FRIDAY, APRIL 27  ▪  Washington, let's put the freedom back in "free trade"  (President Rick Bender's monthly column) -- Among free-traders, objections are no longer about America imposing basic labor standards on other nations. Now, it's about them imposing these standards on us.
▪  In today's NY Times -- Progress is seen on trade legislation -- A trip on Air Force One and a talk between Bush and Rep. Rangel as they traveled to Rangel’s home district in Harlem this week has suddenly lifted prospects for bipartisan agreement on trade legislation in Congress.

Coming Events:  ▪  Rally for federal workers' right to organize -- On May 3 in SeaTac, support the rights of Transport Security Officers to choose union representation and collective bargaining. The Bush administration is denying them that freedom to choose.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Immigrants will take to the streets Tuesday -- Seattle's May Day march will express anger and frustration at recent raids and deportations that sometimes separated families. (It will be Tuesday, May 1 at 3 p.m. at the Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion. Those who plan to attend presidential candidate John Edward's forum with union members Tuesday that day at noon at the IAM Hall are urged to also participate in this important demonstration.)
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Women sought for jobs in trades -- Just eight out of every 100 trade workers in Washington are women, and that percentage is high compared with the national average of 4 percent, based on apprentice data. But that may change as the trade industry, which has traditionally appealed only to men, recruits women to fill the gap as baby boomers retire in droves. The 28th annual Women in Trades Fair is TODAY from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion. More info: wawomenintrades.com.
Don't forget: ▪  Worker Memorial Day events Saturday in Spokane, Bellingham
▪  In today's NY Times -- Crippling government from within (editorial) -- Bush has proved indefatigable at finding industry foxes to upend the regulatory chicken coops. One of the most zealous of the antiregulatory ideologues is Edwin Foulke, tapped by Bush last year to run OSHA. As South Carolina’s GOP chairman and an anti-union stalwart, Foulke worked tirelessly to weaken OSHA enforcement authority on workplace safety. Now that he is the chief, he is moving even more aggressively away from regulations in favor of corporations’ pledges to police themselves.

Legislative news:
▪  In today's Olympian -- Pay raise delay irks Gregoire -- She says she opposed delaying pay raises for nonunion state workers again but was told by Democrats in the Legislature that it was a done deal. House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler says she also opposed the delay for nonunion workers this year. Rep. Helen Sommers is the only high-ranking Democrat to publicly support the delay.
▪  In today's Olympian -- Gregoire on session: "I'd have to say I was greedy if I said I was disappointed" -- The Governor was generally pleased by her work in the legislative session, winning passage of 27 of 29 bills she initiated.
▪  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Let's not offer paid family leave without a plan to fund it (editorial) 
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- How the state GOP can become relevant (Connelly column) -- What offers greater promise, being the party of Theodore Roosevelt or the political vehicle of the BIAW?

Local news:
▪  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Plan could expand medical benefits -- Spokane County commissioners have expressed interest in a plan to take some of the sting out of rising health care costs by requiring public works contractors to pay medical benefits. The proposal by the Spokane Alliance social advocacy organization would affect only nonunion contractors who don't provide health insurance for all their employees. Union contractors all provide medical coverage.
▪  In today's Kitsap Sun -- King County moves to take over Vashon ferry run -- A plan submitted to Gregoire calls for WSF to continue operating the route, but the county would pay for any losses.
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Stevens Hospital's profit is first in 5 years -- Last May, it cut about 90 positions after losses reached $765,000 during the first two months of 2006.
▪  In the Aberdeen Daily World -- $36 million Ocean Spray facility on track -- The Markham plant will become the main Craisins supplier for the West Coast and some international outlets.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Week's orders for 43 jets puts Boeing at 274 for 2007 

National news:
▪  Today from AP -- Safeway's net income rises 22% -- Safeway's improving fortunes have become a factor in the grocer's negotiations on a new labor contract covering most of its employees who work in Southern California stores. (Puget Sound negotiations for a master contract with grocers -- including Safeway -- are also under way.) Labor leaders are hoping to fare better than they did in 2004 when employees made concessions while the company was struggling.
▪  Today from Bloomberg -- Northwest Airlines, union reach accord -- The flight attendants still must vote on $195 million in pay and benefit cuts, but the airline hopes it has averted a potential strike by the only major union that hasn't accepted the bankrupt carrier's efforts to pare labor costs.
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- Want kids with great grades? Then grade their teachers (op-ed)
▪  A related story in today's LA Times -- Teachers are dropping out, too -- In California, teachers are departing the profession in alarming numbers -- 22% in four years or fewer -- but simply offering them more pay won't solve the problem. A new report says the real issue is working conditions.

Last Throes update:
▪  In today's NY Times -- Senate bill passes seeking Iraq exit; Bush veto expected -- The Senate voted 51-46 over Republican objections to approve the measure that would order troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1 at the latest. (Murray and Cantwell both vote "yes." McCain was too busy campaigning to vote.) The bill is on track to arrive on the president's desk on Tuesday, the 4-year anniversary of Bush's announcement -- in front of a huge "Mission Accomplished" banner aboard the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln -- that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.
▪  Of the 3,337 U.S. troops killed in Iraq so far, 3,198 have died (see a list) since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 2,876 have died since Saddam's capture. Five-and-a-half years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is at large.
▪  The WSLC's affiliated unions have called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.