Local news:  ▪  Celebration of UFCW leader Joe Crump's life TONIGHT in Seattle (July 17 post)
▪  In the Everett Herald -- Boeing switches workers to 787 -- Engineers on other programs will pitch in to keep the Dreamliner on schedule. Boeing plans to spend $300 million more for 787 R&D, on top of $2 billion already budgeted. The plan is for "more engineers and overtime," says CEO.
▪  In today's Olympian -- WFSE to use mail-in ballots for 2006 state employee contract vote
▪  In Saturday's Olympian -- SEIU 775 hits impasse with state over benefits for home-care workers
▪  In Sunday's Daily News -- Longview Fibre wants employees to pay more for health care -- More than 1,200 workers (AWPPW 153) will vote again today on a labor contract that asks them to make major concessions. The company is asking them to pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more annually to cover the cost of health care for themselves and their families.
▪  In the Daily News -- Retirement rigmarole: When Reynolds Aluminum disappeared so did benefits
▪  In today's Yakima H-R -- Yakima's postal cutbacks need third-party review (editorial) -- The Yakima APWU local says sending mail on a round trip to Pasco and back in the winter will slow delivery.
▪  From AP -- Columbia Legal Service, Farm Bureau face off over lobbying, farm worker advocacy

Political news:
▪  In today's Yakima H-R -- WSLC endorses Claude Oliver over Rep. Hastings in primary 
▪  At Horses Ass blog -- Reichert "push-poll" smears Burner -- Reichert's telephone ad campaign masquerading as a political survey is spreading misinformation about his Democratic challenger.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- McGavick is latest victim of poisonous politics (Connelly column) -- Of the lawsuit alleging his $28 million Safeco parachute was fraudulent, Mike!™ says, "I was rewarded and rewarded appropriately."... An issue on the table last week gave Democrats the chance to punch above the belt. McGavick urged Cantwell to vote for the House-approved estate tax repeal. minimum wage bill. But the Washington State Labor Council jumped on its "tip penalty" clause as taking income out of the pockets of 122,000 working Washingtonians. Cantwell voted "no." 
▪  In the LA Times -- "Populist" millionaire Lamont is poised to Defeat Sen. Lieberman
▪  In the latest Rolling Stone -- Lieberman: Bush's favorite Democrat (Taibbi column) -- If you believe the propaganda emanating from Lieberman and his coterie of whore-cronies in the Democratic Leadership Council, Lamont is a dangerous, pillar-crushing revolutionary, a preppy, tanned mixture of Lenin and the Ayatollah... The only thing radical about Lamont is his opposition to the Iraq War policies of George Bush and Lieberman, and in this vague "radicalism" he is joined by upward of 91 percent of all Democrats, according to recent polls.

National news:
▪  In today's Pittsburgh P-G -- Women show discontent in union survey -- The results of the Ask a Working Woman survey, to be released today, reveal concern about equal pay and health care.
▪  In today's LA Times -- In a shift, California Labor Federation backs abortion rights -- The AFL-CIO state fed votes to oppose Prop. 85, which would direct doctors to notify minors' parents. In a policy statement, it also urges the AFL-CIO "to reconsider its position of neutrality on the issue."
▪  In Saturday's Pittsburgh P-G -- John Edwards on campaign trail again, this time against Wal-Mart -- As part of the 2006 "Change Wal-Mart, Change America" tour, the former Democratic vice presidential candidate gives a stump speech about Wal-Mart underpaying its workers. 
▪  Today from AP -- Pension changes deemed "a mixed bag" -- President Bush likely to sign legislation that shifts the emphasis away from traditional pensions to a new savings plans.
▪  In the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch -- Carpenters outsource picket duty; homeless, others get $8/hour
▪  In today's Wash. Post -- A new brand of power (column) -- In defense of their bottom lines, firms like Wal-Mart, Starbucks and BP are tackling energy, health care and environmental issues.
▪  In today's Miami Herald -- Having the worst boss will pay off on Wednesday -- Working for America closes its "My Bad Boss" contest on August 9. The grand-prize winner gets a 1-week vacation.

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