AFL-CIO news: ■  Get the latest from Chicago at the Working Life blog, including... 
United Farm Workers may join insurgents; Laborers may leave AFL-CIO Building Trades; No withdrawal sought in Iraq War resolution; and "A split: You can bank on it" -- It's early, but a number of people tell me the percentages are quite high that on Sunday afternoon, SEIU, UNITE HERE, UFCW and the Teamsters will announce that they are leaving the Federation.
■  The party line at AFLCIO.org -- Next week's convention will chart the future of the union movement
■  In today's NY Times -- Among dissident union leaders, backgrounds may vary but vision is same -- The dissident union leaders who are threatening to create the biggest schism in organized labor in 70 years say the AFL-CIO has utterly failed to reverse labor's slide.
■  In today's Washington Post -- To survive, unions must head back to their roots (Pearlstein column) -- Labor desperately needs to shed its image as a bunch of white guys in dying industries and government bureaucracies who are determined to protect their privileged status.

CAFTA news:  ■  In today's Seattle Times -- Let's renegotiate CAFTA to fix its many flaws (Inslee op-ed) --  While CAFTA establishes a gold standard for protecting intellectual property created by local hi-tech companies, it also prevents us from moving forward in preserving labor and environmental standards. Passing this CAFTA would yield to the siren call of approving any trade deal, no matter how blighted. I will vote against CAFTA and urge the president to renegotiate a long-term trade policy to benefit future generations in Washington state and Central America. Learn more.

Political news:  ■  In the Skagit Valley Herald -- Infrastructure sorely needs gas-tax funds (editorial)
■  In the new Stranger -- The western strategy: How to stop worrying and defeat anti-gas-tax I-912 -- Embrace the east-west division in this state, even play it up. No more media buys to win over people in Tonasket. Instead, focus on driving up the "No on I-912" vote in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, where it will be easiest to make the case against the gas-tax repeal.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Initiative 343 assailed as attack on immigrants -- Area racist nutbag files measure for 2006 mandating that voters provide proof of citizenship, a telephone number, etc.
■  In yesterday's Columbian -- Retired millworker Al Swindell to seeks seat on Woodland City Council

Local news:  ■  Today at WFSE.org -- WFSE sues L&I, files ULP against ESD, fights to save park
■  In today's Olympian -- State workers union (WFSE) sues to enforce contract at L&I
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Alaska posts profit, but morale is a worry -- Alaska execs discuss the low morale among employees, which seems to be causing some of the delays and cancellations.
■  In today’s Seattle P-I -- Travelers take Alaska Air to profitable quarter -- On-time arrivals fell to roughly 50% after 472 laid-off Seattle baggage handlers were replaced with subcontractors, which cost Alaska $14.7 million in a pretax restructuring charge. CEO Bill Ayer says no more "significant outsourcing" is planned, but that the airline cannot guarantee lifetime employment.
■  In today’s Seattle P-I -- 4,400 recruits join Microsoft; hiring likely to keep up pace -- But more than half that employment growth occurred outside the U.S.  Microsoft added about the same number of people in the Puget Sound region -- approximately 1,400 in all -- as it did the year before.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Southwest's $130 million plan for Boeing Field -- The airline yesterday proposed spending $130 million to build a passenger terminal and other facilities there.
■  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Laid-off Hanford pipefitters finally get day in court -- In a case filed six years ago but delayed by appeals that have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, jury begins to hear the arguments of 11 pipefitters who say they lost their jobs for speaking up about safety concerns. 
■  In today's News Tribune -- Safety training pays dividends at Labor Ready -- Temp firm cuts workers' comp costs by hiring full-timers to inspect clients' job sites and provide safety training.
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Some liquor stores to open on Sunday as new law takes effect

National news:  ■  In today's Seattle Times -- United in House against Enron -- Our state's Republican delegation joins Democrats in supporting amendment to waive hundreds of millions in Enron's termination fees, but GOP chiefs Tom DeLay and the committee chair, both of Texas, oppose it.
■  In today's LA Times -- United Airlines' Machinists union ratifies contract (brief)

THURSDAY, JULY 21 ■  Attend the new UI task force's July 26 meeting in Olympia

AFL-CIO news:  ■  At Teamster.org -- Teamsters Executive Board authorizes AFL-CIO disaffiliation
■  In today's Washington Post -- Teamsters to let leaders decide on split from AFL-CIO -- That puts four of the five unions unhappy with AFL-CIO policies in position to leave if their leaders choose, possibly before the labor federation's convention next week.
■  In today's San Diego U-T -- AFL-CIO orders SEIU to stop recruiting members from rival (AFSCME)
■  At the House of Labor blog -- On the brink (by AFSCME VP Roberta Lynch) -- Sadly, it appears that SEIU is more focused on recruiting other unions to be part of an alternative power bloc than in grappling with the hard questions of how to make the entire American labor movement stronger.
■  In today’s Seattle P-I -- A union? "What's in it for me?" (Virgin column) -- There's a model the AFL-CIO might consider to rebuild its membership and clout, one that draws upon its own roots as well as some lessons from a seemingly unlikely source -- the suburban megachurch.

Political news:  ■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Valley cities aim to keep gas tax hike -- Yakima city officials are considering the rare move of taking a public position against Initiative 912: "We've got a lot of money coming here for critical, essential projects with no other way identified to pay for them."
today's Everett Herald -- Lawsuit filed over how new taxes were enacted
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Voter ID now required at polls -- A driver's license, utility bill or bank statement will satisfy the new requirement.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Secretary of State prepares for Montana-style primary
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Jim West to resume chemotherapy, says he won't step down

Local news:  ■  In today’s Seattle P-I -- Swedish wants to pare costs -- Saddled with pension costs it says are double its peers' and alone among area hospitals in providing premium-free health coverage, Swedish wants to save tens of millions of dollars a year by changing its benefits plans.
■  In today’s Seattle P-I -- Seattle Monorail board to cut staff
■  In today's Oregonian -- Blue Heron paper workers (AWPPW) approve mediated contract

National news:  ■  In today’s Washington Post -- Bush trying to build CAFTA majority vote by vote -- The White House has authorized Republican leaders to secure votes with whatever is at hand, from amendments to the highway and energy bills to the still incomplete annual appropriations bills.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 ■  Meet Mike McGavick, presumptive GOP candidate for Senate
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Senate race could be a refreshing contest (Connelly column) -- McGavick yesterday received what has become a staple for Republicans starting up candidacies -- an uncritical Associated Press profile. Life in the limelight may take off some of the luster.

National news:  ■  In today’s LA Times -- U.S. agrees to rework CAFTA's rules -- Lacking sufficient votes in the House, Bush's trade negotiators and the six other CAFTA-covered nations have agreed to renegotiate a provision on clothing to secure support from Republicans representing textile districts. Democrats blast Bush for his willingness to appease the textile companies for a few Republican votes, while refusing to push for improving labor rules to get bipartisan support.
■  Today from AP -- Bonuses replacing increases in pay for American workers
■  In today's LA Times -- Bush leans right in Supreme Court pick (news analysis) -- John G. Roberts Jr. has longtime Republican ties but a short resume as an appellate judge.
■  In The Onion -- Local company moves production underseas -- Says CEO: "We care about the Newark community. It's never an easy choice to relocate jobs to the cold, inhospitable abyss of the deep seas, but the competitive realities of the baked-goods industry leave us little choice."

TUESDAY, JULY 19 ■  Join UFW's new Gallo boycott: Sign the petition today!
■  In the S.F. Chronicle -- Farm workers union kicks off boycott of Gallo wines -- The union's boycott affects some 40 Gallo brands, including the premiere Gallo of Sonoma, Indigo Hills, Louis M. Martini, Mirassou, Napa Valley Vineyards and Rancho Zabaco Winery.

Political news: ■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Safeco CEO McGavick quits; likely to challenge Cantwell -- Mike McGavick, who has never before served in public office, is expected to announce his intention to run for U.S. Senate at a news conference today. More on McGavick. 
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Hats in the ring (editorial) -- McGavick-Cantwell, if that is the matchup, will be an expensive, full-throttle contest between two candidates who bring a lot of smarts and heft.
■  In today's King Co. Journal -- Despite convention loss, Reagan Dunn plans to run as Republican
■  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Why repeal the gas tax? Uh... (column) -- "Is it your position we shouldn't build new roads or replace aging infrastructure, just pass that off for our children to deal with?"
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Tax increases: Court sticks to law (editorial) -- The court's three conservative justices -- Tom Chambers, Jim Johnson and Richard Sanders -- called for judicial activism in response to their six colleagues' insistence on hewing to the law.
■  Today from AP -- Sen. Pam Roach seeks law against bestiality -- Insert joke here.

Local news:  ■  In today's Everett Herald -- New extended-range Boeing 737 sells 30 to start
■  In yesterday’s Yakima H-R -- Some sit out Social Security debate -- An estimated 28% of state and local public employees are not covered by the social insurance program.
■  In yesterday’s Walla Walla U-B -- State's asparagus industry is down, but it's not gone (editorial)
■  In today’s Olympian -- WorkFirst program under fire (editorial) -- Gregoire's task force should focus on ways to improve the system and provide necessary services, not merely boot people off public assistance rolls to save dollars because the public eventually picks up the tab in other areas.
■  Today from Reuters -- HP to slash 14,500 jobs -- In the Oregonian -- Vancouver braces for HP cuts

National news:  ■  In today’s Washington Post -- Bush aims to extend system of merit pay -- Bush wants to abolish the General Schedule pay system by 2010. The proposal "is meant to erode federal pay and future retirement security for middle-class federal workers over time," says the AFGE.
■  In today's Washington Post -- In defense of success: Government really can lessen poverty (column)
■  In today's Washington Post -- Bush raises threshold for firing of aides in leak probe -- After originally saying anyone involved in leaking the name of the covert CIA operative would be fired, Bush told reporters: "If somebody committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration."

MONDAY, JULY 18 ■  "New Directions" workers' comp conference Oct. 5-6 in Spokane

Political news: ■  In the Seattle P-I -- Rossi won't run for Senate -- Many speculate that Safeco Chief Executive Mike McGavick may now challenge Sen. Maria Cantwell.  More on McGavick.
■  In Sunday's Spokesman-Review -- Rossi refusal a setback for state GOP (Camden column) -- Recent polling showed Rossi as the only R leading Cantwell in a straight matchup.
■  In the Seattle P-I -- Where's Rossi on I-912? -- Rossi announced he won't run for the U.S. Senate, saying, "Right now, I'm committed to turning this state around, and I need to stay here to accomplish that goal." Here's one way to do that: Remain silent while state infrastructure crumbles, side with the anti-tax crowd, then run for governor to save the state.
■  Today from AP -- Initiative process both loved and hated in Washington
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Primary elections: Forget the parties (editorial)
■  In the Columbian -- Ex-Sen. Don Carlson leaves Vancouver for Olympia, wants to be a lobbyist

Local news:  ■  Today from AP -- Aerospace jobs take off -- Recruiter: “There are just tons of jobs."
■  In the PSBJ -- Everett port roars back to life -- It's rebounding on a diet of aerospace assemblies and oversized cargoes not easily handled through Puget Sound's large and busy container ports.
■  In today’s Olympian -- Civil service changes alter disciplinary procedures for state workers
■  In today’s Oregonian -- Oregon bill may ease job injury claims -- Measure would order new standards for workers' compensation medical exams that many say unfairly favor insurers.

AFL-CIO news: ■  Today from AP -- Labor unions seek to spread the gospel -- The AFL-CIO has hired more than three dozen aspiring ministers, imams, priests and rabbis to support union organizing across the nation this summer. The program seeks to recreate the historic partnership between faith and labor, an alliance that for nearly a century gave union leaders an aura of moral authority.
■  In BusinessWeek -- This would be a very painful divorce -- The possibility of an AFL-CIO breakup has pushed antagonisms sky-high, and tensions will only worsen if anyone actually decamps.
■  In Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer -- Labor's love's lost -- The AFL-CIO's unions are bickering, and AFSCME's Gerald W. McEntee is trying to keep them from breaking up.
■  In Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer -- Richard L. Trumka: He sees himself as Sweeney's successor
■  In Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer -- Andrew L. Stern: Are his grievances too great to resolve?
■  In Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer -- Anna Burger: Her opposition group could change things

National news:  ■  In today’s NY Times -- America's truth deficit (Greider op-ed) -- The possibility that the United States can no longer afford globalization is what opinion leaders do not wish to discuss.
■  In today's LA Times -- Familiar trade fears, but bigger risks (analysis) -- U.S. anxiety over China's growth hark back to Japan. But this time, globalization and China's goals have raised the stakes.
■  In today's NY Times -- More Social Security follies (editorial) -- Under pressure from Republican leaders, Rep. Bill Thomas is being drawn into the White House's single-minded drive for a privatization scheme the public doesn't want and the nation can't afford.
■  In today’s (Victoria B.C.) Times Colonist -- 2,548 bottles of beer found at union office

Leaky White House news: ■  In today’s NY Times -- Time reporter: Rove first told him of CIA agent
■  In today's LA Times -- Rove, Cheney aide aimed to discredit critic who told truth about Iraq WMDs

Previous weeks' news: July 11-15 -- July 5-8 -- June 27-July 1