TUESDAY, MAY 2  ■  Grassroots Recruitment & Mobilization workshop set for May 12 -- Learn how to recruit, train and engage your rank-and-file members to help your union achieve success in its political, legislative, organizing and other campaigns.

Immigration news:  ■  They are America (today's NY Times editorial) -- The worst among our citizens and politicians are eager to depict illegal immigrants as criminals. But what we saw in rallies on Monday were regular people... immigrants speaking up and asking for something simple: a chance to work to become citizens, with all the obligations and opportunities that go with it.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Huge turnout for Seattle's immigration rally; organizers estimate 65,000
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- "Sleeping giant" awakes; more than 10,000 march in downtown Yakima
■  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Pasco march draws 5,000 to Volunteer Park
■  In today's Bellingham Herald -- In Bellingham, immigration rally brings 800 marchers downtown
■  In today's Olympian -- Hundreds rally at State Capitol for immigrants' rights
■  In the Columbian -- 230 march in Vancouver for immigration reform
■  In today's News Tribune -- About 200 Tacoma marchers put focus on workers
■  In today's Longview Daily News -- Hundreds rally for immigration rights at Lake Sacajawea
■  In today's LA Times -- Immigrants demonstrate peaceful power -- A crowd police estimate at 250,000 marched to L.A. City Hall in the morning, then many joined a march of 400,000.
■  In today's LA Times -- Throngs show their important role in economy -- There's little precedent in American history for a simultaneous combination of consumer boycotts, demonstrations and work stoppages. And there's none for a labor rights struggle cheered on by many employers.
■  Today at AFL-CIO Now -- Immigrant marchers lay claim to the American dream

Local news:
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Judge rules against tax hikes -- Superior Court judge says $70 million in hard liquor and other taxes the Legislature levied in 2005 are invalid unless ratified by voters.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- NLRB rules for nurses (WSNA) in dispute with Virginia Mason
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Allied Waste, drivers resume talks; Waste Management deal averts strike
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Threat at Hanford can't be ignored (editorial) -- The technical challenge presented by the waste at Hanford is enormous, but it is dwarfed by the consequences of Hanford's contamination reaching the Columbia.
■  In today's Oregonian -- BPA revenue forecast soars; it's up $250 million from forecast
■  Today in The Hill -- Rep. Dave Reichert gets endangered status, protection -- House Republicans consider Reichert among the most vulnerable Republicans, so they seek weekly updates.

Boeing news:
■  In today's News Tribune -- Orders worth $2 billion roll in for 34 Boeing 737s
■  Today from AP -- Boeing's Aviall acquisition moves it into aviation services
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing morale gets a shot -- Opening of first Tully's Coffee store inside Everett factory is the first step in an effort to make working inside the massive factory a bit nicer.

Retirement Insecurity news:
■  Today from AP -- Bad news for Social Security, Medicare funding -- Report says Social Security will be unable to fully pay benefits beginning in 2040, a year earlier than predicted last year.
■  In today's Washington Post -- Medicare will go broke by 2018, trustees report
■  In today's Washington Post -- Serving up Social Security, Medicare without the fixings (column) -- An hour after Bush bragged about "modernizing" Medicare, it was announced that the program will go broke two years earlier than previously forecast. Somebody stop us before we reform again!
■  In today's NY Times -- Pensions in peril over church exemptions -- A little-known aspect of U.S. pension law is that churches and organizations affiliated with them -- such as many community hospitals -- escape the costly and complicated rules that apply to secular employers.

Other national news:
■  In today's NY Times -- Republicans drop a tax plan after oil industry, business leaders protest
■  In today's NY Times -- A circle of crude (editorial) -- Unfortunately, as of now, the level of America's response to the challenge of energy independence is embodied in the Republicans' pathetic recipe: borrow money from the Chinese, and use it to give every voter $100 to buy more gas.
■  From AP -- SEIU's Stern offers Wal-Mart a bit of praise -- "I think it's very good that Wal-Mart is starting to do some positive things... On one hand they have done some very good things. On the other hand they have a business model that's really not good for American workers."
■  From wire reports -- Service centers' biggest problem is poor English, poll says 
■  In today's NY Times -- Thousands denounce Fox on Labor Day in Mexico City -- After weeks of rising tensions between President Vicente Fox and union leaders, tens of thousands of workers send a message to the government: The unions are still here, and they are angry.

Membership involvement is critical to organized labor's success in so many areas, whether it's political, legislative or other activities your local union may prioritize. That's why unions must recruit, train and engage their rank-and-file membership, and that's why the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will be offering to its affiliated union organizations an important workshop: "Grassroots Recruitment and Mobilization."

On Friday, May 12, the day before the WSLC's COPE Convention, nationally known political campaign consultant Murray Fishel will facilitate this important workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SeaTac Airport Hilton Hotel, 17620 Pacific Highway South in Seattle. Fishel has been the primary trainer for the WSLC Labor Candidate School since 1997, and is an engaging, informative and motivating trainer.

The workshop registration fee is $35, which includes all materials and lunch. Space is limited, so please download (in Word format) and return your reservation form as soon as possible.

The following editorial appears in today's New York Times: