THURSDAY, APRIL 12 

Log truckers' work stoppage in Grays Harbor:
▪  In the Daily World -- Owners say they can't afford to keep on truckin' -- As the work stoppage initiated by Grays Harbor log truckers reaches its 10th day, many owners say they’re willing to stay parked for months to get a rate increase they desperately need to survive.
▪  In the Daily World -- Truckers get the short end of the stick (editorial) -- In the supply chain for wood products, there’s nobody with less power than the trucker. A big reason for that is because they are independent businesses that, traditionally, haven’t stuck together. Until now... The base rate for hauling logs in this area is about the same as it was in the mid 1980s... Weyerhaeuser which should do the right thing and pay truck owners enough so that they can offer decent wages and benefits to their employees and make sure the trucks they put on the road are safe.

Legislative news:
▪  In today's Olympian -- Keiser appears to be in clear after incident -- Republican party operatives tipped off the newspaper about the senator's minor traffic accident and succeeded in convincing right-wing bloggers to pile on. Keiser says the effort is hampering her efforts to pass the family and medical leave legislation.
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Mental health workers to strike -- Compass Health says services will not be affected as workers (SEIU 1199NW) go to Olympia today to talk with lawmakers. 
▪  In the Stranger -- Misled -- Democrats have a supermajority, but progressive legislation is being killed. Who's blocking the Democratic agenda? Seattle's Frank Chopp, Speaker of the House.

Other local news:
▪  Today from Bloomberg -- Boeing submits tanker proposal -- The KC-767, based on a Boeing commercial airliner, would be produced on Boeing's commercial-assembly line in Everett.
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing sees 9,000 tanker jobs -- There's $400 million-worth of annual economic impact in Washington state riding on the proposal it submitted to the U.S. Air Force.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- H-1B visa debate flares -- New figures show 9 out of 10 applications for the controversial visas are for workers with bachelor's degrees rather than advanced credentials.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Children back immigrant rights at Seattle rally -- "Our representatives in Washington, D.C., say they believe in family values," shouts 9-year-old Josephina Alanis-Mora. "To me, there is no more important family value than allowing families to stay together."
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Is Seattle ready to be immigration sanctuary? (Jamieson column) -- Other cities have enacted policies that take a no-questions-asked stand... undocumented residents can interact with police and get access to city services without the fear of being reported.
▪  In the Oregonian -- Prevailing wages promote social goals (op-ed by UBC's Doug Tweedy) -- As lawmakers plan for the 1 million new Oregon residents expected over the next 20 years, they should ensure that public investments do more than just redevelop our cities and towns. Projects funded by public money should also generate much-needed middle-class jobs.

National labor news:
▪  In the SF Weekly -- Union disunity -- The secret deal worked out between SEIU bosses and nursing home owners in California denies union members the right to speak out, strike, or protect patients. (SEIU 775 has signed a similar deal with nursing homes in Washington state.)
▪  In the Wall St. Journal -- Former AFL-CIO unions hit hurdles -- Nearly two years after leaving the AFL-CIO with big plans to organize more workers and re-energize the labor movement, Change to Win has accomplished much less than it hoped and is grappling with internal divisions.

Other national news:
▪  In today's NY Times -- In the real world of work and wages, trickle-down theories don't hold up -- Some object that higher taxes would cause top earners to work less and take fewer risks, thereby stifling economic growth. In their familiar rhetorical flourish, they insist that a more progressive tax system would kill the geese that lay the golden eggs. On close examination, however, this claim is supported neither by economic theory nor by empirical evidence.
▪  At AFL-CIO Now -- Attack of the Wage-Eating Monsters, Part II -- Just months after Missouri voters voted by a 76% margin to raises the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.50 and index it for inflation, Missouri Republicans aim to impose a tip penalty and nix the annual increases.
▪  In today's NY Times -- Massachusetts offers details on health coverage -- The proposal sets a sliding scale of affordability standards for health insurance premiums based on income.
▪  In today's LA Times -- Grocers lose their Wal-Mart leverage -- Back in 2003 when a major grocery strike loomed in Southern California, the supermarkets insisted that they had to hold the line on workers' pay and benefits because Wal-Mart was about to storm California with low prices and low wages, and supermarkets said they needed to stay competitive. But the storm never came.
▪  From AP -- Wal-Mart's surveillance actions may be studied -- The feds are asked to investigate reports that the retailer had surveillance operations against employees, critics, suppliers, consultants and shareholders expected to challenge company policies at an annual meeting.
▪  In today's NY Times -- The billion-dollar brushoff (editorial) -- CEO pay has little or nothing to do with results; the most jaw-dropping packages are for execs who've been told to hand over the reins.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Rejection of firefighters' benefits for on-the-job deaths is decried
▪  In today's LA Times -- Bush joke by Ford CEO Mulally misfires -- He apologizes after jokingly claiming he intervened to prevent Bush from plugging an electrical cord into the hydrogen tank of an experimental Ford vehicle. (The former Boeing boss sucks at standup comedy.)

Political news:
▪  At ShiftBreak.com -- Seattle Port Commission candidates discuss nonunion truckers  (MP3 file)
▪  In today's LA Times -- McCain falling behind with GOP voters, poll says -- He ranks after Giuliani and Thompson in his worst showing yet. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton leads among Democrats.
▪  In today's NY Times -- In 5-year effort, scant evidence of voter fraud -- Bush's 5-year crackdown has turned up virtually no evidence of any organized effort to skew federal elections.