WSLC Reports Today -- July 20, 2006

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WSLC Reports Today
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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.

THURSDAY, JULY 20 ▪ Congressional Democrats ask NLRB to allow oral arguments -- The pending Kentucky River decisions are expected to redefine who can be considered "supervisors" and therefore denied the right to join unions, affecting up to 8 million American workers in health care, construction, energy, broadcasting, port shipping and other industries.
▪ From American Rights at Work -- Colbert satirizes anti-union assault -- Check out this hilarious video clip from Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" in which host Stephen Colbert takes on the NLRB and the potentially disastrous impact its Kentucky River rulings could have on workers.

Also today: ▪ OFTA vote expected TODAY! (at AFL-CIO Now) -- The House could take up the Oman Free Trade Agreement today! Corporate lobbyists are aggressively targeting the 15 Democrats who last year backed the corporate-written CAFTA. Rally at noon today outside the Tacoma office of one of the "CAFTA 15," our own Rep. Norm Dicks (D-6th).

Activist Judge news:
▪ In today's NY Times -- Judge gives Wal-Mart reprieve on benefits -- The judge rules that the federal ERISA law takes precedence over the state law, which would have required companies with 10,000 or more workers to spend at least 8% of their payrolls on health insurance.
▪ In today's Wash. Post -- Maryland "Wal-Mart law" rejected by court -- Maryland's State Senate President: "We're not going to let a big Arkansas corporation, protected by their contributions to the Republican Party, avoid their basic responsibility to the citizens of Maryland."
▪ Today from AP -- Judges tosses out Md. law forcing Wal-Mart to boost health care spending

BIAW Boy Groen's Green:
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Courting trouble (editorial) -- We don't know whether a Washington Supreme Court justice can be bought, but some folks seem to be trying to find out. As limits on campaign contributions to judicial races kicked in, Supreme Court candidate John Groen raked in just over $300,000. His haul is remarkable, especially considering the narrow interests of his biggest contributors.
▪ In today's Everett Herald -- Supreme Court hopefuls debate -- Attorney John "BIAW Boy" Groen, the only candidate who took unlimited campaign checks from building industry interests in the days before new limits took effect, says he doesn't even know who his contributors are.

Other political news:
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review -- I-917 signatures may fall short -- Three weeks after Tim Eyman sais he submitted more than 300,000 signatures to get I-917 on the fall ballot, election officials say Eyman actually turned in just 266,006. As a result, the measure now looks iffy.
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Can Burner bushwhack Reichert? (Balter column) -- A few recent Reichert votes have been head-scratchers. How smart was it to vote against a symbolic motion to raise the federal minimum wage? (Learn more.) It wouldn't affect Washington. Our rate is higher. But it shows Reichert marching in lockstep with House leadership and the White House... Darcy Burner may win because Democrats, Republicans and independents have had enough of Bush policies, so much so they decide to take a chance on an unknown and unproven Democrat.

Local news:
▪ In today's Oregonian -- Vancouver's Clark College decides to dismiss its president -- The board's move follows a no-confidence vote by faculty and leadership complaints.
▪ In the Seattle Times -- Order is icing on Boeing's cake -- Boeing wraps up its last day at the Farnborough Air Show with a bellwether order that sealed the show's success.
▪ In today's Everett Herald -- Geologists disagree on faults beneath Brightwater plant

National news:
▪ In today's Tri-City Herald -- Public infrastructure shouldn't go private (editorial) -- Selling assets to solve a cash-flow problem might bring temporary relief, but it's no way to run a business. It's an even worse way to run a country. Such is the case with the current trend of selling pieces of U.S. infrastructure to foreign investors.
▪ In the Wash. Post -- Bush's poverty talk all but silent; aiding poor was brief priority after Katrina

Earlier this week: MONDAY, 7/17 -- TUESDAY, 7/18 -- WEDNESDAY, 7/19

THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2006
Congressional Democrats ask NLRB to allow oral arguments
Kentucky River decisions could eliminate union rights for up to 8 million Americans

MORE ON KENTUCKY RIVER

▪ Colbert satirizes anti-union assault -- A video clip from Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" in which host Stephen Colbert takes on the NLRB and the disastrous impact its Kentucky River rulings could have on workers.
▪ In the News Tribune -- Bush's NLRB seems poised to cripple American labor (op-ed by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and WSLC President Rick Bender)
▪ In Mother Jones magazine -- A new assault on workers' rights (op-ed)
▪ July 10 at KING5.com -- Virginia Mason nurses rally against reclassification as "supervisors" (Click "Video on Demand" at left, and select the Virginia Mason video link.)
▪ In the Seattle Weekly -- Showdown at Virginia Mason

U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have joined U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott and Adam Smith in contacting the Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board to urge him to hear oral arguments in the three pending "Kentucky River" decisions. The decisions, due some time this summer, are expected to redefine who can be considered "supervisors" and therefore denied the right to join unions, and could affect as many as 8 million American workers in health care, building and construction, energy, broadcasting, port shipping and other industries.

Employers often try to classify workers as supervisors in order to deny them the right to union representation. Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center recently attempted to declare all 600 of its registered nurses to be supervisors and take away their right to speak with a united voice through the Washington State Nurses Association. Hundreds of nurses and their supporters rallied July 10 against the move outside Virginia Mason on July 10, and the hospital backed off its legal strategy -- for now. In an interview with KING-TV, a hospital administrator indicated Virginia Mason is "waiting and watching" for the NLRB decisions to see if they will again pursue reclassification of its nurses.

"This effort by Virginia Mason Medical Center was an outrageous abuse of their employees' rights," said Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. "Although Virginia Mason appears to have backed off for now, their actions should serve as a sobering wake-up call for all workers that employers are awaiting these NLRB decisions, and are poised to immediately declare their employees to be 'supervisors' and take away their union voice. This is nothing short of a major assault on American workers' freedom of association."

In recent weeks, hundreds of union members and other supporters of workplace rights around Washington state called or emailed Congress, asking their senators and representatives to contact NLRB Chairman Robert Battista and urge him to allow oral arguments in the Kentucky River cases, which would allow advocates for the affected workers to state their case. The Bush-appointed NLRB has refused since 2001 to hear oral arguments in any case. Prior Boards have wanted oral arguments in cases of great significance. This is the only 5-year period in the last 25 years in which the Board has refused to allow oral arguments in any case.

"Out of concern for the thousands of American workers whose careers are at stake, I urge you to call for a thorough review of the three cases before you," wrote Rep. Smith in a letter to Chairman Battista. "The oral arguments are a critically important part of the NLRB's consideration, especially given the significant impact of these cases on future workers' livelihoods."

"I do not believe any harm can come from the Board being as fully informed as possible on the issues before you and how they impact the lives of working people," wrote Rep. Inslee in a letter to the NLRB chairman. "I believe it is in the interest of all concerned to hear oral argument in the three (Kentucky River) cases."

At least 135 other NLRB cases are being held pending rulings on the Kentucky River decisions, 60 of which are union election cases. Motions have been filed to present oral argument in the Kentucky River decisions, but they have yet to be granted.

For more information, visit the AFL-CIO website.

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.