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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 August 19-21, 2002

Previous weeks' news: Aug. 12-16 -- Aug. 7-9 -- July 29-Aug. 1

WEDNESDAY, August 21 -- Gov. Locke says he supports raises for home-care workers
-- In today's Spokesman-Review -- Group Health nurses strike for higher pay
...plus -- Corporate offenders have tenacious lawyer hot on their heels (re: Corporate malfeasance presentation by attorney William Lerach at WSLC Convention Tuesday.)
-- In today's Seattle P-I -- Airline slump, rivals vex Boeing as union seeks security
...plus -- Bush to propose easing logging rule
-- In today's Everett Herald -- Machinists talks center on pensions, job security (Corliss column)
-- In today's South County Journal -- Boeing labor talks update
-- In today's Christian Science Monitor -- Women nearing retirement confront pay gap
-- In today's Washington Post -- Poll: Most oppose school vouchers

TUESDAY, August 20 -- Convention focuses on organizing, corporate malfeasance
-- In today's Spokesman-Review -- State's union leaders gather at WSLC Convention
Also today -- Join Boeing Machinists at rally Sunday, Aug. 25 in SeaTac
-- In today's South County Journal -- Boeing talks turn to major issues
-- In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing, Machinists union to talk job security
...plus -- At 67, Social Security is alive and well (Marilyn Watkins op-ed)
-- In today's Yakima H-R -- Valley markets prepare for UFCW strike, hire temp workers
-- In yesterday's Aberdeen Daily World -- QVL workers apparently "last in line" for settlement
-- In today's Eastside Journal -- Fallen DOT worker remembered; hundreds gather for Kent memorial
...plus -- Teachers' frustration may result in strikes; Bellevue, Issaquah districts on the "watch list"
-- In today's Seattle Times -- Mistakes slip through cracks at Public Disclosure Commission
...plus -- State's perfect storm heads toward our children (Varner column)
-- In today's N.Y. Times -- Tax revolt takes aim at Stevens County, Wash. libraries
...plus -- Unproductive Medicare bashing -- Editorial: Medicare is not failing its participants. The federal government is failing Medicare.
...plus -- The real thing -- Krugman column: Bush is a master of photo-op populism; his handlers seek out opportunities to show him mingling with blue-collar workers. But the reality is that this administration loves 'em while the TV crews are around, then leaves 'em when it comes to policy.

MONDAY, August 19 -- Bender: 2002 has been a year linking politics and organizing
At AFLCIO.org -- On the death of former UAW President Stephen Yokich
-- In Saturday's News-Tribune -- 25,500 home health care workers vote union!
...and today -- Strike against ports would harm region's economy (editorial)
-- Today at MSNBC.com -- White House intervenes in West Coast port talks
-- In today's Seattle Times -- Some good, some bad for home caregivers, clients (editorial)
...plus -- Corporate handouts: A call for accountability -- Column: Greg LeRoy, a former union official and community organizer, is becoming America's No. 1 watchdog of how subsidy-hungry corporations are putting the squeeze on state and local governments — and all of us as taxpayers.
-- In today's Seattle P-I -- State to honor killed DOT worker today
...plus -- Groups show their special interest in giving to politicians
-- In today's Everett Herald -- Local businesses back Referendum 51
-- In today's Spokesman-Review -- Report: Nursing shortage to be much worse by 2020
-- In Sunday's Oregonian -- In-home care workers move closer
-- In today's Detroit Free Press -- "Good, honorable man" UAW's Yokich felled by stroke
-- In today's Washington Post -- As voters seethe, GOP turns on Big Business
-- In today's N.Y. Times -- Why isn't Fast Track... faster?

Previous weeks' news: Aug. 12-16 -- Aug. 7-9 -- July 29-Aug. 1

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21
Gov. Locke says he supports raises for home-care workers

Before delivering a forceful case for passage of Referendum 51, Governor Gary Locke congratulated the thousands of workers who have chosen to organize unions in the past year and urged labor leaders to continue expanding the reach of collective bargaining as he addressed some 500 delegates and guests at Wednesday's session of the Washington State Labor Council 2002 Convention in Spokane.

Locke listed a number of specific organizing victories around the state including last week's historic vote for 26,000 home health care workers to join Service Employees International Union Local 6. He addressed his veto earlier this year of a 25-cent-an-hour pay increase for these workers by explaining that when the legislature refused to increase a "sin tax" designed to fund that increase (among other budget items) he felt compelled to make that veto even though he supports the increase.

"I very much support the wage increase for home-care workers," Locke said. "I’m hoping and expecting that the legislature will deal with this issue again now that you have collective bargaining." He said the state must make a commitment to "provide dignity and well-deserved economic relief for our home care workers."

Wednesday was a busy day of speakers, panels and action on political endorsements.

Gloria Johnson, President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, discussed contraceptive equity in health care coverage. Texas-based populist commentator Jim Hightower preached about the need for grassroots organizing and coalition building, and finished up with a plug for all union members to bring their families to Saturday's Rolling Thunder Down Home Democracy Tour in Renton.

Barbara Flye, Executive Director of Washington Citizen Action, delivered a powerful presentation on the health care crisis, its scope and its growing impact on all of us. A "strategic initiatives" panel explained some of the strategies behind using the initiative process for pro-worker measures, and how organized labor can become more aggressive in this area instead of simply fighting off attacks from the likes of Tim Eyman.

Will Parry, organizer with the Alliance for Retired Americans, was given a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of advocacy and activism for workers' issues. Parry said he shares this award with his wife Louise Parry who he proudly noted was protesting outside Group Health headquarters in Seattle on Tuesday at the very moment he was walking the Group Health picket line in Spokane. As he pledged to continue his worker advocacy, he added: "You can count on Louise for as long as she draws a breath."

The other recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award was well-known activist Irene Hull. Her lifetime of political and social organizing began in the 1930s and continues today. One of her many arrests at protests through the decades was in 1995 when she was arrested at the Republican headquarters protesting Newt Gingrich's Contract With America. A photo of Hull wearing a T-shirt that read "Shame" as she was lead away in handcuffs was immortalized in a Jobs With Justice poster.

Delegates also voted to make some political endorsements to supplement those made at the June 1 WSLC Political Endorsement Convention. A two-thirds majority of the delegates present was necessary for the endorsement of any candidate or ballot measure, and the following action was taken Wednesday (also see previous endorsements):

CONGRESS

4^th District – Craig Mason
5^th District – Bart Haggin
8^th District – Heidi Behrens-Benedict

STATE LEGISLATURE

District 5 
House-1 – Katrina Culp Ladopoulous
House-2 – Loren Skaggs

District 6
House-1 – Tony Bamonte

District 7
House-1 – Ron McCoy

District 8
House-1 -- Shirley Hankins (limited endorsement)

District 14
House-2 – Marco Yolo

District 16
House-1 – Jody Clark
House-2 – Bill Grant

District 19
House-1 -- Brian Hatfield
House-2 – Mark Doumit

District 25
House-1 – Audrey Chase

District 30
House-2 – Greg Markley

District 31
House-1 – Mike Connor

District 36
House-1 – Helen Sommers

District 38
House-1 -- Dylan Malone (dual endorsement with John McCoy)

District 44
Senate – Phil Doerflein

JUDICIAL 

Court of Appeals, Div. 1, Dis. 1, Pos. 5 – H. Joseph Coleman

BALLOT MEASURES 

OPPOSE Initiative 264
OPPOSE Initiative 265

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20
Convention focuses on organizing, corporate malfeasance

“The fight is not just local, it’s not just national, it’s global,” proclaimed Clayola Brown, Vice President of UNITE and an AFL-CIO Executive Council member, as she opened Tuesday's action with a fiery address to the assembled delegates at the Washington State Labor Council convention at Spokane's Ridpath Hotel.

Brown reminded delegates that the fight for fair and responsible trade policies must include international solidarity with workers struggling for basic rights abroad. She described visiting a textile plant in southern Africa that produces clothes for The Gap. After having set up slavelike conditions for thousands of plant workers, those workers are finally starting to get organized and they have called upon American trade unions to help them in their struggle. The AFL-CIO is rising to these challenges and helping make a difference for these workers.

Also Tuesday, a panel of speakers including SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina focused attention on the need to "organize, organize, organize." 

UFW of Washington's Lupe Gamboa explained the Fair Trade Apple Campaign that would ask retailers to sell slightly more expensive, specially labelled “fair trade apples.” The extra money would be passed on to the farm workers and the growers. Gamboa pointed out that a mere 5-cent increase in a pound of apples would double the wages that farm workers receive.

Two presentations on corporate accounting scandals informed delegates what has happened, the scope of the malfeasance and that we can't expect politicians to solve this problem, given the amount of influence Corporate America  has over our government.

Robert Pleasure of the AFL-CIO's Center for Working Capitol explained that the answer is in the enormous amount of money in union pension funds and the pressure that can be exerted on companies to make them better corporate citizens. He cited the aborted Stanley Works move to Bermuda as an example where that pressure succeeded in changing corporate behavior.

At lunchtime, hundreds of convention delegates visited the SEIU 1199NW picket lines at a local Group Health facility. Nurses, therapists and clinical team assistants at five GHC clinics in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho conducted a one-day strike Tuesday, taking a stand for the future of patient care at their clinics. After one year of negotiations, GHC refuses to make changes that will help retain highly-skilled health care workers.

Also Tuesday, four lawmakers were presented the 2002 WSLC Legislators of the Year awards: Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, Sen. Margarita Prentice, Rep. Karen Fraser and House Speaker Frank Chopp. All played instrumental roles in successfully passing historic legislation this year that grants full collective bargaining rights to state employees, and many other progressive pro-worker bills. (See the 2002 Legislative Report for more information.) 

Last but not least Tuesday, before breaking up for afternoon workshops, Bev Hermanson of the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28 was surprised with the news that she was the recipient of the prestigious Mother Jones Award for exemplary union advocacy. Her decade long perseverance and tireless work in support of the state employee collective bargaining bill finally paid off in 2002. 

On Wednesday, delegates will begin action on resolutions that will guide the policies and priorities of the WSLC in the coming year.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20
Join Boeing Machinists at rally Sunday, Aug. 25 in SeaTac

All trade unionists are invited to march with the International Association of Machinists District 751 negotiating committee, elected officials and union leaders to Angle Lake Park in SeaTac on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. Meet at that time at the Doubletree Hotel (188th and Pacific Hwy.), which is where around-the-clock negotiating sessions with Boeing management are being held.

The Machinists' negotiations with Boeing have a major impact on our entire community. This struggle often sets the standard for:

• Preserving liveable wage jobs facing the threat of moving to poverty wage sweatshops
• Wage and benefit packages for most other employers in our region
• Priming our regional economy with healthy consumers. 

Boeing is threatening to shut down production if the Machinists strike, thus impacting many more thousands of living wage jobs. As IAM 751 President Mark Blondin says, "If the only way they can be successful is to give all the jobs away in this region, then they can fail."  

For more information, call IAM 751 at (206) 764-0300

MONDAY, AUGUST 19
Bender: 2002 has been a year linking politics and organizing

President Rick Bender opened the Washington State Labor Council convention in Spokane on Monday by reinforcing the link between political action and union organizing. Addressing some 500 assembled delegates and guests, he introduced several rank-and-file members of different unions representing some of the important organizing, legislative and political victories that have happened in the past year in Washington state."

From a University of Washington academic student employee to a state homecare worker, many of the individuals that shared the stage for Monday's opening plenary would not have had the legal right to organize a union in this state one year ago. That's because several bills designed to grant collective bargaining rights to different classifications of state employees was bottled up by the ties in the state House of Representatives.

Bender reminded the delegates what a difference a year made once that ties was broken, enabling passage of several historic pieces of collective bargaining legislation, plus a host of other pro-worker measures. (See the 2002 WSLC Legislative Report to learn more.)

"The entire legislative session last year demonstrated what we can accomplish when we combine political action with organizing efforts," Bender said.

Bender thanked the 102 volunteers that participated in Sunday's Labor Neighbor kickoff event in Spokane and challenged al delegates to become involved in the program.

Fe Bacotot, a home care worker with Catholic Community Services and an SEIU Local 6 member, was presented the Power to the People award for outstanding political activism. She devoted every single weekend last fall to volunteering for the Labor Neighbor program handing out union literature to fellow union members in Snohomish County's 21st District last fall.

Brian Sullivan, the labor-endorsed candidate who ultimately won that election and broke the House tie, said the diminutive, but tireless Bacotot deserves credit -- perhaps more than any other single person -- for getting him elected. And it was his breaking of the House tie that enabled passage of legislation that has allowed Bacotot and her fellow homecare workers the ability to form a union with SEIU 6, which they did in last week's historic vote.

Bob Steele, apprenticeship coordinator for the Sheetmetal Workers union, received on Monday the Bruce Brennan award for outstanding advocacy in promoting union apprenticeship programs.

A panel of speakers on transportation issues discussed the critical importance of the passage of Referendum 51, which would finance desperately needed transportation projects across the state by phasing in a 9-cent increase in the gas tax plus imposing some additional vehicle sales taxes and truck weight fees.

"If Referendum 51 fails it will be disastrous," said state Rep. (and IAFF member) Mike Cooper, "not only to the economy but to the operating budget of this state."

Unfortunately for convention delegates, Monday's scheduled keynote speaker, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, had to cancel his trip to Washington at the last minute in order to attend services for former UAW President Stephen Yokich.

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