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July 25, 2007


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Tuesday, July 24
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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, JULY 25  ▪  Applicants sought for WSLC Communications Director -- With the resignation of David Groves, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is seeking an experienced, highly skilled, motivated individual for the position of Communications Director. 

Local news:
 ▪  In today's Olympian -- Bigger paychecks for state workers today -- Unionized state workers will receive an extra $756, and a 3.2% general pay increase. (Union Yes!)
 ▪  Today from AP -- Boeing earns $1.1 billion in 2nd quarter on Dreamliner momentum -- Revenue climbed 14% to $17 billion, from $15 billion, easily beating Wall Street expectations.
 ▪  In yesterday's Columbian -- City developing apprenticeships -- The leaders of a statewide push to expand on-the-job training through apprenticeships authorize a new Vancouver program.
 ▪  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Health care change on tonight's agenda at Bellingham Labor Temple

National news:
▪  In The Hill -- Big Labor flexes its muscles in Congress -- with mixed results -- Pro-business Democratic Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.) said he has some differences with unions on trade. But he has no problem supporting card-check or other pro-union bills that he sees as helping low- and middle-income workers get a share of the economic pie.
 ▪  In today's NY Times -- GOP leaders fight expansion of children's health insurance -- The top two Republicans in the Senate say they oppose a bipartisan bill passed 17-4 by the Senate Finance Committee as "'Hillary Care' come back" and they will offer an alternative on the Senate floor.
 ▪  In today's NY Times -- Court voids higher limits on truckers' hours -- A federal appeals court strikes down a Bush administration rule that loosened limits on the work hours of truck drivers, concluding that officials had failed to offer adequate justification for the changes.
 ▪  In the Columbian -- Priorities exposed: Democrats vote to protect unions (editorial) -- Conservatives decry the proposed 4% cut in funding of the DOL office that investigates union "corruption."
 ▪  In today's Detroit News -- Air traffic controllers tell Congress working conditions are too dangerous
 ▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Part-time work should be more attractive (op-ed) -- The conversation we should be having these days really isn't one about what mothers want. The interesting question is, rather, why they're not getting it. Only 24% of working mothers now work part time. The reason so few do isn't complicated: Most women can't afford to; part-time work doesn't pay.

Minimum Wage Increase: 
 ▪  In today's Wash. Post -- Democrats cheer federal minimum wage increase -- The 70-cent increase to $5.85 an hour ends the longest stretch without an increase since it was enacted in 1938. (Thanks to organized labor, Washington state has a significantly higher minimum wage: $7.93.)
 ▪  Today at AFL-CIO Now -- Congressional house cleaning was key to minimum wage hike -- AFL-CIO President John Sweeney: "(Last fall) we started getting rid of the greedy enemies of working families. We regained some control and next Fall -- in 2008 -- we’re going to finish the job and take back full control of Congress and full control of our country."

Election news: 
 ▪  In the NY Times -- AFL-CIO chooses bigger site for Democratic debate -- The August 7 debate among the Democratic candidates has generated so much interest that the labor federation has decided to hold the event at Chicago's Soldier Field, rather than McCormick Place. Moderated by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, it will be broadcast live nationally on MSNBC and XM Radio.

Last Throes update:
 ▪  In today's NY Times -- No exit strategy (editorial) -- With a veto-proof majority, Congress will have to tell President Bush that prolonging the Iraq war for another two years will not bring victory.
 ▪  In today's NY Times -- On base, a plea to give each death its due -- Twenty soldiers deployed to Iraq from this Army base were killed in May, a monthly high. That same month, the base announced a change in how it would honor its dead: instead of units holding services after each death, they would be held collectively once a month. The anger and hurt were immediate. Soldiers’ families and veterans protested the change as cold and logistics-driven.
▪  Of the 3,637 U.S. troops killed in Iraq; 3,498 of them have died since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 3,176 have died since the capture of Saddam; and 2,778 have died since the government was handed over to the Iraqis.
▪  The WSLC's affiliated unions have called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.


 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2007
Applicants sought for WSLC Communications Director

Groves resigns from WSLC

After 15 years with the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, David Groves has resigned as Communications Director to accept a communications position with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302, which represents heavy construction equipment operators in Washington and Alaska.  His last day at the WSLC will be Friday, August 24.

"I want to thank the officers, staff and affiliates of the Council for everything they've done for me over the years," Groves said. "It's been a pleasure and an honor to advocate for Washington's working families, and I'm really excited about continuing to do so, while taking on some new challenges at a strong, growing local union."

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is seeking applicants for the position of Communications Director. Here is the job posting (printable version):

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is widely considered to be the "voice of organized labor" in our state.  A state federation of the AFL-CIO, the Council represents the interests of more than 500 affiliated local unions with more than 400,000 rank-and-file union members.  The Council’s core programs and services for affiliated unions are legislative advocacy, political action, communications and media relations, and assistance with organizing campaigns.

The Council is seeking an experienced, highly skilled, motivated individual for the position of Communications Director.  It is the Communications Director’s responsibility to ensure that the Council's events and positions are well-publicized and that the organization is presented in a positive light -- both in the news media and within the labor movement among affiliated unions.  The position reports directly to the President of the Council.

Minimum Job Qualifications:  Five (5) years of previous experience in communications and/or media relations, or a combination of education and experience that would provide for the following knowledge, skills and abilities:  

  • Excellent oral and written communications skills, with strong proficiency with writing and editing.

  • Desktop publishing skills designing newsletters and leaflets.  Proficiency using Adobe In-Design (formerly PageMaker) and Photoshop would be ideal.

  • Successful experience in media relations: fielding press inquiries, promoting events and issues to ensure media coverage, and proactively promoting positive news coverage.

  • Web site maintenance skills and the ability to update the Council’s web site (www.wslc.org) regularly with news and information.  Web design experience and proficiency using Microsoft FrontPage would be ideal.

Additional qualifications:  The following qualifications are considered very desirable, but are not strict requirements of the position and should not discourage applicants who meet the minimum job qualifications: experience working in the labor movement; Bachelor’s or graduate degree in communications or a related subject; experience in the news media, politics or legislative affairs; experience working with a progressive organization; bilingualism a plus.

Employment details:  The Communications Director is a full-time salaried position, which includes some evening and weekend work as needed, and is based in Seattle, WA.  (The Council also has an office in Olympia, WA.)  The position occasionally requires travel around the state.

Women and persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary and Benefits: $66,400-82,500 (DOE).  Excellent benefits, including paid vacation, sick leave and holidays, full employer-paid family health coverage (including dental and vision), a defined-benefit pension plan, an optional 401(k) program, and more.  The position is covered under a union contract with Office and Professional Employees Local 8.

Application Instructions: Submit a cover letter and résumé. If sent via email, the files should be in MS Word, PDF or text formats. Please submit to Jan Hays via email at jhays@wslc.org or via standard mail to the WSLC, 314 First Ave. West, Seattle, WA, 98119.

Applications must be received by Friday, August 10.

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 © 2007   Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO