WSLC Reports Today -- Dec. 15-19, 2003

Union organizations affiliated with the Washington State Labor Council are urged to nominate members of their union to serve on the WSLC's Standing Committees. Many of these active, high-profile committees have developed national reputations for their education and advocacy work on issues important to Washington's working families.

The committees are Community Service; Economic Development and Transportation; Education, Training and Apprenticeship; Initiative Strategies; Political Action; WISHA Monitoring; and the Women's Committee.

Nominations will only be accepted from affiliated local unions and councils. Nominees must be members of an affiliated local union. Current committee members may be reappointed. Background information about nominees will be helpful in making appointment decisions. All nominations must identify the local union membership of the nominee. Please include a home address, daytime phone number, and legislative district for each nominee.

The WSLC hosts committee members for lunch or dinner in connection with meetings and reimburses members for travel expenses. The WSLC does not pay for time lost from work to attend committee meetings.

Being appointed to a WSLC standing committee is both an honor and an obligation. Members are expected to participate in committee meetings and programs. Committee members will have an opportunity to meet members of other unions about issues of concern to organized labor, and help develop policy recommendations for the WSLC. Members should also expect to work with the WSLC officers and staff to increase affiliation with the council.

Please download a nomination form (MS Word format) and submit names by Jan. 16, 2004. Committee members whose term expires Dec. 31, but wish to be reappointed to that committee must submit their names using this form. For more information, or to have the nomination form faxed or mailed to you, contact Jan Hays the WSLC's Seattle office at (206) 281-8901.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
Janitors, supporters arrested at rally for family health care

The following press release was distributed late Wednesday by Service Employees International Union Local 6:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
Urge Bush to do the right thing on OT pay, jobless benefits

The nation’s working families may be getting unwelcome holiday gifts from President Bush in the coming weeks: The long-term unemployed victims of the "jobless recovery" face losing federal unemployment benefits, and those of us fortunate to have jobs face losing our right to overtime pay. That's why all of us must send special holiday greetings to the White House telling Bush to show some goodwill to Americans by calling off his OT pay changes and reauthorizing jobless benefits. (Following the links below to do so.)

This Sunday -- just days before Christmas -- no new workers running out of regular unemployment benefits will qualify for federal jobless assistance. Some 80,000 people a week will start to run out of benefits, including thousands of people here in Washington state.

This happened because, for the second year in a row, Congress said, “bah humbug” and left Washington for the holidays without reauthorizing federal jobless benefits. Last year, after a public outcry, President Bush intervened just before Christmas and Congress eventually returned in January to reauthorize the program. Many of the unemployed are asking why the President isn’t willing to encourage Congress to spread goodwill this holiday. Instead the White House has chosen to dodge the press corps’ questions on the subject.

"The Bush administration must soberly recognize the limited scope of the recovery and respond with extra benefits for those who have lost their jobs," wrote the editorial board in today's edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

CALL TO ACTION: You, too, can urge President Bush to intervene on behalf of unemployed workers, a record 75% of whom are unable to find a new jobs in this economy by the time their traditional 26 weeks of benefits expire. Visit the National Employment Law Project's Action Center to send an electronic message to the White House urging extended unemployment benefit authorization.

President Bush's overtime pay take-away could go into effect any day now. Despite a previous bipartisan vote to block Bush's rule changes, the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives succeeded last week in dropping that protection from its omnibus spending bill. The U.S. Senate, citing concerns about the overtime pay take-away and a number of other non-budget related attachments to the spending bill, delayed a vote until Jan. 20.

That gives America's working families -- especially in Washington state -- a few more weeks to get involved and urge the White House to protect overtime pay.

CALL TO ACTION: First, make sure you sign the online petition at www.saveovertimepay.org. During the Overtime Pay National Week of Action, more than 180,000 people signed this petition opposing President Bush's overtime pay take-away. (You can also download a printable version of this petition.) Urge your family, friends and co-workers to do the same.

Please also consider sending a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper on this important issue, and mention www.saveovertimepay.org. Polls indicate that Bush's overtime changes are overwhelmingly opposed by the American public. The more people the hear about it, the greater our chances of convincing the president to abandon this unpopular, unnecessary attack on our pocketbooks.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
Why Washington won: Best aerospace workers in the world

With the Boeing Company's announcement Tuesday that it will build the 7E7 and conduct final assembly work in Everett, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is pleased that the company recognized our state’s single most crucial advantage: We have the best aerospace workers in the world.

"There’s just no substitute for our highly skilled machinists, engineers and technicians who produce the world’s finest aerospace products," said WSLC President Rick Bender.

Bender also noted that the decision counters the negative, doom-and-gloom comments about our state’s business climate. "Our state’s business climate is not only competitive, it is superior to the 'low-road, low-wage' route of other regions."

But Boeing's plans should also include some revised calculations. "I do hope the company will reconsider its plans to outsource so many pieces of the 7E7. The workers here are confident they can produce better components than other suppliers," Bender said.

Boeing’s decision to locate its next generation commercial airplane in Everett should not divert the state from continued efforts to improve our transportation system, Bender added. Transportation needs are far from being met, and new manufacturing and production in all parts of Puget Sound will be hobbled without further investment in our transportation system.

"I look forward to working with the Boeing Company in the future. Not only must we improve regional transportation, and we must continue to make large investments in workforce training so that we maintain our crucial advantage of having the most highly skilled and productive workforce in the world," Bender said.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16
Community rally Wednesday to support striking Allied janitors

Community leaders and local workers will speak out against Allied Building Services, a cleaning company accused of breaking the law by threatening workers seeking health care, at a rally in downtown Seattle, 7th & Pike, at 2 p.m. Wednesday. News reports today indicate that the Allied janitors began a strike Monday night.

King County Councilman Larry Gossett will be among the area leaders who will discuss their concern over charges by the Service Employees International Union that Allied is violating janitors' legal right to choose a union. Since November 2002, janitors at the Bellevue subsidiary of Houston's Associated Building Services have organized to seek recognition of a union and the same basic wages and family health care coverage that other area janitors enjoy.

"In May I slipped in one of the bathrooms I cleaned and hurt my arm. I went to the doctor, but couldn't afford to get the results of my X-rays," said Maria Fuentes, a janitor fired by Allied after her work organizing with the union.

Maria is one of hundreds of janitors trying to get a union to win health care coverage. The area's 2,500 union janitors won employer-paid health care in July after a campaign of action that brought them to the brink of a strike. Other janitors across the country have organized with SEIU and mounted demonstrations, workplace actions and even strikes in places like Los Angeles, Boston and Silicon Valley to fight for secure health care and a living wage.

Janitors already held informational pickets outside the buildings where they work. Thursday and Friday their union filed charges of threats and retaliation in violation of their legal right to choose a union at the National Labor Relations Board.

Janitors at Allied have been organizing with Service Employees International Union Local 6 since 2002.

The rally is co-sponsored by SEIU and Washington State Jobs with Justice. For more information, visit www.seiu6.org or call Daniel Lathrop at (206) 448-7348 x323.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16
Judge grants AFSCME injunction against DOT contracting out

The following bulletin was posted late Monday by the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15
State building trades plan labor rally In Olympia on Jan. 30

The Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council has scheduled a labor rally and march for Friday, Jan. 30 in Olympia. Following is more information provided by the WSBCTC:

As you are aware, the working men and women of our state continue to suffer some of the most destructive legislative attacks in our states history.

This was never more obvious than with the passage of a business sponsored “unemployment reform” bill in the 2003 legislative session. Disguised as an attempt to make Washington State more competitive toward attracting new business, 2 ESB 6097 passed on the final day of a third special session and without public hearing. This bill will, by the year 2005, slash the weekly unemployment benefits to some of our members by up to, and in some cases more than, 50%.

As the 2004 legislative session approaches, the focus of business has shifted to “reforms” in workers compensation insurance benefits.

As a result, the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliates will be staging a labor rally on the Capitol Campus, Friday, January 30, 2004, to put faces on the massive numbers of workers and families lives that are being shattered, and to prevent the systematic dismantling of workers rights and protections in our state.

We need the participation of all councils and affiliated local unions to insure that our message "RESPECT ALL WORKING FAMILIES" is heard. And that not just building trades members but all working folks will not tolerate attacks on Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Prevailing Wages, Apprenticeship programs, or any laws that protect workers in our State.

Local Building Trades Councils and/or Local Unions will be responsible for renting busses and arranging local pick up points for members. Please notify the State Building Trades office (360-357-6778) as to the number of busses your Council or Local Union will be sending as we are in the process of arranging and coordinating parking for both busses and personal vehicles.

We also need an estimated number of members that will be in attendance, as we will be providing hardhat stickers, rally signs, and all facilities.

Organizing meetings are ongoing and volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, please have a representative from your organization present. We will be sending out notices on a weekly basis with information concerning dates, times and locations for organizing meetings as well as the numbers of volunteers needed.

Please notify our office if you would like a representative to attend your local union meeting with information concerning the rally.

It is critical that our Governor and State Legislators understand that in Washington State we RESPECT ALL WORKING FAMILIES!