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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. 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 August 25-29, 2003

Previous weeks' news: Aug. 18-22 -- Aug. 11-15 -- Aug. 4-8

FRIDAY, August 29 -- SeaTac Hilton, DoubleTree hotel workers ratify contract
...plus -- New research reveals corporate irresponsibility in Washington
— In today's Seattle P-I -- AFL-CIO creates a group for non-union workers
...plus -- Sen. McCain to release data unfavorable to Boeing air tanker deal
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Proposed farmworker pesticide testing draws mixed reviews
...plus -- Push for union (SEIU 925) divides Head Start workers
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- BPA seeks 2.2% rate hike; Alcoa says plant closure likely
— In yesterday's Aberdeen Daily World -- Hospital board will close nursing home (UFCW 1001)
— In today's News Tribune -- Layoff ax falls on SeaTac Airport; 67 to lose jobs
— In today's King County Journal -- Journal to cut 19 jobs, plans wage freeze
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Union (IBU) angry over ferry system's food service contract request
...plus -- Capitol Hill or Governor's Mansion: Rep. Inslee to announce plans in next two weeks
— In today's Olympian -- DSHS chief Braddock has somber forecast for agency
— Today's teacher contract updates for Bellingham, Longview, Marysville, Moses Lake and 
At AFLCIO.org -- This Labor Day, workers call for the freedom to join unions
— In the American Prospect -- Organize or die -- Three progressive union presidents -- with some surprising allies -- are out to transform American labor.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Economic recovery, but no jobs, as productivity spurs rebound
— Today at MSNBC.com -- Are we working smarter, or harder? The darker side of rising productivity
— In today's Washington Post -- Do jobs matter anymore? -- Dionne column: This Labor Day is as good a time as any to begin rolling back the effects of roughly a quarter-century of propaganda that sought, quite successfully, to diminish the role of labor -- which is to say real human beings living primarily on wages and salaries -- in creating prosperity.

THURSDAY, August 28 -- Daily News readers denounce "right-to-work" (for less) editorial
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Labor can act to stem the export of jobs -- Virgin column: Labor could choose to make alliances with business on specific issues (like the Boeing Machinists did), stop operating as a subsidiary of the Democratic Party, and exercise its stock-ownership clout in pension funds to put the squeeze on management over corporate governance issues.
— In today's King County Journal -- Boeing downsizing may affect execs, too
— In today's Tri-City Herald -- State outlines proposed pesticide regulations for farm workers
— In today's Olympian -- State Democrats to select presidential delegates at caucuses, not primary
— In today's Everett Herald -- Rep. Larsen champions business tax credits for health care coverage
At AFLCIO.org -- Nation's air traffic control system for sale under Bush plan
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Bush limits raises for federal workers
— In today's Washington Post -- Halliburton's deals greater than thought -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former firm has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract.
— Today at MSNBC.com -- Are we done with the 40-hour workweek?
— In today's Yale Daily News -- Hundreds of Yale University workers go on strike
— In today's L.A. Times -- State blamed for California workers' comp crisis -- An independent report suggests officials could have taken measures to control the rising cost of treating injured workers.
— In today's USAToday -- Unions work selves out of a job -- Op-ed: The notion that (labor's) legislative successes could potentially displace unions isn't new. If this line of reasoning is correct, union membership will continue to decline in proportion to the quality and quantity of labor laws enacted in the 21st century. As the proverb asks, why buy the cow if the milk is free?

WEDNESDAY, August 27 -- New report: Unions benefit union and nonunion workers
— In today's Seattle P-I -- New cost doubts raised on Boeing tanker deal with Air Force (AP)
— In today's New York Times -- Air Force lease with Boeing seen adding billions to cost
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Head Start workers want to talk about their rights
— In Sunday's Daily News -- Right-to-work editorial is ultimate disconnect (op-ed)
...plus yesterday -- Longview teachers reject contract
— In today's Everett Herald -- No pact for Lake Stevens, teachers' union
— In today's News Tribune -- Steilacoom teachers to meet Tuesday, could decide to strike
...plus -- Labor Day: Workers should worry about Bush, economy (Burbank column)
— In today's Seattle Times -- The bad habit of closing libraries (editorial)
...plus -- Three airline CEOs' pay rose amid mass layoffs, study finds
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- What is an "at will" employee? (column)
— In today's Salem S-J -- Oregon legislature OKs slimmer "PERS Lite" pensions
— In today's S.F. Chronicle -- Struggle in Sacramento over state workers' comp -- This is a cautionary tale about a California system absolutely ruined by industrial insurance privatization. Now they are struggling to fix it without simply "lining the pockets of the insurance companies." 
Check out the AFL-CIO's Labor Day-enhanced website
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Even if economy rebounds, deficit will jump due to Bush policies
— In today's Washington Post -- California AFL-CIO endorses Bustamante as Davis backup
...plus -- In Wal-Mart's America -- Meyerson column: Ford and General Motors are yesterday's news; the employer that now sets the standards for working-class America is Wal-Mart. The nation's largest employer doesn't pay its workers -- excuse me, "associates" -- enough to buy decent cars, let alone homes. Wal-Mart employees earn an average hourly wage of $7.50 and, annually, a princely $18,000.

TUESDAY, August 26 -- Call Congress to oppose attacks on Defense Dept. employees
...plus -- Religious leaders, workers to confront Migrant Council CEO
— In today's King County Journal -- Kent firm makes jetliner parts despite strike -- About 250 IAM members at Hexcel walked off the job on Thursday over cuts in health care and return-to-work wages. No new talks are scheduled in the federally mediated dispute. Hexcel has begun interviewing scabs.
— In today's Seattle Times -- Library staffs (AFSCME) protest 3rd budget-related closure in 2 years
— In today's Bremerton Sun -- Shipyard will see different boss, many new workers -- The $900 million submarine-refitting job is the first substantial project at PSNS to be led by a private company.
— In today's News Tribune -- Ethics complaint against Roach over aides' emails is dismissed
...plus -- Mediator to join Peninsula clerical staff (PSE) contract talks
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Prescription drug plan in Congress fatally flawed, Larsen says
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Congressional deficit estimate is increased to $480 billion
— In today's L.A. Times -- Study links biggest CEO raises to largest layoffs
— In the Business-Standard -- Bush, GOP have outsourced telephone fundraising to India

MONDAY, August 25 -- Public hearings for state pesticide rules begin this week
— In Sunday's Seattle Times -- Democrats court labor vote in governor's race (at WSLC Convention)
...plus -- America needs a vacation -- Op-ed: Americans manage to live with the stingiest vacation allotment in the industrialized world -- 8.1 days after a year on the job, 10.2 days after three years.
— In the PSBJ -- A stubborn downturn in factory jobs -- Rep. Conway worries legislators may wait to see if the Boeing tax cuts keep the 7E7 plant here before they ante up more benefits for business.
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Protecting kids who work -- A mother whose daughter's arms were crushed in a work accident is trying to change workplace safety laws and regulations for minors.
— In Sunday's Everett Herald -- Threat of Marysville school strike grows
— In today's King County Journal -- Life after Boeing: Laid-off Boeing worker opts to return to school
— In the Tri-City Herald -- Tyson ordered to pay for protective boots -- Company appeals L&I citation that resulted after employees (IBT) complained about being forced to buy their own protective boots.
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Air traffic controllers fight privatization of more jobs (AP)
— In Sunday's Detroit News -- Freeing Teamsters from federal oversight is long overdue (editorial)
— Today at MSNBC.com -- Verizon, unions said near contract agreement
...plus -- More firms adopt gay-friendly policy; 21 big U.S. companies have anti-discrimination rules 
— In today's N.Y. Times -- An unpatriotic act -- Editorial: Ashcroft's efforts to promote the Patriot Act are misguided. He should abandon the roadshow and spend more time in Washington working with those who want to reform the law.

Previous weeks' news: Aug. 18-22 -- Aug. 11-15 -- Aug. 4-8

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
SeaTac Hilton, DoubleTree hotel workers ratify contract

The following press release was distributed Thursday by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 8: 

SeaTac Hotel Employees Ratify Historic Contract Agreement

After 12 weeks of bargaining and more than 5 weeks of picketing, contracts were overwhelmingly ratified by membership at both the Sea-tac Hilton and Sea-tac Doubletree hotels on August 27, 2003.

HERE Local 8 Principal Officer Rick Sawyer said, “This victory is attributed to the dedication of a strongly united committee and membership along with the overwhelming support of the labor movement and the community.”

Because of the support and unity of many, thousands of dollars in scheduled events were pulled out of each hotel, and flight crews were at the ready to move out of these hotels.  The bargaining committee was joined by community observers, who participated in bargaining and picketing.

This is truly a victory for all of the labor movement and those community and political activists who support economic justice and dignity. 

In many cases both contracts meet and exceed industry standards.  Both contracts contain approximately 48 pages of new improvements in the areas of union rights, seniority, working conditions, benefits, marketable starting wages, plus guaranteed free parking.

Both the Hilton and Doubletree contracts are for four years duration.

The wage and health and welfare improvements are estimated to be a minimum of $3.34 per hour, with many employees receiving additional wage adjustments at the Doubletree, and $3.18 per hour at the Hilton over the term of both contracts.

For more information about the contract agreements, or if you are a hotel or restaurant employee interested in learning how a union could earn you better wages and working conditions, contact HERE Local 8 at (206) 728-2326.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
New research reveals corporate irresponsibility in Washington

The following press release and study were released Thursday by the Worker Owner Council of Washington State. 

SEATTLE -- Most top Washington companies failed to link CEO compensation to long-term corporate value according to new research released in a detailed report by the Worker Owner Council of Washington State. Searching beyond the well-documented enrichment of executives during a period of declining stocks, this new survey looks inside executive pay plans that purport to reward good performance but fail to provide any evidence that they to do so. 

Some key findings:

• Starbucks won the top grade of “B” by refusing executives golden parachutes or special pensions and by incorporating good performance features in its bonus plans.

• Expeditors International earned a “B-” with its superior stock option plan that uses “premium-pricing” (albeit for only a small portion of options) and long vesting periods that link the options to long-term company performance.

• Amazon.com earned a “D+” in part by heavily diluting its stock with excessive option grants. If all available and outstanding grants were exercised, earnings per share of existing shareholders would be reduced by 24.7%.

• AT&T Wireless brought honor on itself by setting executive performance goals to win bonuses, but in mid-2002 it traded honor for shame by reducing those goals to maintain the pay-outs despite poor performance.

• Excessive Options were granted to executives at a majority of companies surveyed. Alaska Air Group, Amazon.com, Avista, Paccar, Plum Creek Timber, Potlatch, Puget Energy, Safeco, Shurgard and Western Wireless all either granted the CEO more than 15% of options or granted the group of top officers more than 25% of options.

• Plum Creek Timber CEO Rick Holley beat all, gathering 22% of all options available to Plum Creek employees in 2002. Avista CEO Gary Ely collected 19% of the Spokane utility’s 2002 options. Alaska Air Group officers, split 60% of options available to employees of the Seattle-based airline.

• Poor disclosure on executive pay characterized most company proxy statements, which provided shareholders little more than the legal minimum of information.

• Qualitative measures in bonus plans that would motivate executives to address interests of important constituents such as workers and communities were absent from all but a few reports.

The Worker Owner Council of Washington State is a shareholder advocacy organization formed by Washington State building and construction unions to represent the ownership interests of building trades union members. Building Trades union members participate in pension plans with assets of approximately $300 billion nationally and $5.5 billion in Washington. These plans are among the nation’s most active institutional shareholders.

Worker Owner Council member organizations include Washington affiliates of the Carpenters, Laborers, Plumbers and Pipefitters United Association, Sheet Metal Workers and Teamsters Unions. The Council’s advocacy is driven by a worker-owner perspective of the corporation that stresses long-term corporate value-building through responsible corporate behavior that is responsive to the full range of important corporate constituents, including workers and communities.

For more information, contact Doug Kilgore, Executive Director of the Worker Owner Council of Washington State at (206) 239-2742 or 790-8586. The entire report is available online in MS Word format and the research data is available in MS Excel format.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Daily News readers denounce "right-to-work" (for less) editorial

Bemoaning the high unemployment of the Longview-Kelso area, The Daily News published an Aug. 15 editorial blaming the problem on Washington's "dirty little secret" of high labor costs associated with a relatively high rate of unionization. Casting a wistful eye to Texas and other low-wage southern states, the newspaper asked, "Should we become a right-to-work state?"

The reaction was fast and furious, and the response The Daily News heard was a resounding "NO!"

"High wages did not kill Longview Aluminum. It was corporate greed, both by the owners and the power traders," reminded fire fighter Mike Phillips in his Aug. 20, "Blame jobless rate on corporate fraud."

"The Daily News has recently advocated lower benefits for injured workers, lower benefits for unemployed workers and abolishing ergonomics rules. Now it advocates "right-to-work laws" to destroy unions and lower wages for its subscribers. What a wonderful vision it has for our state,"
wrote pulp and paper worker Dave Van Curen's in his Aug. 22 response, "Right-to-work editorial is the ultimate disconnect." 

In addition, there were several Letters to the Editor (including at least one cancelling his subscription) subsequently published, none of which supported the idea of making Washington a "right-to-work" (for less) state.  Ironically, just two days before its "right-to-work" piece, The Daily News ran an editorial entitled "Blame hard right for GOP's inability to compete." 

The following op-ed by John Philbrook and Jeff Smith of the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council was published in Sunday, Aug. 24 edition of the Daily News:

Productive Workers Deserve Decent Treatment

I remember when Americans used to be proud to have the highest standard of living in the world.  We earned that high standard because American workers are the most productive workers in the entire world.  When did you decide that we’d prefer to “race to the bottom” of the heap?

The Daily News editorial of August 15th, calls Washington’s decent wage and job safety standards a “dirty little secret.”  What a ridiculous thing to say.  Would it be better to brag about lax safety and low wages, preferring poverty and broken limbs over home ownership and health?  Give me a break!

I guess what The Daily News is advocating is that everyone in the Longview-Kelso area take a pay cut, and then we’d have more jobs.  That just doesn’t make sense.

Just a few short years ago, before George Bush was President, Washington state’s economy was the envy of the nation.  What’s changed besides the man in the White House?  People who still have a short-term memory recall we had a dot.com bust, a terrorist attack and a major setback for our airline and aerospace industry and revelations of corporate wrongdoing and corruption that shook confidence in our financial markets.  

Throughout the decade of prosperity we enjoyed in the 1990s, our wage and job safety standards remained strong.  So what sense does it make to claim that our strong wage and job safety standards are a cause of our current economic problems? 

It certainly is true that lower wages and benefits can be found in “right-to-work” (for less) states.  Here are a few other facts about the wonderful world of these mostly southern states:

• Poverty is on average about 2 percent higher in “right-to-work” states.

• On the job fatalities are nearly 30 percent higher than in Free Collective Bargaining  states.

• On average, free-bargaining states invested nearly $1,300, or 30%, more per year per pupil in public education than do "Right-to-Work" states, and not coincidentally, drop out rates for RTW states are much higher than free-bargaining states.

• The percentage of the population in “right-to-work” states without any health insurance is almost 18%, nearly 7% higher than our state’s uninsured rate.

By any measure of human well being, workers in Free Collective Bargaining states are better off than in the backward, dead enders of the R-T-W (for less) states.

The shift of manufacturing jobs to the southern R-T-W (for less) states is just a way-station stop on the transfer of our manufacturing jobs to Mexico and China.  Our country is losing is ability to create wealth with manufacturing, and that is a fundamental flaw in our economy.  The competition isn’t just between a few backward southern states now, it is with the repressive regimes of China and Burma.  

Does The Daily News endorse adopting the policies of those countries in the endless chase for the multi-national manufacturer?  As I said, you seem to be on a “race to the bottom” instead of aiming for a future with hope and opportunity for all. 

QUOTE

"You will find some people saying that they are for so-called 'Right-to-Work' law, but they also believe in unions.  This is absurd -- it's like saying you are for motherhood but against children." -- President Harry S. Truman 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27
New report: Unions benefit union and nonunion workers

Prompted by unions, Congress in 1894 declared the first Monday in September as Labor Day to celebrate the social and economic achievements of America’s workers.  But through unions, America’s workers, both unionized and nonunionized, won far more than just a day off work.

In fact, unions play a key role in social and economic achievements for all workers by setting compensation standards and winning legislation in areas such as safety and health, overtime and family and medical leave, according to How Unions Help All Workers, an Economic Policy Institute report released Tuesday.

“The research evidence clearly shows that the labor protections enjoyed by America’s entire workforce can be attributed in large part to unions,” says EPI President Lawrence Mishel.

The report finds:

• Unions raise wages of unionized workers by roughly 20 percent and raise compensation, including both wages and benefits, by roughly 28 percent.

• Strong unions set a pay standard that nonunion employers often follow to prevent unionization. For example, a high school graduate whose workplace is not unionized but who works in an industry that is 25 percent unionized is paid 5 percent more than similar workers in less unionized industries.

• Unions’ beneficial impact on total nonunion wages is almost the same as their effect on total union wages in highly unionized sectors.

• The most sweeping advantages for union workers are in health coverage, retirement security and other benefits. Union workers are more likely than their nonunion counterparts to receive paid leave, are 18 to 28 percent more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 23 to 54 percent more likely to be covered by employer-provided pension plans.

• The health coverage union workers receive is far more comprehensive than that of nonunion workers. Union workers pay 18 percent less in health care deductibles and a smaller share of costs for family coverage. When retired, they are 24 percent more likely to have employer-paid health insurance.

• Union workers have better pension plans. Not only are they more likely to have a guaranteed benefit in retirement, their employers contribute 28 percent more toward pensions.

• Union workers get 26 percent more vacation time and 14 percent more total paid leave (including vacations and holidays) than employees who lack a union voice at work.

• Because unions are especially effective at raising wages for low-income workers, they play a powerful role in reducing income inequality.

• Unions historically played a pivotal role in securing legislated job protections and rights such as safety and health, overtime and family and medical leave -- and then in enforcing those rights on the job. Unions act as ongoing intermediaries, providing a necessary shop floor complement to legislated benefits and protections.

Learn more by reading How Unions Help All Workers. Also, learn more about the union difference and find out how and why workers choose a voice at work.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Call Congress to oppose attacks on Defense Dept. employees

Delegates representing the affiliated unions of the Washington State Labor Council unanimously voted last week to step up opposition to the Bush administration's plan to eliminate civil service protections and union rights for civilian workers at the Department of Defense. And there is something you can do RIGHT NOW to help.

CALL TO ACTION: A House-Senate Conference Committee is currently working to resolve differences between the already-approved H.R. 1588 and S. 1166, both of which include harmful elements of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld’s “National Security Personnel Plan.” (See an American Federation of Government Employees analysis of the differences between the two bills.)

CALL CONGRESS toll-free at 1-877-331-2000. Leave a message for your Representative and Sens. Cantwell and Murray to OPPOSE Bush administration efforts to undermine federal employees' collective bargaining and appeal rights, civil service rights and pay and classification system in the Defense Department and other executive branch agencies.

For more information, visit www.afge.org. Here is the resolution unanimously approved by WSLC convention delegates last week (all 2003 resolutions will be posted later this week at this site):

FIGHT AGAINST BUSH ADMINISTRATION EFFORTS
TO ERODE THE CIVIL SERVICE
Resolution #11
Submitted by AFGE Local 3197

WHEREAS, the Bush Administration submitted legislation to eliminate virtually all civil service protections for the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce days after it declared victory in the war against Iraq; and

WHEREAS, these 720,000 civilian employees performed heroically, professionally and successfully to prepare not only our troops but also their weapons, military aircraft, ships, vehicles and other supplies for the combat mission just weeks before this assault on their rights and their livelihoods; and 

WHEREAS, AFGE represents 200,000 Defense Department civilian employees, and other AFL-CIO unions represent numerous other Defense Department civilian employees whose rights are threatened by this legislation; and 

WHEREAS, the legislation passed by the House of Representatives, which was given just two weeks to consider Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s radical plan, allows each successive secretary of Defense unilateral authority to design an entirely new personnel system for 720,000 federal employees; and 

WHEREAS, the House-passed legislation allows Secretaries of Defense to eliminate civilian employees’ rights to appeal management decisions to suspend, demote, discipline or fire them, or go to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) if they have evidence that such actions were taken on the basis of prejudice, politics, union status, a distortion of the facts or in violation of MSPB rules; and 

WHEREAS, the House-passed legislation allows Secretaries of Defense to decide unilaterally to eliminate civilian employees’ collective bargaining rights, to effectively negate the outcome of employees’ election of union representation through the collective bargaining process, and to decide unilaterally to refuse to bargain at the local level even in cases where the union’s recognition as an exclusive bargaining representative is at the local level only; and

WHEREAS, the House-passed legislation allows Secretaries of Defense to decide unilaterally to rewrite the rules regarding procedures for carrying out Reductions-in-Force that currently require managers to take into consideration performance, employment status, veterans’ status, time served in the military and tenure; and 

WHEREAS, the House-passed legislation allows Secretaries of Defense to rewrite the rules on hiring for federal positions that may deviate from the principle of free and open competition, including the bar on the hiring of relatives; and 

WHEREAS, both the House and Senate passed legislation that allows Secretaries of Defense to replace the federal pay and classification systems that are based upon the principle of equal pay for substantially equal work, which has gone a long way to prevent pay discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity and gender. Both bills would allow secretaries of Defense to replace the current system’s nationwide, across-the-board annual pay adjustments passed by Congress with individualized “pay for performance” schemes that allow supervisors to decide whether and by how much to adjust the pay of individual workers; and 

WHEREAS, the Senate bill retains civilian employees’ collective bargaining rights, and rights to appeal adverse actions to an impartial third party but includes the repeal of the federal pay and classification system and authority to replace it with “pay for performance” that will undermine the principle of equal pay for equal work and the ability to ensure that decisions regarding the distribution of pay and pay raises to federal employees be made on the basis of objective criteria; and

WHEREAS, the undermining of the civil service, collective bargaining rights and the federal pay and classification system envisioned in the Defense Department legislation echoes that enacted in the law establishing the Department of Homeland Security; has been repeated with regard to pay and classification for federal employees who administer the Medicare program and are employed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS–formerly HCFA) in the House-passed legislation providing prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients; now, therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council encourage all of its affiliated unions and organizations to inform the House-Senate Conference Committee working on Secretary Rumsfeld’s “National Security Personnel Plan” that they oppose the administration’s effort to undermine federal employees’ collective bargaining and appeal rights, civil service rights and pay and classification system in the Defense Department and other executive branch agencies; and, be it further 

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council will work in conjunction with the American Federation of Government Employees and other affiliated unions representing civilian employees of the Defense Department to support ongoing efforts designed to defeat this legislation and other legislation that undermines the apolitical federal civil service; and, be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council and its affiliates are urged to immediately contact their elected congressional representatives and senators requesting that they oppose any provisions of H.R. 1588 and S. 1166 that may emerge from the congressional conference committee now meeting.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Religious leaders, workers to confront Migrant Council CEO

The following press release was distributed late Monday by Local 925 of the Service Employees International Union:

SUNNYSIDE -- On Wednesday, August 27, 2003, a delegation of Yakima Valley religious leaders and Migrant Head Start workers will be presenting a petition for the reinstatement of workers laid off from the Whitstran Head Start site and a letter supporting the workers' right to organize.

Nearly 1,000 Washington State Migrant Council (WSMC) workers who care for and teach children at about 25 schools throughout Washington State -- the majority are located in the Yakima Valley,  include teachers, assistant teachers, bus drivers, cooks and custodians-are organizing to form a union with Service Employees International Union Local 925 (SEIU).

Dona Ventura Nunez, an employee of the program said, "After more than 20 years of loyalty to the Council and the children I was laid off and told I might not be needed next year. I was given only 1-days notice.  If we had a union contract we would not be treated with such disrespect."

Dona Ventura became a leader of the union organizing campaign because the Council requires all employees-even outstanding 20-year employees-to reapply for work each year. Ventura was one of six employees prematurely laid off at the Whitstran site.

Father Roberto Saenz of the Yakima Diocese together with Head Start workers Dona Ventura and San Juanita Garza, along with other faith and community supporters will present a petition to Carlos Diaz, C.E.O. of the Washington State Migrant Council, on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 that states: "I support Head Start workers and their right to organize a union.  I support their right to choose without fear of mistreatment, intimidation or loss of employment."

Delegation members will hold a press conference following their meeting with CEO Diaz outside the SEIU office at 821 Yakima Valley Highway in Sunnyside at Noon on Wednesday, August 27.

The 10,000 SEIU Local 925 members work in university, public school and preschool education, state and local government, and non-profit organizations throughout Washington. They include university program coordinators, research technologists, child care teachers, para-educators, custodians, social workers, attorneys and other public service workers. SEIU Local 925 is proud to be a part of the largest and fastest growing union in the United States, the Service Employees International Union, with over 1.5 million members nationwide.

For more information, visit www.seiu925.org or contact Kim Cook, SEIU 925 President, at (509) 837-3570 or (Spanish) Arnoldo Fabela, SEIU 925 Organizer, at (509) 837-3570.

MONDAY, AUGUST 25
Public hearings for state pesticide rules begin this week

The following announcement has been posted by the state Department of Labor and Industries:

TUMWATER - The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will hold public hearings in seven communities across the state during the next three weeks to receive public comments on a proposed regulation that would require employers to provide blood testing (cholinesterase monitoring) for agricultural workers who handle certain pesticides.

The proposed rule would apply to all agricultural employers and workers covered by the Safety Standards for Agriculture and the pesticide Worker Protection Standard.

Cholinesterase is a protein produced by the body to help control nerve function. Exposure to organophosphate and n-methyl-carbamate pesticides can decrease the amount of available cholinesterase. Monitoring cholinesterase levels in the blood could help identify and prevent overexposure by workers.

The proposed rule was developed at the direction of the Washington Supreme Court following a successful lawsuit by farm workers who were exposed to organophosphate and n-methyl-carbamate pesticides.

L&I will have Spanish-speaking staff at all of the hearings to help with translation. In addition, the August 28 meeting in Yakima will provide simultaneous interpretation of both English and Spanish. The hearings, all being held in the evening, will be held as follows:

• Moses Lake - Aug. 26, 6:00 p.m., Best Western Hallmark Inn, 3000 Marina Drive

• Kennewick - Aug. 27, 6:00 p.m., Red Lion Hotel/Columbia Center, No. 1101 Columbia Blvd.

• Yakima - Aug. 28, 6:00 p.m., Red Lion Hotel/Yakima Gateway, 9 North 9th Street

• Wenatchee - Sept. 2, 6:00 p.m., Wenatchee Convention Center, 221 North Wenatchee Avenue

• Winthrop - Sept. 3, 6:00 p.m., Winthrop Barn, 51 North Highway 20

• Mount Vernon - Sept. 4, 6:00 p.m., Best Western Cottontree Inn, 2401 Riverside Drive

• Tumwater - Sept. 8, 5:00 p.m., Department of Labor and Industries, 7273 Linderson Way SW

Please see the L&I web site at www.LNI.wa.gov for the complete text of the proposed rule and frequently asked questions, or call 360-902-5522 or 1-800-423-7233.

Written comments must be received by September 12, 2003, and may be sent to mooc235@LNI.wa.gov or mailed to: Cindy Ireland, Project Manager, WISHA Services Division, PO Box 44620, Olympia, WA 98504-4620.