WSLC Reports Today -- September 15, 2006

Sept. 15, 2006

THE PAST WEEK:
THURSDAY
TUESDAY
MONDAY
Friday, Sept. 8

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.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 ▪ Today's Justice for Sale update:
▪ In the Aberdeen Daily World -- Anderson is a judicious judge (editorial) -- Gerry Alexander, the best chief justice in the history of the Washington Supreme Court, needs your vote. Radio and TV ads would have you believe that he coddles killers, condones drunken driving and is flirting with senility. If there’s any justice in the world, this sleazeball stuff paid for by the BIAW will backfire badly this time.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Judicial ads target judge (editorial) -- BIAW's television ads being run on Groen's behalf are reprehensible. Voters should be very afraid when any single special interest targets a judge with such vehemence.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Nobody campaigns for these awards (Connelly column) -- BIAW's personal attacks against Chief Justice Gerry Alexander have made for one of the priciest, most putrid races in state history, a case study of a special interest hellbent to buy an election.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Special interest money fueling judicial races -- "The people of Washington do have constitutional rights to express their views," says BIAW attorney John Groen, on whose behalf BIAW has spent over $500,000 on negative TV ads.
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- You know how system works: $$$ (Westneat column) -- A suggestion: Candidates who stand to benefit from negative ad campaigns should stand up and renounce the efforts of outside groups. (BIAW's boy John) Groen has claimed erroneously that the law prohibits him from even commenting on the hard-hitting ads attacking his opponent.

REMINDER: ▪ Volunteers needed for Burner-Cantwell rally Saturday; and final phonebank for Dodson on Sunday

Local news:
▪ Today at L&I's site -- L&I Director Gary Weeks resigns -- Appointed director in April 2005, he is resigning to become executive director of the Washington Health Care Association.
▪ In today's Olympian -- Chief of L&I steps down
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Guild employees at Seattle Times approve contract calling for a wage freeze

Port security news:
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Senate OKs port security measure -- The bill, written by Sens. Patty Murray and Susan Collins (R-Maine), was approved by a 98-0 vote. The Bush administration OPPOSED the bill, arguing our nation shouldn't do try to do too much on Homeland Security. (We're not kidding... They really said that.)
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Port security: It's about time (editorial) -- Sen. Murray has been a tireless champion of beefing up security at the nation's most obvious terrorist targets: its marine ports.

National news:
▪ Today from AP -- Ford slashes 10,000 more jobs; closes 2 plants -- It vows to complete its cuts of 25,000 to 30,000 hourly jobs by the end of the 2008, four years ahead of its previous target.
▪ Today from AP -- House votes to make border fence between U.S.-Mexico 700 miles longer
▪ In The Hill -- Election could derail Bush administration's hope for fast-track extension in 2007

Last throes update:
▪ Today from AP -- Friday's body count: 30 Iraqis and one U.S. Marine -- Violence has intensified over the past two days, with more than 130 people either killed by attacks or their bodies found dumped in the streets of Baghdad. Six U.S. soldiers were killed Thursday and Friday.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Bush's Iraq rationalization is lame (Thomas column) -- Cheney says the Iraq invasion was "the right thing to do" and "if we had it to do all over again, we'd do exactly the same thing." That statement is outrageous, given the reality that none of the stated reasons for the U.S. invasion turned out to be accurate.
▪ Delegates representing WSLC's affiliated unions have voted to call for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Between 41,986 and 46,6 70 Iraqi civilians -- roughly the populations of the cities of Olympia or Pasco -- have been killed since the invasion. Of the 2,673 U.S. troops that have been killed there so far, 2,536 have died since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1, 2003. (2,206 have died since Saddam's capture.) More than five years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still at large.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Volunteers needed for Burner-Cantwell rally on Saturday;
and final phonebank for Lynne Dodson on Sunday

This Saturday, Sept. 16, union volunteers participating in the Washington State Labor Council's Labor Neighbor activities will take a break from the usual canvasses to participate in a rally from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. at Bellevue High School, 10416 Wolverine Way, to support labor-endorsed candidates Darcy Burner and Sen. Maria Cantwell. After Sen. Cantwell and Burner give short speeches, anyone who would like to volunteer will be able to hit the streets and help their campaign efforts by spending a few hours canvassing in Bellevue.

If you are able to spend a few hours volunteering this Saturday, please contact WSLC Field Mobilization Director Benjamin Lawver at 206-281-8901 or blawver@wslc.org.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER: Last weekend was the first attempt by Labor Neighbor volunteers to use The Next Big Thing, a new phone-banking system based at the offices of UFCW Local 21, and it was a tremendous success calling union members on behalf of labor-endorsed state House candidate Lynne Dodson in the 43rd District. Things went so well with TNBT that this Sunday's phonebank will be dedicated to helping Dodson again.

The TNBT avoids the hassles of calling when no one is at home, dialing disconnected numbers and hearing fax machine squeals. Plus, it's web-based and can be used from your own home, or anywhere else you have a high-speed Internet connection (DSL or cable) and a phone line.

However, we need at least 10 volunteers for each shift for the system to work. So please sign up for one of these shifts on Sunday, Sept. 17 and you can help make a huge difference in a race that may be won by only a few hundred votes. The shifts on at the UFCW 21 office, 5030 First Ave. South, Sunday will be Noon to 2:30 p.m.; 3 to 5:30 p.m.; and 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Use the WSLC's online volunteer form to RSVP for this final phonebank for Lynne Dodson before Tuesday's big primary election, and please indicate which shift(s) work best for you. And feel free to bring family members to help!

BUSY THIS WEEKEND? Check out the Labor Neighbor schedule for other opportunities to volunteer! For more information, contact Benjamin Lawver at 206-281-8901 or blawver@wslc.org.

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.