WSLC Reports Today -- July 10, 2006

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.

MONDAY, JULY 10 ▪ Nurses, others rally for voice at work TODAY at 4 p.m. in Seattle -- Organized labor will join with nurses for a rally TODAY from 4 to 5 p.m. outside the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Terry Ave. & Seneca St. in Seattle, to protest an attempt by VMMC to reclassify registered nurses as "supervisors" and silence their voice for quality patient care. Meanwhile, the Bush-appointed NLRB will soon issue rulings that could similarly take away those rights for hundreds of thousands of workers, not just in the health care, but also in building and construction, energy, broadcasting, port shipping and other industries. Learn more.
▪ Today from Seattle Weekly -- Showdown at Virginia Mason -- Decisions expected this summer from the Bush-appointed NLRB could nullify the union memberships of millions of Americans.

Technical problems: ▪ Due to technical problems this morning, there are a limited number of news links posted today. We'll add anything we missed to tomorrow morning's links.

Local news:
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review -- Spokane City Council to hear "big box" plan -- A local nonprofit group is seeking a law that would force a dozen "big box" retailers in Spokane to pay their employees more than the state minimum wage.
▪ In today's Olympian -- State payroll makes epic shift -- The paychecks state workers pick up today are from a new system that processed about 65,000 of them without any problems.
▪ In today's Olympian -- Labor group takes on a state union -- "Fair Washington Labor Association" is formed by Department of Revenue employees who are opposed to their contract's union-security clause. They say they'll take on the Washington Public Employees Association.

Political news:
▪ In Saturday's Seattle P-I -- Deadline passes for ballot initiatives -- Cutting car tabs and estate taxes, requiring more renewable energy, and reducing environmental and land-use regulations are likely to make the ballot. But immigration and sex-offender measures fall short.
▪ In Sunday's Seattle Times -- Cantwell foe Mark Wilson turns friend -- The Democrat drops his challenge, endorses Sen. Cantwell and campaign full time for the first-term senator.

Last week: WEDNESDAY, 7/5 -- THURSDAY, 7/6 -- FRIDAY, 7/7

MONDAY, JULY 10, 2006
Nurses, others rally for union rights TODAY at 4 p.m. in Seattle

Showdown at Virginia Mason
(in the Seattle Weekly)
Decisions expected this summer from the Bush-appointed NLRB could nullify the union memberships of millions.

A new assault on workers' rights
(Mother Jones magazine)
Just when the last thing America's workers need is another economic kick in the groin, the Bush labor board is poised to deliver what could be its lowest and most devastating blow yet.

Organized labor will join with nurses for a rally from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, July 10 outside the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Terry Ave. and Seneca St. in Seattle, to protest an attempt by VMMC management to silence registered nurses' voices, preventing them from speaking up for quality patient care.

The effort to deny these nurses the right to bargain collectively mirrors some important rulings -- called the "Kentucky River rulings" due this summer from the National Labor Relations Board -- that could take away those rights for hundreds of thousands of workers, not just in the health care, but also in building and construction, energy, broadcasting, port shipping and other industries.

In an ongoing NLRB court case, Virginia Mason attempted to re-label all 600 of its registered nurses as "supervisors," thus not eligible to be part of a union, taking away their right to speak with a united voice through the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA). In its Kentucky River rulings, the NLRB will soon rule on broadening the definition of "supervisor" to include hundreds of thousands more skilled workers and strip away their workplace rights to bargain collectively for a voice at work.

CALL TO ACTION: This is a battle for all union members to protect their rights. Please attend -- and recruit other members and staffers from your union organization to attend -- today's rally in Seattle. And bring your union banners!

WHO: Members of nurses unions (WSNA, SEIU 1199NW, United Staff Nurses/UFCW 141), building and construction trades unions, Teamsters, International Longshore & Warehouse Union, United Food & Commercial Workers, Washington State Jobs with Justice, American Federation of Government Employees, and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

WHAT: Rally to protect the right of Virginia Mason nurses -- and all workers -- to form unions.

WHEN: TODAY (Monday, July 10th) from 4 to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Outside Virginia Mason Medical Center, Terry Ave. and Seneca St., Seattle

For more information, contact:

Barbara Frye, Washington State Nurses Association: (206) 575-7979
Chris Burton, SEIU 1199NW: (206) 910-4483
Marilyn Savage, USNU/UFCW 141: (253) 946-1141
Terri Mast, Washington State Jobs with Justice: (206) 284-6001
David Groves, Washington State Labor Council: (206) 281-8901

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.