seattle Times -- Dean of the budget vs. financial dreamland (Balter on Sommers-Woldt race) 
Other national news: — In today's Everett Herald -- Pay increases not part of economic rebound (AP)
— In today's L.A. Times -- Hotel contract talks falter as union tries power ploy -- Hyatt and Sheraton resist HERE's plan to line up contract expiration dates across the country, thus enabling national strikes.
— In today's Washington Post -- Wal-Mart suit may force wider look at pay gap between sexes
...plus -- U.S. to allow private firms to screen at airports
— In today's N.Y. Times -- One party, no budget -- Editorial: Republicans are brandishing hollow proposals to show that they are dealing with the deficits they have fueled by approving Bush's tax cuts.

WEDNESDAY, June 23 -- This is your last chance to join June's Labor Neighbor walks!
— In today's Everett Herald -- Grocery union talks center on health care -- "For them, it's dollars and cents," says UFCW 44 President Mike Hatfield. "For us, it's life and death. That's the difference."
— In today's Olympian -- State employee health plans' costs fall; WFSE calls premium drop a "miracle"
...plus yesterday -- Gary Moore resigns as governor's lead negotiator for state employee contract (scroll down to the 2nd news brief) -- Former WFSE official and L&I Director takes job with Seattle PR firm.
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Delay of defense personnel system rejected -- Reps. Inslee and Dicks, and the unions at the Naval Shipyard, vow to continue the fight to protect civilian defense workers' rights. Senate wannabe Rep. Nethercutt votes to back Rumsfeld's plan gutting DOD civil service protections.
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Workers' comp fixes muddied -- Farm Bureau responds to WSLC news release in Letter to the Editor: If labor wants "peripheral issues" like worker safety and injury avoidance on the table at workers' comp talks, why not the minimum wage?  WSLC responds: Huh?
— In yesterday's Tri-City Herald -- Union vote (IBT 556) at Tyson plant upheld by NLRB
— At Cantwell.Senate.gov -- Cantwell questions DOE official on changes to Hanford workers' pensions
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Seattle firefighter's wife takes stand in suit over fall during training
— In today's News Tribune --  Study calls for more staffing, other costly changes at Tacoma Fire Dept.
— In yesterday's Daily News -- Market forces can raise wages more effectively than legislation -- Editorial opposing John Kerry's plan to raise the federal minimum wage to $7 an hour.
Boeing news: — In today's Seattle Times -- 7E7 forecast is rosy, but some aren't so sure
— In today's Everett Herald -- State sees 7E7 job boom -- Boeing and suppliers will hire 2,860 people this year for the 7E7, says study by the consultant that helped broker state's $3.2 billion bid for the jet.
...plus -- Money drives Boeing tanker talks in D.C. ... plus -- Ethics scandal could still haunt Boeing
— In today's Seattle P-I -- End of the line for Boeing tanker? ... plus -- 717 needs a big airline order
Election news: — In today's Spokesman-Review -- Mayor pleads ignorance after illegal pro-Rossi emails
— In today's Washington Post -- Quality of new jobs is election-year debate -- "Despite the well-advertised pick-up of job growth, recent trends in real wage income remain very disappointing," laments Morgan Stanley economist. "This underscores one of the most serious shortcomings of this recovery -- an unprecedented shortfall of the most important piece of personal income growth," wages and salaries.
...plus -- Kerry drops campaign trip for Senate vote that wasn't -- Democrat takes red-eye to D.C. for vote guaranteeing federal funding for veterans' health care. But when he shows up, Republican leaders cancel the vote, accusing Kerry of "grandstanding."  File under: Why Americans Hate Politics.
Other national news: — In today's S.F. Chronicle -- Sweeney: Union leadership must diversify
— In today's L.A. Times -- Women recount pervasive inequality at Wal-Mart -- A decade ago, Betty Dukes took a job as a Wal-Mart cashier with hopes of a career in management. That dream died fast. She says she was passed over for promotion time and again, usually in favor of men with less experience.
— Headline of the Day™ in today's N.Y. Times -- Welcome to Wal-Mart. Please help me.
...plus -- A blow to health plan patients -- Editorial: The court ruling that patients cannot sue in state courts when their plans refuse to pay reaffirms the need for a patients' bill of rights.
— Today in Any Paper -- Industry lobbying group says jobs could flee state without more tax incentives -- You, too, can be a Business Reporter!  Just fill in the blanks for "industry" and "state," Madlib-style.

TUESDAY, June 22 -- Save the Date: On July 17, tell Governors to "Put People First"
— In today's Washington Post -- SEIU wants reform of AFL-CIO -- SEIU President Andrew Stern says the AFL-CIO has failed to keep up with the changing workplace and must be radically reinvigorated -- or replaced -- if the labor movement is to survive: "John Sweeney, a good man who devoted his life to our union, tried to breathe new life into the AFL-CIO. But John Sweeney has proven that the problem is not who captains the ship but that the ship was not built to navigate the storms of the modern world."
Also today -- NLRB upholds union vote at Tyson at Pasco plant; contract talks to resume
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Supreme Court ruling on HMO suits a setback for state's patient rights law
...plus -- Who's killing dairyman's cows? -- Neither the police nor the farmer suggest the cows' deaths are related to the WestFarm dispute -- nor does any other newspaper that covered this story today -- but the P-I does... just because the farmer is on WestFarm's board.  This story goes on to describe some vandalism of WestFarm trucks in May, implying the two incidents are related.  Lame.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Swedish files plan for new Issaquah hospital employing 600
...plus Sunday -- Tallying costs of CEOs' soft landings ...plus CEO pay back to basics with hard cash -- Albertsons' CEO Lawrence Johnston's salary rose 68% last year to $3.3 million. Add stock awards, and he earned an average of $16.4 million a year he took the job in April 2001. During that same 3-year period, the company closed 95 stores, two distribution centers and laid off 1,300 employees. 
It would take the average grocery worker 911 years to equal Johnston's salary for one year.
— In the Spokane Journal of Commerce -- Executive pay skyrockets -- Executives of publicly traded companies in Spokane and North Idaho, on average, saw their paychecks soar nearly 48% in 2003, by far the largest increase the Journal has seen in the 11 years in which it has tracked executive pay.
— In today's Everett Herald -- Everett Comm. College board stands by its president, his decisions
— In today's Seattle Times -- Marysville students try their own strike to protest extended school year
Election news: — In today's Seattle Times -- School initiative (I-884) supporters lead in fund raising
— In today's News Tribune -- Ref. 55 puts charter schools plans in Eatonville, Federal Way on hold
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Why legislate? -- Editorial: Physicians have every right to float an initiative (on tort reform), but it repeats an unfortunate pattern established in recent years by the building industry and police and fire unions of going to the ballot when they don't get their way in the Legislature.
— In today's Washington Post -- Bush loses advantage on terrorism -- Only half the country now approves of the way Bush is managing the U.S. war on terrorism, down 13 percentage points since April. Bush comfortably led Kerry by 21 points when voters were asked which man they trusted to deal with the terrorist threat. Today the country is evenly divided, with 48% preferring Kerry and 47% favoring Bush.
Other national news: — At AFLCIO.org -- America's workers call for health care reform
— In today's L.A. Times -- Outsourcing firms focus of unions -- SEIU plans $10 million campaign to organize at three fast-growing outsourcing companies: Sodexho, Compass Group and Aramark.
— Today from Reuters -- Judge certifies class-action suit against Wal-Mart -- In what may be the largest civil rights class action case in U.S. history, Wal-Mart is charged with discriminating against women. 
— In today's Washington Post -- Union faults FAA contract worker for error leading to Capitol evacuation
— Today from BusinessWeek -- Airbus' megaplane has a weight problem -- The giant A380 must keep pounds down to meet fuel-efficiency targets, making it hard to outfit. (Boeing's Mulally: "They suck.")

MONDAY, June 21 -- Seattle Housing Authority workers rally today for fair contract
— In today's L.A. Times -- Unions set to offer new strategy -- Presidents of several of the nation's largest and fastest-growing unions are expected to lay out plans at conventions this week and in July for fundamental changes in the structure and direction of the labor movement, changes that could result in a massive union consolidation and an overhaul of the AFL-CIO.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Seattle firefighters ponder tax initiative for crew safety -- President of IAFF Local 27 says the union feels the need to get tougher to attain its goals for firefighter safety.
...plus -- A blueprint for Boeing -- Op-ed: Boeing can ensure a strong future for itself (among other ways) by hanging onto knowledge. Outsourcing is inevitable, but could blow up on Boeing.
Election news: — In today's Washington Post -- Unions take Kerry message door to door -- Volunteer!
— At MSNBC.com -- Kerry proposes raising federal minimum wage to $7 -- “If a president can go out and fight for four years to provide over a trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America, we can fight for a few months to raise the minimum wage for the poorest people in America,” Kerry says.
— In Sunday's Olympian -- Sen. Tim Sheldon should drop Senate seat (editorial)
— In Saturday's Seattle Times -- Kemper Freeman's freeway initiative campaign takes an exit
— In Sunday's Bremerton Sun -- Don't sign petitions for I-864, Eyman's property tax initiative (editorial)
— In today's News Tribune -- Voters should keep gambling initiative off November ballot (editorial)
Other national news: — At AFLCIO.org -- Bush's NLRB moves to restrict workers' union rights
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Job security, benefits top working women's wish lists
— In today's News Tribune -- Rules to expose long-term costs of health plans -- New regulations will put pressure on state and local governments to scale back benefits or shift more of the cost to retirees.
— In the American Prospect -- Buying drugs in bulk -- Reich op-ed: Republicans who champion the free market and tell us repeatedly that the private sector is more efficient than the public, have prevented the public sector from being more efficient -- and saving money for older Americans.
— In the Arizona Republic -- 14,000 grocery workers in Arizona vote on contentious contract Tuesday
— In Sunday's Olympian -- Claims of false names for striking California grocery workers probed (AP)

Previous weeks' news: June 14-18 -- June 7-11 -- June 2-4

THURSDAY,  JUNE 24
Feds jeopardizing health care for thousands of Kaiser retirees

Exacerbating this disturbing development, the PBGC's actions -- or inaction -- is preventing hundreds of Kaiser retirees from qualifying for the federal Health Coverage Tax Credit, thereby depriving them of their COBRA health insurance benefits.  In other words, while the PBGC holds out for even more benefit cuts, many former Kaiser workers still too young to be covered by Medicare face total loss medical coverage because they are being denied the HCTC that makes it affordable (by covering almost two-thirds of the cost).

U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell sent a letter to PBGC Executive Director Bradley Belt on Wednesday urging him to abide by the bankruptcy court ruling that approved the USWA-Kaiser settlement, so the Steelworkers can get the tax credits they need to avoid loss of health insurance.

"On behalf of the thousands of Kaiser retirees and their spouses who recently lost their retiree health insurance, we urge you to act quickly on the distress termination of the two principle Kaiser hourly pension plans," read the Washington Senators' letter co-signed by Sens. John Breaux (D-LA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Mike Dewine (R-OH).

The Washington State Labor Council thanks Sens. Murray and Cantwell for their leadership and responsiveness in trying to resolve this impending crisis for thousands of Washington's working families.

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE 23
This weekend is last chance to join June Labor Neighbor walks

TUESDAY,  JUNE 22
Save the Date: On July 17, tell Governors to "Put People First"

TUESDAY,  JUNE 22
NLRB upholds union vote at Tyson; contract talks to continue

The National Labor Relations Board, in a 20-page decision received June 21st, upheld the Union election held April 8 and 9, overruling every single employer objection.  In that election, Tyson workers at the company's Pasco plant democratically chose to keep their union, Teamsters Local 556, in a close vote 708-657.

“Negotiations can now continue for a better union contract for meatpacking workers that includes living wages, affordable health care, a safer and more sanitary workplace for workers and consumers, and respect for workers rights to organize and have a voice at work,” says Maria Martinez, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 556. 

Negotiations have been ongoing, and are scheduled to take place in Pasco on June 30 and July 1.

For more background information, read Tyson decert try foiled by Teamsters reformers in the May edition of Labor Notes.

MONDAY,  JUNE 21
Seattle Housing Authority workers rally today for fair contract