NEXT UPDATE — Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003!   Why so long? 

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 December 10-12, 2002

Previous weeks' news: Dec. 4-6 -- Nov. 18-22 -- Nov. 11-15

THURSDAY, Dec. 12 -- Rising unemployment: Give a voice to the silent crisis
...plus -- Puget Sound Union Community Fund announces grant program, procedures
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Seattle is nation's most competitive city, survey says -- Competitiveness defined as the ability to support a healthy per-capita income while nurturing business growth, the report said. "It's an outrageous lie," commented one State Republican Party strategist. "We suck."
— In today's Olympian -- Union's (WFSE) organizing effort runs into trouble 
— In today's Everett Herald -- All Snohomish County absentee ballots to be recounted
— In today's News Tribune -- Fire fighters union waits on city response on offer to reopen contract
...plus -- Health workers top smallpox vaccination list
— In today's Eastside Journal -- Jumbo-sized holiday giving from Boeing employees
— In today's Salem S-J -- Oregon PERS hearings leave workers anxious
— In today's Detroit News -- As benefits dry up, unemployed struggle
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Fire Trent Lott (editorial)
...plus -- Racism and the GOP -- Herbert column: Mr. Lott is not the only culprit here. The Republican Party has become a haven for white racist attitudes and anti-black policies.... It's the party of the Southern strategies and the Willie Horton campaigns and Bob Jones University and the relentless and unconscionable efforts to disenfranchise black voters... And there are precious few voices anywhere in the GOP willing to step up and say that this is wrong.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11 -- UFW update: No Fair Trade Apples this year, but project continues
— In today's Bellingham Herald -- Closed Addy smelter heads to Malaysia for cheap labor, lax rules
— A related story in yesterday's Washington Post -- Ex-leaders praise a decade of NAFTA
— In today's Everett Herald -- Rep. Larsen blasts Congress as unemployment benefit deadline looms
...plus -- Edmonds cuts city workforce; budget crunch eliminates 24 positions
— In today's Spokesman-Review -- Call light is on; who will answer? (editorial re: nursing shortage)
— In today's Olympian -- Ref. 53 legal skirmish creates odd rivals as court hears arguments
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Challenge to I-776 is a responsible step (editorial)
...plus -- State party leaders gear up for own re-election battles
— In today's Yakima H-R -- Elected officials can't pass transportations problems to voters (editorial)
— In today's Seattle Times -- After years of heavy lifting, sales tax is getting weaker
...plus -- Competition: Millions in taxes lost as buyers cross borders
...plus -- Democrats purchase a strategy in Louisiana -- Dionne column: The first lesson is that if you're a Democrat... it doesn't matter how you vote or what you say or how patriotic you try to be. The Bush machine will try to smash you anyway. Consequently, there is no percentage in making nice with this administration, especially after it showed its willingness this fall to politicize security issues.
— In today's Washington Post -- Postal Service may be urged to privatize
— In today's N.Y. Times -- A(nother) Wall Street insider appointed as SEC chief

TUESDAY, Dec. 10 -- CALL TO ACTION -- Tell Locke: Don't cut home care services!
Support SEIU 6 members by sending a personalized fax (with the click of a button) to Gov. Locke urging him to avoid cuts in home-care services in his budget proposal to be released next week.
...plus -- UAW-Peterbilt leafleting today CANCELLED; Thursday still a go
— In today's Olympian -- West Coast dockworkers (ILWU) debate PMA contract offer
— In yesterday's Everett Herald -- Airbus back on Boeing unions' radar
— In today's Seattle P-I -- Ex-governors float $4.7 billion plan for college construction, renovation
— In Sunday's Yakima H-R -- Expansion of state's family-leave law is foolish policy (editorial)
— In today's News Tribune -- Tacoma council shouldn't favor fire fighters in budget decisions (editorial)
— In today's N.Y. Times -- Health workers' union (SEIU) wary of smallpox vaccinations
...plus -- Bush administration proposes pension rules critics say could strip older workers' benefits
— In today's L.A. Times -- Labor not to blame for United failure, some say
— In today's Seattle Times -- Will United's financial pain ultimately be Boeing's gain?
— At BusinessToday.com -- United filing guts workers' stock-based retirement plan
— In today's Washington Post -- US Airways seeks more labor cuts

Previous weeks' news: Dec. 4-6 -- Nov. 18-22 -- Nov. 11-15

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12
Rising unemployment: Give a voice to the silent crisis

Following is an a article written by SPEEA Contract Administrator Mark Moshay regarding the refusal of Congress and the White House to approve an extension of federal unemployment benefits.

Rising unemployment: Give a voice to the silent crisis
By Mark Moshay, SPEEA Contract Administrator

The statistics are misleading.  Current unemployment is nearly 7 percent according to the official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/lau/) but the actual number of unemployed is much higher. Thousands of people have either run out of unemployment, or taken low-wage jobs to try and survive.

The numbers are growing every day. Washington state is one of the most severely impacted by the loss of jobs as a result of the double impact of the decline of the dotcom industry and the tragedy of Sept. 11.

In late November, the Washington state delegation signed two letters, one to the House of Representatives and one to President Bush. The letters urged the passage of a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for the 800,000 who will lose their benefits effective Dec. 28. Each week after that date it is estimated an additional 90,000 workers will exhaust those benefits.

Clearly, there is an unemployment crisis in America. But what is puzzling is the relative silence in regard to this grave issue!

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd) came to the Snohomish County Labor Council headquarters to meet with unemployed workers and get their input to take back to Congress when it reconvenes in January.

Rep. Larsen expressed serious concerns about the lack of attention from the current administration. When asked whether President Bush was in favor of providing an extension to laid-off workers, he said that it was more a matter of no response rather than opposition. He said that the primary focus of the past several months has been the establishment of the new Department of Homeland Security and preparing for a potential war in Iraq.

While he is supportive of both efforts, Rep. Larsen believes that the immediate issue of unemployment and the larger issue of economic recovery are just as vital to the economic security of our country.

Here are some of the facts he revealed to the group of 50 laid-off workers and union representatives:

• 50,000 jobs have been lost in Washington state;

• 60 percent of the jobs lost were “family wage” paying jobs;

• 100,000 workers in Washington state will lose their benefits Dec. 28; and

• 10,000 workers will lose their benefits each week after that.

What is even more distressing than those statistics is the fact that there is currently $25 billion available in the federal unemployment insurance fund. $25,000,000,000!  All that is needed is for Congress to approve the extension.

President Bush has been relatively silent on this issue. Several of the attendees at Tuesday’s meeting expressed disappointment and anger at the lack of response to their needs.

One laid-off worker was angered that some have accused the unemployed of “being on the dole” and that an extension of unemployment was just “making people lazy.” 

“We are trying desperately to find work, but there just isn’t anything out there. In the meantime, we have to feed our families,” he said.  

Several others echoed his comments. One laid-off transit worker said that she was totally disappointed in the lack of response by our government.

“This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. I’m going to pay my taxes no matter who is President. But I need a job to do that!” she said.

Rep. Larsen assured the attendees that he would relay their stories to Congress when he returns in January. He urged everyone to help him in his effort by:

• Email, call, or write your U.S. Representative urging him or her to extend unemployment benefits. He said that email is the most immediate and effective method. (http://www.house.gov/writerep/)

• Ask friends and family members to contact their U.S. Representatives, including those in other states.

The labor community is working with Rep. Larsen and other elected leaders to address the immediate needs of laid-off workers. In addition to the immediate problem of securing unemployment extension there is the issue of the high cost of medical coverage. COBRA rates are skyrocketing to the point that most laid-off workers cannot afford the coverage. And of course the larger issue of economic recovery itself needs to be brought to the forefront.

For each unemployed person there are many others not reflected in the statistics that are suffering – family members, local businesses, and charities. Everyday the list of those impacted is growing by the thousands.

Rep. Larsen said that it’s time for the White House and the Congress to place these issues on their agenda to give this silent crisis a voice.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12
Union Community Fund announces grant program, procedures

The Greater Puget Sound Union Community Fund is pleased to announce the grant award procedure for the first quarter of 2003. The fund will make $12,000 available for grants to qualified organizations eligible under IRS regulation 501(c)3 and meeting one or more of the below listed criteria. The grants will be from $1,000 to $2,500. Grant applications can be obtained by calling Nancy Holland-Young or Judy Reynolds at (206) 441-6583 or (206) 448-9277. 

Grant applications will be available Jan. 10, 2003, and must be returned no later than midnight Jan. 30, 2003.  Grants will be awarded March 20, 2003.

Programs which are 501(c) 3 qualified and meet one or more of the following criteria are eligible:

1. Programs providing access to and opportunities for affordable housing.
2. Programs expanding the opportunities for working families and individuals by advocating for immigrant and workers’ rights.
3. Programs providing workers a voice by expanding labor’s community partnerships and activating the organized.
4. Programs providing access to and opportunity for affordable childcare.
5. Programs providing access to and opportunity for a livable wage.

Note:  Organizations that promote or tolerate discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, other such inequities, or anti-unionism, or that undermine or are divisive to the interests of working families and organized labor are not eligible.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11
UFW: No Fair Trade Apples this year, but project continues

The following announcement was distributed this week by the United Farm Workers union:

FAIR TRADE APPLE CAMPAIGN:
No Apples This Year, but the Project Continues

Despite a setback with fruit quality that curtailed an initial test, our campaign to develop a new model for the apple industry that would guarantee fairness to workers and growers forges ahead. In Eastern Washington, our Grower Relations Coordinator is meeting with a number of growers who may become partners. Our field organizers are rebuilding and forming UFW town committees and surveying apple workers to better quantify their needs. At the same time, our Seattle community organizer continues to reach out to allies and consumer constituents, and our research team is refining the program’s implementation strategy.

As you know, we began negotiations with an organic apple grower in Yakima this year to test the concepts of our pilot project. We worked successfully with the grower and intermediaries to ensure a fair return to both the grower and the farmworkers. We secured commitments from various co-ops and natural food stores in Washington and Oregon to sell our “fair trade” union label apples. Most importantly, hundreds of community leaders, organizations, and individual consumers, representing thousands of supporters, signed pledge cards committing to buy “Fair Trade” UFW label apples! 

Regrettably, unfavorable weather conditions led to concerns among several co-ops about the quality of apples. For this reason, and a decision to wait for further input from our research team, we have decided that our goal to develop a successful and equitable model for the Washington apple industry is best served by suspending this pilot project until quality control issues are resolved.

This year, while we will not have fair trade apples to buy in time for holiday gift giving, but we know that you share our commitment to make this campaign work the right way over the long haul!  With your commitment we will make justice for farmworkers a viable choice each time we buy Washington apples.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10
UAW-Peterbilt leafleting today CANCELLED; Thursday still a go

The UAW thanks all of those who intended to participate in leafleting the Peterbilt dealership in Seattle today, however there has been a slight change of plans. Today's leafleting is CANCELLED.

On Thursday, Dec. 12, supporters of the locked-out UAW members in Tennessee are planning a leaflet action from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Peterbilt dealer located at 3801 Airport Way S. (just south of the West Seattle Bridge). For more information on the lockout visit the UAW website: www.uaw.org. Local contact: Nick Velluzzi, UAW, (206) 633-6080.