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June 27, 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.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 27 ▪
Battle
for union rights shifts to 2008 elections, Bender says
The
WSLC president thanks Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell -- plus the rest
of our Democratic congressional delegation, Gov.
Chris Gregoire and many state legislators -- for their strong support of
the Employee Free Choice Act.
▪ Today
at AFL-CIO Now -- Thank
your U.S. Senators!
▪ Today
from AP -- Senate
GOP kills bill that would help union organizers -- "Today's vote
shows us who is standing with workers and which politicians are in collusion
with corporate America to destroy the middle class," says Teamsters
President James P. Hoffa.
▪ In
the Wenatchee World -- Too
afraid of workers to tell the truth (op-ed by No.
Central WA CLC President Fred Meiner) -- If you want
to know about political contributions from unions or you want information
about worker's right to organize a union, don't ask the righties in
government, a CEO, or their quasi publicist, George Will. If you want to
know more about your rights as a worker, where the dues money goes, or how
to organize a union, talk to a union.
▪ In
today's NY Times -- Worthy
goal of flawed bill: Aiding unions (column) --
Since 1980, as union membership has dropped sharply, the share of economic
output going to corporate profits has more than doubled. The share going to
workers’ compensation, meanwhile, fell to a 41-year low last year. Over
the last generation, companies have become far more aggressive about keeping
out unions. The problem with the Senate bill was that it tried to solve one
problem by creating another. But its larger aim -- cracking down on
antiunion attacks -- makes a lot of sense. The playing field between
companies and workers is not level today, and the results are plain to see.
Agency
confidence news:
▪ In
today's Olympian -- State
parks workers rally against boss -- About 500 state parks workers (WFSE)
are voting on whether to send their agency director, Rex Derr, a vote of no
confidence, making him the third state official targeted in an organized
effort by workers this year.
▪ From
AP -- Prisons
chief draws criticism -- The WFSE's corrections
policy committee asks the executive board of the 40,000-member union to hold
a no-confidence vote in Harold Clarke.
Local
news:
▪ In
today's Everett Herald -- 787
sneak preview -- Boeing's newest jet emerges from
the Everett factory just after midnight. It was moved from its assembly bay
to the company's paint hangar. There, the first 787 will don a fresh coat of
paint before making its official debut July 8.
▪ In
today's (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Foreman's
firing unearths deep rift at PUD -- Miscommunication
and lack of trust has created “a horrible environment” at the Grays
Harbor PUD, according to union employees (IBEW Local 77) who have been
packing PUD Commission meetings.
▪ In
today's Seattle Times -- Woodinville
man charged in I-405 crash that killed road worker
Immigration news:
▪
In
today's LA Times -- Immigration
bill's support slipping -- The Senate votes to resume debate on the
border measure, but with the backing of fewer Democrats. Five Democrats who
welcomed debate on the issue a month ago switched position and voted Tuesday
to oppose further discussion of the bill. (Both Sens. Murray and Cantwell
voted to resume debate on the bill.)
▪ In
today's Washington Post -- After
speech, aides scramble to cover Bush's "amnesty" slip -- Says
our leader:
"You know, I've heard all the rhetoric...
about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for
having been here illegally, and this bill does that." Say what?
National news:
▪ In
today's NY Times -- Workers
split with bosses on Family Medical Leave Act -- After soliciting 15,000
comments about the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Labor Dept. will issue
a report today concluding that the public likes the law, but corporate
America has big problems with it.
▪ In
today's NY Times -- Skimping
on drug benefits doesn't pay -- Employers that shift too much of the
cost of drugs to workers in their company health plans could wind up losing
more than they save, through absenteeism and lost productivity, according to
health policy researchers.
▪ In
today's LA Times -- Grocers,
UFCW agree to pick up negotiations in SoCal -- Talks resume today on key
issues including wages and health care after discussions were stalled last
week.
▪ In
today's SF Chronicle -- Gallo
vineyard workers vote to oust UFW; union plans to challenge vote
▪ In
today's Detroit News -- Northwest
blames pilot absenteeism as flight cancellations continue
▪ In
today's Denver Post -- Labor
to pick new leader in Colorado -- A screening committee of the Colorado
AFL-CIO is selecting an executive director to head the organization, which
is now under control of the national AFL-CIO. Says trustee (and WSLC
President) Rick Bender: "They know how important it is to get someone
who can bring this labor movement together."
Last
Throes update:
▪ Today
from AP -- Republican
support for Iraq war slips -- Two Republican senators previously
reluctant to challenge Bush on the war say they can no longer support the
deployment of U.S. troops and asked the president to begin bringing them
home. Bush appeals for patience. (The Iraq war has lasted longer than
America's involvement in World War II, as of last November.)
▪ From
AP -- More
doubt cast on key part of "surge:" Iraqi forces -- U.S.
military commanders now seriously doubt Iraqi security forces will be able
to hold the ground that U.S. troops are fighting to clear -- gloomy
predictions that strike at the heart of Bush's strategy to turn the tide in
Iraq.
▪ In
today's Wash. Post -- House
report faults Pentagon accounting of Iraqi forces -- The U.S. has
invested $19 billion to train and equip Iraqi soldiers and police since
toppling Saddam
Hussein.
▪
Of
the 3,567
U.S. troops killed in Iraq so far, 3,428 have died (see
a list) since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished"
and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 3,106 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.
▪ In
The Onion -- Bush:
Maybe U.S. military "just not very good" -- Says the
president: "I know the folks on our end didn't drop the ball. The
civilian oversight of this war and the plan of attack has been brilliant.
There's no doubt about that in my mind. Hate to say it, but maybe our men
and women in uniform just aren't what they're cracked up to be."
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 27, 2007
Battle for workers' rights shifts to 2008 elections, Bender says
The following statement was released today by Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, regarding yesterday's vote blocking a U.S. Senate vote on the Employee Free Choice Act.
It is a shame that the Republicans' obstructionist tactics kept the majority’s views from prevailing. The vote shows us who is standing on the side of working families’ dreams and economic opportunity -- and who is standing with corporate America to block working people’s bargaining power. The obstruction by the Republicans in the minority in Congress is shameful and it will be remembered.
Washington's working families and the labor movement thanks Sens. Murray and Cantwell for their co-sponsorship and strong support of this historic legislation. We also thank Democratic Reps. Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott and Adam Smith for their co-sponsorship and support of the Employee Free Choice Act, which passed the House on March 1 by a 241-185 margin. We also want to thank Gov. Gregoire and the many state legislators who weighed in as supporting this historic legislation.
These lawmakers understand that a paycheck doesn’t stretch nearly as far as it could with a union card. They know the intimidating tactics employers use to keep workers from exercising their freedom to form a union -- they realize that labor law is broken in this country.
On the other hand, Republican Reps. Dave Reichert and Cathy McMorris Rodgers chose to side with corporate America and preserve this broken system that denies American workers the freedom of association. Republican "Doc" Hastings was absent for the EFCA vote, but given his atrocious 7% voting record on labor issues have made it clear where his sympathies lie.
Tuesday's Senate vote shows the ground has shifted. Working families in Washington state have the attention of our representatives at the local, state and national levels. As we march towards the 2008 elections, the groundswell of support will carry us to the ballot box and to a government that makes the Employee Free Choice Act law.
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