WSLC Reports Today -- October 1-5, 2001

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Reports for October 2-5, 2001

News from previous weeks: September 24-26 -- September 17-21 -- September 10-14

BREAKING NEWS on Fast Track -- Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Friday he was delaying until Tuesday committee action on Fast Track.
At AFLCIO.org -- Call Congress now and say "No" to Fast Track
...see also -- Trumka: Timing of Fast Track vote "deeply disturbing"

FRIDAY, October 5 -- Bender: It's time to move from cynicism to patriotism
At AFLCIO.org -- Bush worker relief proposal falls short of need
— In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing tells IAM up to 3,600 will lose jobs in Dec.
— In today's Olympian -- Bush offers $3 billion for affected workers
— In today's Seattle P-I -- UW grad student labor dispute still unresolved
— In today's Everett Herald -- In this crisis, legislators must sink or swim (editorial)
— In today's Oregonian -- Freightliner unions OK cuts in pay, benefits
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Union, agency seek Pictsweet farm buyer
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Gephardt says he will fight Bush on Fast Track
...plus -- Some workers are finding it a difficult time to strike
— In today's L.A. Times -- Airport screeners, SEIU fight federalization proposal
...plus -- After Nissan defeat, UAW will focus on Honda's U.S. plants
— In today's Washington Post -- Texas setback rattles Democrats (If state judge's redistricting plan is upheld, prospects look bleak for party to take control of U.S. House in 2002.)
...plus -- Flight attendants increasingly demanding greater safeguards

THURSDAY, October 4 -- Public forum on ergonomics rule Oct. 10 in Seattle
— In today's Seattle Times -- Trickle-down layoffs loom in region
...plus -- Port budget to get $20 million trim; waterfront layoffs possible
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Laid-off airline workers seek federal aid
— In today's Washington Post -- Senate split delays airport security bill (Democrats seek to include aid for laid-off workers, but Republicans say no.)
— In today's Yakima Herald -- Pay off on promise to former Braceros (editorial)
— In today's L.A. Times -- UAW loses bid to enter Nissan plant
— In today's Oregonian -- Into the flames (A gut-wrenching story that reminds us all that firefighters across this country continue to run into burning buildings to save lives -- every day.)
FAST TRACK ALERT! Vote may be imminent!
— In today's Washington Post -- Fast Track compromise proposed (House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., has not promised a vote next week, proponents conceded, and congressional aides said Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., are pressing the speaker to put off the vote for the sake of maintaining bipartisanship.)

WEDNESDAY, October 3 -- Bad time for I-747; good time to volunteer to stop it
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Locke girds for $1 billion in budget cuts
— In today's Olympian -- Slump guts law officers' pension (Stock market losses have wiped out most of the $1.2 billion law enforcement pension surplus that some lawmakers hungrily eyed earlier this year as a way to help balance the state's budget. The surplus now is closer to $200 million.)
Sweeney statement from today's press conference with airline workers
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Production of 737s could be slashed, Boeing says
— In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing engineers to learn details of Dec. layoffs soon
— In today's Oregonian -- Boeing's Gresham plant will soon feel job cuts
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Report suggests new mission for Hanford's FFTF reactor
— In today's Seattle Times -- Nordstrom eliminating 1,600 jobs immediately
— In today's UW Daily -- The argument that became an impasse (re: TA strike)
— In today's Olympian -- Olympia city employees union accepts contract
— In today's Yakima Herald -- Sunnyside, teachers reach tentative agreement
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Critics launch alternative to teachers union
— In today's Salem S-J -- City's corporate disclosure panel put on hold
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Parties struggle in Senate over DOL nominee Scalia
— In today's Washington Post -- Bush would accept federal air security
— In today's Seattle Times -- Habitat houses not yet homes 2 years after groundbreaking (The nonprofit group admits it is temporarily overextended on the Eastside and needs skilled roofers, plumbers and electricians.)

TUESDAY, October 2 -- Urge Congress to support region's wage earners
— In today's WSJ -- Bush to back jobless benefits in economic-stimulus package
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing fabrication workers first to be cut
...plus -- China signing today for as many as 30 new 737s
— In today's Seattle Times -- Retro rebate ruling is a win for builders' group; Cap affecting workers' compensation money tossed out
...plus -- UW looks at grading in event of TA strike (more multiple choice exams in store)
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- State freezes funding for construction
...plus -- BPA, Kaiser getting closer to power deal
— In today's Olympian -- Sides disagree on possible effects of I-747
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- School open houses postponed for teacher talks
— In today's Everett Herald -- Snohomish teachers OK one-year contract
— In today's SCJ -- Sky marshals main hope for airline return (re: training laid-off pilots)
— In today's Washington Post -- Trade and terror (Dionne column: "It is an unseemly reach (for the Bush Administration) to say these terrorist attacks had anything to do with trade. To forge such a connection risks besmirching patriotic critics of free trade through unintended innuendo.")
...but then there's -- A chance for trade (editorial endorsing Fast Track approval)
— In today's N.Y. Times -- 28,000 state workers strike in Minnesota, drawing fire
New at AFLCIO.org -- Attack-related layoffs in U.S. approach 200,000
— In today's N.Y. Daily News -- Thousands of low-income workers saw their jobs vanish

News from previous weeks: September 24-26 -- September 17-21 -- September 10-14

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
Bender: It's time to move from cynicism to patriotism

Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, began distributing a monthly column on working families issues a few months ago to weekly community newspapers around the state. (See the new President's Column page for an index.) Editors of union newsletters and publications are encouraged to publish these columns, which will be posted here the first Friday of every month (email us if you would like a higher resolution photo of Mr. Bender). Here is his latest column:

For the past 20 years, public servants have been ridiculed and attacked as inefficient, lazy government bureaucrats. The horrible events of September 11th, when terrorists took over our skies and turned our planes into bombs, brought home some basic truths that it is my fervent hope citizens will recognize and respect.

At last count, 343 New York firefighters and dozens of police officers were missing and presumed dead in the World Trade Center wreckage. Those public servants had rushed to the scene first, choosing to risk their lives to save the lives of strangers they had never met. In fact, dozens of emergency services workers and EMTs responded to the disaster and dozens were also killed and injured. Thousands of safely evacuated workers and visitors in those doomed twin skyscrapers owe their very lives to the hundreds of public servants who put themselves in harm’s way to provide an escape.

Hundreds more municipal, state and federal workers joined the hunt for survivors and the rescue efforts in the days following the disaster. The around-the-clock efforts to dig through the remains will leave those workers with nightmarish memories for years to come. We know that these efforts will cause lasting stress because that’s what happened to the rescue and recovery workers following the Oklahoma City federal building bombing. In Oklahoma City, public servants were the target of Tim McVeigh’s hate. In the terrorist attacks on September 11, the targets were our very country.

For far too long, the bile spewed out about our government and government employees has caused a growing cynicism and disconnect of citizens from their own local, state and federal governments. Lower voter participation, skimpy turnout at public hearings and lack of interest in civic gatherings are all signs of this trend. The distrust and disdain expressed almost daily on talk radio, in our coffee shops and over our backyard fences are part of a long American tradition of independence and skepticism about politics and politicians. But as Thomas Jefferson said, “That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.” Or, as author Garry Wills wrote recently, “It’s not healthy for a society if the people hate their own government.”

Perhaps our cynicism will transform into true patriotism during the current mobilization in response to the terrorists. We’ve waved thousands of flags and lit millions of candles in public demonstrations of our grief and determination in the wake of the massacres at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. So I hope that we will also learn a few lessons.

Public safety cannot be guaranteed if government “contracts out” its duty to the lowest bidder. Competitive pressure to make more profit compromises costly public safety measures.

The frightening state of our airport screening security is a case in point. Airlines contract this work to various “security companies” who hire workers without training and provide little training for these highly sensitive jobs. They pay little more than minimum wage, with few benefits. In other countries, airport security is a professional position and usually a government responsibility. Needless to say, it costs those foreign governments more to provide more safeguards. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, have we made a mistake in allowing the airlines to pay for the airport security at a time when competition on ticket prices encouraged airlines to cut costs?

Consider some other examples. Consider the costs of providing decent public health safeguards in a world where terrorists might try and resort to mass poisonings or a biological attack. For the past several years, our state and local governments which fund our county public health agencies, have cut and squeezed dollar after dollar from public health budgets as tax cuts have stripped our government’s ability to pay for basic services.

Voters in this fall’s election will once again be confronted with a fundamental choice. Initiative 747 would limit property tax increases to just 1 percent a year. That limit falls well below basic inflation. There’s no question that current local services would have to be cut by cities and counties if I-747 passes. Estimates are that fire districts would suffer the largest single reduction, followed by public hospital districts and emergency medical services districts. City and county road districts would also realize a cut about $150 million over the next five years.

My question to voters in our state is: During a time of national emergency, is it wise to pass an initiative that will require us to cut back on essential public safety and public services? I don’t think so. I hope you agree with me.

Rick Bender is President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the largest labor organization in the state.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
Public forum on ergonomics rule Oct. 10 in Seattle

Washington state’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Ergonomics will host a public forum regarding the state’s new workplace ergonomics rule from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Seattle Center’s Olympic Room.

Union activists and other supporters of safe and healthy workplaces are encouraged to attend and speak out in support of the rule and the extraordinary efforts of the Department of Labor and Industries to educate businesses on how to comply with it. Business association representatives will be on hand (again) complaining about the rule, the department and government, in general. We must (again) show that working people demand protection from the No. 1 cause of workplace injuries.

The panel, convened at the direction of Gov. Gary Locke, is reviewing L&I efforts to implement the workplace ergonomics rule adopted in May 2000. The rule requires employers to protect their employees from work-related injuries such as back strain, tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. A number of business, academic, medical and labor leaders have been invited to speak at the forum regarding their experiences in implementing the new rule. Time has been set aside for public comment from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Blue Ribbon Panel is asking experts invited to speak at the Oct. 10 forum to discuss insights or information regarding the following questions:

Are the rule requirements understandable?
Are proposed enforcement policies fair and consistent?
Are effective educational materials widely available?
Are demonstration projects successful? (Several associations and businesses are working with L&I to demonstrate methods for implementing the rule and preventing ergonomic injuries such as educational efforts and new work techniques.)

For more information on Washington state's ergonomics rule, visit the Department of Labor and Industries' Ergonomics website.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Bad time for I-747; good time to volunteer to stop it

With Gov. Gary Locke's announcement Tuesday that drastic, immediate cuts are in store for state services (see "Locke girds for $1 billion in budget cuts" in today's Seattle P-I), Initiative 747 just became an even worse idea. The November ballot measure would restrict property taxes, preventing local government services from keeping place with inflation, at a time when cities and counties have been warned that state aid may be cut.

An urgent request has been made for phone bank volunteers next week, Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Machinists District Council 751 has generously made their 20-line phone bank available to the No on I-747 Committee for calls to more than 5,000 voters, and we need to have every one of those phones in use. Please consider volunteering a couple hours of phoning time. The campaign will provide the training and script. To volunteer, e-mail field director Kristi England at Kristiengland@aol.com.

The state government provides local governments, including transit districts, about $100 million a year to offset the loss of car-tab money thanks to one of Tim Eyman's previous initiatives. Now that money is in jeopardy of being cut, even as Eyman focuses his tax-cutting efforts on essential local government services we all depend upon.

I-747 would prevent local government public safety services from maintaining their current levels of funding unless special elections were held. That means firefighters, public health nurses, emergency medical technicians and many other public safety workers would have to cut services or beg for votes.

"I don’t want my firefighter to be a campaigner or a politician begging for support. I want him to be a full-time firefighter," said former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, Republican, who opposes I-747.

In a year that has included a major earthquake, devastating forest fires and horrific terrorist acts, the need for secure public safety services has never been greater. The local government services we count on to protect our neighborhoods and families’ safety rely on property taxes and are the most vulnerable to I-747 cuts.

Please consider volunteering next week at the IAM 751 phone bank in South Seattle (see above) to spread the word on I-747. Also, download the Washington State Labor Council's No on I-747 fliers and newsletter advertisements for distribution to union members. They are available several formats: Full-page (495 KB), half-page (229 KB), or quarter-page (223 KB). In addition, a one-page flier with more detail (212 KB) on opposition to I-747 is also available. (Free Acrobat Reader is required to view and print them.)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
Sweeney statement from today's press conference with airline workers

The following statement was made by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney at a press conference in Washington D.C. this morning with workers from the aviation industry. The event called for a federal aid package extending unemployment, health care and other benefits to the more than 100,000 who are losing their jobs in the aftermath of the September 11 attack.

America has been sorely tested over the last month -- and America has come through in truly amazing ways. We=ve shared a deep, national pride -- in the brave rescuers, in the stories of courage under crisis, in the ways in which our communities have united together.

Never has it been more clear that it is the working men and women of America who are our greatest strength and our biggest asset.

Americans are hungry for a continued, positive response to the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy. They want to see fairness in a time marked by injustice, to see balance and calm in a time of suffering -- and that=s what we=re calling for here today.

The Congressional $15 billion bailout of the airline industries has helped the companies deal with the effects of the terrorist attacks. But the aviation industry workers - - workers just like the men and women here with us today -- have not received a dime of aid even though they and their families are shouldering the tremendous bulk of the effect of the attacks to their industry. More than 100,000 aviation industry workers are being laid off and the airline industry still says it expects to lay off 20 percent of its workforce.

When working Americans lose their jobs, they lose more than a paycheck. They lose health care benefits, pensions, and other means of keeping their families afloat. And when working Americans lose their jobs, entire communities suffer, and our economy suffers.

Congress must make sure that the responses to the economic challenges before us are equitable and fair and give our economy the boost it needs. Senator Carnahan=s bill helps do that -- as do the bills sponsored by Representatives Hart, Hastings and Minority Leader Gephardt. This legislation provides the economic assistance, job training and health care that aviation industry workers need and makes sure that all workers -- including part-time and temporary workers -- get the benefits and health care they deserve.

Clearly, there are many other workers who are also going to need relief soon. The effects are rippling through manufacturing, and hotel and restaurant workers are being hit hard, too; more than 100,000 layoffs are expected in that sector.

And, clearly, airlines must honor the provisions of the collective bargaining agreements they already have with their workers.

Americans want to move forward and come out of this tragedy stronger, more united, and better than ever. We can do that, but only if working Americans are included in the efforts to get our nation back on its feet.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
Urge Congress to support region's wage earners

The following column -- co-written by IAM District 751 President Mark Blondin, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel -- appeared in Monday's Seattle Times (please note contact information for congressional delegation at the end):

In the face of potentially massive layoffs by Boeing over the next two years, we have been working with Washington's congressional delegation to seek federal assistance for our dislocated aerospace workers. This includes adequate unemployment and health-care coverage, as well as job training.
Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Washington's congressional delegation have been tremendous advocates in Washington, D.C., and sought additional federal funds in the recently passed airline industry aid package to continue our highly successful dislocated-worker program for laid-off Boeing employees in the region.
While the Senate airline industry bill contained $3.75 billion for worker retraining, the House bill did not include any such funds and that portion of the bill was not included. Now, our legislators are working to attach this aid for workers — also known as the Displaced Workers Assistance Act — to the current airport security bill — and they need your support now.
A previous Boeing National Reserve Grant for Aerospace Manufacturing made available more than $13 million to provide laid-off Boeing workers in Pierce, Snohomish and King counties with dislocated-worker program services. At that time, 23,000 Boeing employees were laid off. The funds for this program have run out. Without additional federal support, there will not be enough resources to support the demands on our job-training program in this time of economic uncertainty.
As we see more and more dislocated Boeing workers coming into our local WorkSource Centers, it makes little sense to close the doors on the re-employment opportunities provided through the Boeing National Reserve Grant. We need the federal dollars to continue some form of the Boeing National Reserve Grant at this critical time.
These county-run programs are critical for laid-off employees. Federal efforts to mitigate the impact of the unfortunate events of Sept. 11 cannot just provide assistance for corporations; they must provide assistance for workers as well.
The tri-county program, which has an 86-percent job-placement rate and a 106-percent wage-recovery record in King County, offers laid-off workers access to countywide teams of program specialists, career counselors and job developers who provide assessment, employment referral, training, career counseling, job search assistance and support services.
It is imperative that we in Puget Sound be prepared to help our fellow workers and their families, especially in light of the layoffs the region may be facing. Our congressional delegation is working with us to ensure we do all we can for these dedicated employees who are our neighbors and friends.
We urge our congressional delegation, and residents and workers, to make our needs known now. We need to support the wage earners in our community.
Some members of Congress said we needed to wait for the job-training funds to be included in some future aid package, but our region's laid-off workers and their families cannot wait. They, too, are innocent victims of the terrible tragedies on Sept. 11 and they need to know that their government will be there to support them.
Please call or write your representatives in Congress and urge their support of the Displaced Workers Assistance Act today.

Here is some congressional delegation contact information. Please note that several representatives urge constituents to use the Write Your Representative service rather than providing direct email addresses. Feel free also to "CC:" your messages to Sen. Patty Murray (at senator_murray@murray.senate.gov) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (at maria_cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov).

Jay Inslee (D-1st) at (425) 640-0233, jay.inslee@mail.house.gov
Rick Larsen (D-2nd) at (425) 252-3188, www.house.gov/writerep/
Brian Baird (D-3rd) at (360) 695-6292, brian.baird@mail.house.gov
Doc Hastings (R-4th) at (509) 543-9396, www.house.gov/writerep/
George Nethercutt, Jr. (R-5th) at (509) 353-2374, www.house.gov/writerep/
Norm Dicks (D-6th) at 1-800-947-6676, www.house.gov/writerep/
Jim McDermott (D-7th) at (206) 553-7170, www.house.gov/writerep/
Jennifer Dunn (R-8th) at (206) 275-3438, www.house.gov/writerep/
Adam Smith (D-9th) at (253) 926-6683, adam.smith@mail.house.gov

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.