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June 5, 2007 |
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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.
TUESDAY,
JUNE 5 ▪
Triumph
at Triumph: Machinists OK new contract, end strike
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review --
Machinists
strike at Triumph ends -- Triumph Composite Systems workers approve a
new contract after four days of picketing and one long day of negotiations.
Miles Tuck, a production mechanic, called the new contract "pretty
fair." But what he noticed most was the feeling of support within
Machinists Union District 751. "What I loved was everyone looking out
for each other," Tuck said. "That's the best part of the whole
thing."
Reminder:
▪
UFCW to
host Seattle Town Hall on disappearing middle class -- UFCW
Locals 21, 44 and 81 invite you to join other workers, elected officials and
community leaders for a special Seattle Town Hall Forum, "Is the Puget
Sound Losing Its Middle Class?" at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 10 at Town
Hall, 1119
8th Ave. (8th and Seneca). Learn
more.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I --
Royal
trouble for the middle class (Virgin column)
-- The future -- or lack thereof -- of the middle class
has been on many people's minds lately. Escalating housing prices have many
worried that the middle class is being priced out of the city. Three UFCW
locals are sponsoring a Town Hall forum Sunday that asks, "Is Puget
Sound losing its middle class?"
Local news:
▪ In today's Oregonian -- Strike reveals divisions among building trades unions -- As hundreds of carpenters union members in Oregon and SW Washington stay off the job in an action they say is about fair pay, the 4-day-old strike is exposing divisions within building trade unions. The leaders of painters, plasterers and other smaller building-trade unions accused the carpenters Monday of using the negotiations to try to raid their members. Some union leaders have encouraged members to break tradition and cross carpenters' picket lines.
▪ In today's Tri-City Herald -- Batelle could lose hundreds of workers -- Hundreds could lose their jobs if a competitive bidding process does not preserve private contract work done at the PNNL.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Bellevue City Council OKs benefits for city employees' domestic partners
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review -- A failed experiment (editorial) -- If the Jobs Development Fund was intended to produce good jobs, then the Legislature should have written a better bill. There is a reference to "family wage jobs," but that murky label is neither defined nor emphasized.
▪ In yesterday's Columbian -- Expanded training (editorial) -- It's good to see attention focused on technical training. The issue is not simply filling a void in employer needs, but helping young people earn a higher wage, and keeping America's workforce competitive in the global economy.
▪ In today's Tri-City Herald -- Governor's trade mission in July recognizes ties with Mexico (editorial) -- She's on the right track for her constituents, especially the farmers of Eastern Washington.
▪ In the Seattle Weekly -- Both sides agree, Rossi needs to start raising money or get off the fence -- He says he doesn't plan to announce his intentions until the end of this year. But can the GOP wait that long and still have any shot at the governor's office should he decide to bow out?
Election
2008 news:
▪ In today's NY Times --
A
top Clinton aide draws unions' ire -- The presidents of the Teamsters
and UNITE HERE unions have written to Sen. Hillary Clinton to complain that
Mark Penn, her pollster and chief strategist, runs a PR firm that is helping
a company fight a unionization drive. Says Hoffa: He cannot serve two
masters, working for a pro-union candidate and working for anti-union
companies.
▪ In today's Washington Post --
The
missing issues (Dionne column)
-- The latest Democratic candidates' debate would have
profited from questions posed by old-fashioned kinds of Democrats -- union
workers who have faced cuts in pay and benefits, parents who can't afford to
send their children to college or who work two or three jobs and can't get
proper child care.
▪ In today's Washington Post --
Leadership
by evasion (editorial)
-- Leading candidates for the Republican presidential
nomination are using the immigration bill now before the Senate for target
practice, but avoid proposing any better approach that would address the
problem.
National
news:
▪ In today's Yakima H-R --
Doc,
take the lead on immigration reform (editorial) --
Hastings says, "What I really want to do is see
what the Senate (passes), and then I'll respond to that." What we would
really like to see is for this district's representative to show some
leadership on an issue of critical importance to Central Washington. Let him
be proactive, not reactive.
▪ In today's Seattle Times --
Labor's
immigrant dilemma (editorial)
-- Labor figured the feds weren't going to control
immigration so they might as well try to organize the newcomers. Problem is,
the swelling tide of new labor competition undermined their ability to
improve the workers' lot.
▪ In BusinessWeek --
Michael
Moore wants to reform health care -- Big Pharma is girding for battle
against the filmmaker's latest effort, due this month. Will the new flick
spur change in the U.S.?
▪ From Reuters -- Strikers
have new gripe -- no energy for sex -- A South African labor leader
complains that work conditions are so tough workers can't perform in the
bedroom.
Last
Throes update:
▪ In today's Washington Post --
Discontent
over Iraq increasing, poll finds -- Six in 10 Americans say they do not
think the additional troops sent to Iraq since the beginning of the year
will help restore civil order there, and 53% -- a new high in Post-ABC News
polls -- said they do not believe that the war has contributed to the
long-term security of the United States.
▪
Of the 3,496
U.S. troops killed in Iraq so far, 3,357 have died (see
a list) since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished"
and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 3,035 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.
TUESDAY,
JUNE 5, 2007
Triumph at Triumph: Machinists OK new contract, end strike
The following press release was distributed Monday by the International Association of Machinists District 751:
Machinists Union Members at Triumph Vote to Accept Contract Strike Ends!
SPOKANE, WA Machinists Union members, who went on strike against Triumph Composite Systems Friday, June 1, voted today to accept a revised contract proposal. Members voted to accept the new proposal by 68 percent ending the strike.
Members will report back for work tomorrow (June 5). Negotiators for the Machinists Union and Triumph Composite Systems met Sunday afternoon and reached a tentative agreement early Monday morning. Members voted throughout the day on June 4th to approve the contract.
Highlights of the revised offer include:
Capped the job progression steps for members to reach maximum rate. Increased rate of progression payments.
Increased performance bonus from $60 per month of service to $75 per month of service. Minimum bonus of $900; maximum bonus of $3975. Bonus will be paid on or before June 22, 2007.
District 751 President Tom Wroblewski noted, The members were united and determined, which brought the Company back to the table. The new proposal met the expectations of our members.
Other features in the approved contract included:
Wage increases each year of 4%, 3%, and 3%
Substantial pension increases, which result in 50 percent increase in pension contributions by end of contract.
Holding health care costs at current levels.
Introduced a cumulative cost-of-living adjustment, which will be paid twice yearly.
Continued gain sharing plan, which estimates to generate $4,800 per employee over life of contract.The contract also provided improvements in overtime limitations, recall rights, seniority rights, personal time off.
The 371 members at the Triumph plant make floor panels and air control systems ducting for Boeing and Airbus planes.
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 © 200
7 Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO