WSLC
Reports Today
Updated DAILY...
Almost Every Day™ by 9 a.m.
Links are functional at date of posting, but sometimes expire. Some links require free registration. WSLC Reports Today links to stories of interest to organized labor; some positive, some negative. The intention is to inform.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 ▪ More legislators, candidates back Fair Share Health Care -- The list of legislators and legislative candidates who have signed a Statement of Support on the Fair Share Health Care Coalition's principles has grown to 85. See the statement and the list.
In
the other Washington:
▪
Inslee
amendment to defund illegal NSPS passes House
-- U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee's effort to prohibit any Department of Defense
money from being spent on the portions of the National Security Personnel
System that have been ruled illegal is successful!
▪ Today
at AFLCIO.org -- DOE
decision backs off plan to drop workers' pensions -- The
Secretary of Energy withdraws the Bush administration’s
order to stop reimbursing DOE contractors for the cost of defined-benefit
pension and comprehensive medical plans. (See Tri-City
Herald coverage.)
▪ In today's
NY Times --
Timber
becomes tool to cut estate tax -- A new attempt to permanently reduce
the estate tax includes a tax sweetener for timber companies to win over
crucial Senate Democrats. Two of the industry's strongest advocates: Sens.
Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
▪ Today
at the Postman on Politics blog --
New
estate tax attack on Cantwell -- A business lobby group with solid GOP
ties is running a new TV ad in Washington state attacking Sen. Maria
Cantwell for her vote against permanent repeal of the estate tax. The ad
features vultures circling, feasting on a carcass and then superimposes
the senator's head on a vulture.
▪ In today's
LA Times --
GOP's
call for hearings puts immigration overhaul in limbo
▪ In today's
NY Times --
Razzle-dazzle
'em ethics reform (editorial)
-- Do-Nothing
Doc's Ethics Committee may soon be the arbiter of conscience-free
junket approval for gadabout lawmakers.
Solidarity
Forever update:
▪ In
the American Prospect -- Hard
labor (Harold Meyerson column) --
Change to Win leaders had big plans last year when they left the AFL-CIO to
do more organizing. The resolve is there -- but so are two fundamental
impediments. First, none of the legal, political, and economic obstacles to
organizing have diminished just because seven unions have left the AFL-CIO.
Every factor that tilts the playing field against workers remains firmly in
place. And second, the organizing capabilities of the seven CTW unions have
not been altered by their move to a new federation.
Local
news:
▪ Today
from AP --
McKenna:
State workers can opt out of union dues on religious basis -- He
also says that workers can send in the dues instead of using automatic
paycheck deductions.
▪ At The
Olympian's State Government blog --
State
workers get their own religion(s)
▪ In today's
Spokesman-Review --
Tidyman's
selling its 8 remaining grocery stores -- It isn't a union store, but
UFCW 1439 has been getting phone calls from employees worried about their
jobs.
▪ In today's
Seattle Times --
Delaying
decision could cost millions, viaduct panel told
▪ In today's
Bellingham Herald --
Whatcom
County to dip into budget reserve funds
▪ In today's Olympian
--
Olympia
teachers OK deal with more pay, shorter midwinter break
▪ From
Bloomberg -- Airbus
may lose $3B A380 order; delivery delays anger airlines, investors
Political
news:
▪ In today's
Olympian --
Rep.
Tim "Call Me Maverick" Sheldon goes on attack -- His jab at opponent
Kyle Taylor Lucas' residency is seen as a sign he takes her challenge
seriously.
▪ At
the S-R's Eye on Olympia blog -- Echolalia...
-- Although a state apart, Reps. Lynn Schindler and Dan Roach are very, very
like-minded conservatives. (Busted for cookie-cutter
news releases.)
Health
Care news:
▪ In today's LA
Times --
Nursing
wage plot alleged in lawsuit -- SEIU backs workers' claims that HCA and
other hospital chains conspired to depress pay amid a national shortage of
nurses.
▪ In today's NY Times
--
Drug
prices up sharply this year -- Prices spike for the most widely used
prescription drugs just as the new Medicare drug program goes into effect.
(Anyone surprised?)
▪ In today's SF
Chronicle --
San
Francisco mayor unveils ambitious plan to cover city's uninsured
▪ In today's NY Times
--
Emergency
in the emergency rooms (editorial)
-- Their plight underscores how dreadfully unprepared we
are to cope with a pandemic influenza or terrorism attack.
National
news:
▪ In today's Wash. Post
--
Union
rally targets Smithfield Foods; labor recruiting immigrant workers
▪ Today
from AP -- Directors,
investors at odds over executive pay -- Two-thirds of board members
believe pay spurs strong performance, while less than a quarter of big
investors draw that link.
Earlier this week: MONDAY,
6/19 -- TUESDAY, 6/20
Last week: MONDAY,
6/12 -- TUESDAY, 6/13 -- WEDNESDAY,
6/14 -- THURSDAY, 6/15 -- FRIDAY,
6/16
One of the 2006 legislative priorities of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO -- as well as many other unions, businesses, and community, religious and health care organizations -- was the Fair Share Health Care bill, which aimed to stop the "race to the bottom" on health benefits. Though it failed to pass, it received significant public support and prompted a remarkable debate about the health care crisis and employers’ responsibility to participate in the solution. Ultimately, Gov. Chris Gregoire pledged to work on developing a revised version of the bill, and Speaker Frank Chopp, who blocked the bill from getting a vote, also now says he will work on this issue.
But the diverse Fair Share Health Care Coalition (see a list of endorsers) also met with success. Progress was achieved on its other three proposals: establishing a new Small Employer Health Insurance Partnership Program, increasing Basic Health Plan slots for low-income working adults and increasing Children’s Health Program slots to work toward the goal of covering all children in this state.
To continue to build momentum for the Fair Share Health Care Coalition as we head into this fall's election and then the 2007 legislative session, the WSLC has asked all state legislators and candidates for legislature to sign a letter of support for the Fair Share Health Care Coalition. That way, unions and their rank-and-file members who support Fair Share and consider the health care crisis to be a priority issue can know which candidates support the Coalition's priorities.
Following is the statement and the list of 85 legislators and candidates who have now signed it:
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
Washington Fair Share Health Care CoalitionIf elected or reelected in 2006, I will support the following in the 2007 legislative session in order to secure health care coverage for more Washington residents:
Establish a minimum standard for health-care coverage expenditure among the state’s largest companies, those with more than 5,000 employees. The large companies that do not meet this minimum standard of employee health coverage would pay a fee used to cover uninsured working adults in Washington State.
Provide funding to expand the small business program created by the 2006 legislature. This program provides subsidies to employees (under 200% of the federal poverty level) of Washington’s small employers who are willing to pay 40% of the cost of health care premiums for coverage substantially similar to the Basic Health Plan.
Add significantly more enrollment slots to the state’s Basic Health Plan for low-income working and unemployed adults.
Provide the funding necessary to meet the goal of having every child in Washington State covered by health insurance.
Here is the list of legislators and candidates who have signed the statement, as of June 20, 2006:
|
1st DISTRICT 2nd DISTRICT 3rd DISTRICT 6th DISTRICT 7th DISTRICT 8th DISTRICT 10th
DISTRICT 11th
DISTRICT 13th
DISTRICT 17th DISTRICT 18th DISTRICT 19th DISTRICT 20th DISTRICT 21st DISTRICT 22nd DISTRICT |
23rd DISTRICT 24th
DISTRICT 25th
DISTRICT 26th
DISTRICT 27th DISTRICT 28th
DISTRICT 29th
DISTRICT 30th
DISTRICT 31st
DISTRICT 32nd
DISTRICT 33rd DISTRICT 34th DISTRICT 35th DISTRICT |
36th DISTRICT 37th DISTRICT 38th DISTRICT
39th
DISTRICT 4 0th DISTRICTRep. Dave Quall 42nd DISTRICT 43rd DISTRICT 44th DISTRICT 4 5th DISTRICTEric Oemig 46th DISTRICT 47th DISTRICT 4 8th DISTRICTRep. Rodney Tom 49th DISTRICT |
Legislators and candidates who would like to join this growing list can download the statement, sign it and fax it to the WSLC at 206-285-5805.
BACKGROUND ON THE FAIR SHARE BILL: SB 6356 and HB 2517, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle) and Rep. Eileen Cody (D-Seattle), would have required companies with more than 5,000 employees to spend at least 9 percent of their payroll costs on employee health care, or pay a fee to the state making up the difference. That money would go toward providing health care for people who can’t afford it. The idea is to stop large corporations like Wal-Mart from shifting their costs onto taxpayers.
State reports released in 2006 added fuel to the Fair Share fire, confirming that Wal-Mart had more than 3,100 employees on state-subsidized health programs in 2004, the majority of them full-timers. The cost to state taxpayers was more than $12 million.
Although the Fair Share Coalition believes there were enough votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives, Speaker Chopp decided not to bring it to a vote. But since the Fair Share bill’s demise, both Gov. Chris Gregoire and Speaker Chopp have said they want to continue working on this important issue.
At the WSLC Legislative Conference just a few days after the Fair Share bill died, Gregoire pledged to work on a "perfected" version in 2007, saying: "There are a lot of really good employers who want this done and have reached out to me and said, ‘We need to make this happen. We need a level playing field in the state of Washington, and we’re not going to reduce our health-care benefits in order to make that a level playing field’."
For more information, see www.FairShareHealthCare.net.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006
Inslee amendment to defund illegal
NSPS passes U.S. House
Following is a press release distributed Tuesday by the United DoD (Department of Defense) Workers Coalition. For more information, see Monday's Call to Action on Inslee's amendment.
House Votes to End NSPS
Amendment Calling for Defunding of NSPS Passes HouseWASHINGTON -- Member unions of the United DoD Workers Coalition (UDWC) reacted to today's House of Representatives vote to defund the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). Today's Congressional rebuke of NSPS was led by Representatives Inslee (D, WA), Van Hollen (D, MD) and Jones (R, NC), who successfully offered an amendment to HR 5631, the Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) Defense Appropriations Bill. The amendment, which called for the defunding of the illegal portions of NSPS, passed without opposition on a voice-vote.
The following UDWC member union leaders commented on today's House vote:
Ron Ault, President of the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department, offered the
following comments:
Gregory Junemann, President of the International Federation of Professional
& Technical Engineers (IFPTE), also weighed in.
“First and foremost, I want to extend a hearty note of appreciation
to Representatives Jones, Inslee and Van Hollen for leading the effort to
put an end to the National Security Personnel System. I also applaud
Congressman Jeb Bradley for adding his voice to the debate in rejecting this
ideologically fueled personnel system.
Today the House officially recognized the NSPS for exactly what it is
-- a costly personnel system not geared toward national security, but
intended to strip the rights and pay from hundreds of thousands of civilian
personnel working at DoD. As
we move toward Senate action and ultimately to conference IFPTE, along with
all of the member unions of the UDWC, will continue to work hand in hand to
put an end to NSPS.”
John Gage, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) stated, “I am pleased to see the House of Representatives show its support for the findings of the court that the department has overreached in its labor relations and appeal rights regulations. It’s a credit to Jay Inslee, Chris Van Hollen, and Walter Jones that the House passed this important amendment."
David Holway, President of the
National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU) provided the
following: “While it's
unfortunate that the Department of Defense chose to ignore the law that
Congress passed authorizing NSPS, it is inspiring that Congress voted not to
allow itself to be bullied or fooled into believing that wasteful spending
on an illegal personnel system is a wise use of fiscal resources.”
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.
Copyright © 2006 Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO