FRIDAY, MAY 5  ■  WSLC political endorsement convention is Saturday, May 13

Local news:
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Suit says union violates religious freedom -- With the help of the anonymously funded National Right-to-Work Foundation, a Safeway worker in Kent sues, arguing he shouldn't have to pay dues to a union that he says supports special gay rights.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Masking nurses hides need for education (WSNA letter... scroll down) -- The WSNA absolutely supports the flu vaccination, but believes that it should be an individual choice and that education -- not brute force -- is the best way to encourage nurses to comply.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- DSHS audit: Complex process (editorial) -- Auditors note that various parts of DSHS had resolved a significant number of problems found in past years.
■  In today's Olympian -- DSHS must clean up its act (editorial) -- Reassurances about better cooperation are fine. The real test, however, is whether DSHS can come away with a clean audit next year so taxpayers will know that all of their money is spent in accordance with the law.
■  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Rep. Inslee secures ferry funding in federal port security legislation
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Clean engines, wings that fold: Boeing dreams of futuristic jets -- Two small teams at the company are re-imagining the airplane in futuristic configurations.

Political news:
■  At the Seattle P-I blog -- Cantwell leads McGavick by more than 20 points in latest Elway Poll
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Cantwell's stance on Iraq keeps volunteers away, party chief says -- Pelz sez Cantwell's continued support for the Iraq occupation -- and her lack of regret for voting for the invasion in 2002 -- is making it hard to recruit volunteers for her re-election campaign.
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- Farmworker activist will run for legislature -- Tomas Villanueva says he will run as a Democrat for the state Senate seat held by Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside.
■  In today's Oregonian -- Public union help goes to Hill -- Republican challenger Ron Saxton and Gov. Ted Kulongoski are winning the governor's race for campaign cash, but public employee unions are giving strong financial support for former state treasurer Jim Hill.

Immigration news:
■  At Yahoo News -- Citizens, not guest workers (op-ed by AFL-CIO President Sweeney) -- It's not enough to stop House leaders from turning undocumented immigrants and those who help them into criminals. Progressives should be working together to fix the Senate compromise as well.
■  In the USA Today -- Crackdown on hiring of illegal immigration shifts to employers -- Employers who hire undocumented workers to everything from construction to meat packing to agricultural work rarely face penalties, even though a 1986 law criminalized the hiring of illegal immigrants.

The Washington State Labor Council’s 2006 Convention of the Committee on Political Education (COPE) will be Saturday, May 13 at the SeaTac Hilton Hotel, 17620 Pacific Hwy. South. Hundreds of delegates representing WSLC-affiliated unions will attend and vote on endorsements for the 2006 elections. They will consider candidates for Congress, State Legislature, State Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and ballot measures.  A two-thirds majority of delegates present and voting is necessary for endorsement of a candidate or ballot measure.

“Our endorsement process demonstrates the commitment labor unions have to democracy,” said WSLC President Rick Bender.  “Labor has a fair, open and democratic process for deciding which candidates and causes to support, unlike the corporate interests who often oppose us.”

COPE Convention registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and the convention starts at 9 a.m.  In the morning, candidates for Congress and state Supreme Court will address the delegates. (See tentative agenda below.) After lunch, the hall will be closed to guests and reporters, and endorsement action will commence. Delegates must have registered by noon Saturday to participate in endorsement action.

All endorsements will be posted at this website shortly after adjournment.

On Friday night, May 12, the Statewide COPE committee will meet at the hotel at 7 p.m. (check-in at 6:30).  This panel debates and votes on endorsement recommendations. If it recommends a candidate, the following day's convention debate for that race will begin with a motion to endorse that candidate.  The Statewide COPE panel includes the WSLC executive officers and board, representatives from each regional central labor councils and from each international union that has more than 10,000 affiliated members, and the WSLC Political Director.  Any member of an affiliated union may attend and observe the Statewide COPE meeting, but it is not open to the candidates or the press.

If your affiliated union organization has not pre-registered for the COPE Convention, you may still register at the door. Credential forms signed by an officer of the union must be presented.  These forms, along with notification of how many delegates each union is entitled to, were mailed to all affiliated unions in March. Call Karen White at (206) 281-8901 if you need replacement credential forms or have questions about registration.

Here is the tentative agenda for the morning session of the COPE Convention on Saturday, May 13 (this agenda is subject to change ):

• 9:00 -- Call to Order; Flag Salute; Opening Remarks by President Rick Bender

• 9:20 -- Yes on I-937 – Renewable Energy Sources

• 9:30 -- Washington Won’t Discriminate

• 9:35 -- No on I-920 (estate tax)

• 9:40 -- Peter Goldmark, candidate for Congress, 5th District

• 9:50 -- No on I-917 -- Mike Cooper

• 10:00 -- Tom Chambers, candidate for Supreme Court, Pos. 9

• 10:10 -- Susan Owens, candidate for Supreme Court, Pos. 2

• 10:20 -- Gerry Alexander, candidate for Supreme Court, Pos. 8

• 10:30 -- U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, candidate for Congress, 1st District

• 10:40 -- Darcy Burner, candidate for Congress, 8th District

• 10:50 -- No on I-933 (Takings)

• 11:00 -- Claude Oliver, candidate for Congress, 4th District

• 11:10 -- Mark Wilson, candidate for U.S. Senate

• 11:20 -- Richard Wright, candidate for Congress, 4th District

• 11:30 -- U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, candidate for Congress, 3rd District

• 11:40 -- U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, candidate for Congress, 7th District

• 11:50 -- Hong Tran, candidate for U.S. Senate

• 12:00 -- U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, candidate for U.S. Senate

• 12:10 -- LUNCH

• 1:00 -- Clear the room of press, candidates, campaign staff and guests

• 1:15 -- COPE Endorsement Action Begins