WSLC Reports Today
Updated DAILY... Almost Every Day™ 

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.

THURSDAY,  APRIL 10

Friday's Reports will not appear this week as the web-mistress is taking a short break. Enjoy your weekend and we will be back on Monday with more News you can Use.

Local News:

• Taxes: Not all that bad here after all-- Tacoma News Tribune Blog -- The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council released its ranking of states' business tax systems today. Good news: Washington is the fourth best in their eyes. See for yourself here. 
• Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer -- Seattle PI -- Intervenors -- including groups representing labor, industrial customers, federal-government agencies, consumer and conservation interests -- haven't yet filed their prepared testimony, which would indicate what issues are of most concern. But some already know what issues they're looking at most closely.
• Sen. Murray rebukes DOE over Hanford budget -- Tri-Cities Herald -- The federal government is playing with fire by underfunding the Hanford budget for next year, an annoyed Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said at a congressional hearing Wednesday. "Are you proud of this budget?" she asked twice as James Rispoli, the Department of Energy's assistant secretary for environmental management, fielded questions at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.
• SIFF scores 'Battle in Seattle' for opening night -- Seattle PI -- There's no question that "Battle in Seattle," an epic film re-creation of the 1999 WTO protest, is the perfect way to kick off the 34th annual festival. SIFF artistic director Carl Spence announced Wednesday that the film, starring Charlize Theron, will kick off the event's 25-day run with a May 22 screening at the SIFF Cinema in Seattle Center's McCaw Hall.
• Corporate credibility is on the line more than ever -- Seattle PI -- Now Boeing is enduring some short-term pain from its attempt to shift from airplane manufacturer to a company that emphasizes design, subcontracting, assembly and systems integration. The opportunity to point out the shortfall was not lost on SPEEA, the engineering and technical employees union, which issued another call for Boeing "to correct its flawed reliance on global partners and bring the work back while the company still has the in-house experience to do it right."
• Middle class reports stall in recent financial progress -- AP -- Looking ahead to the coming year, half of the middle class surveyed said they expected to have to cut more spending. Among those employed, one in four, or 25 percent, expressed worries that they would be laid off, that their job would be outsourced or that their employer would relocate in the coming year, while 26 percent were concerned that they would see cuts in salary or health benefits.
• WaMu laying off 3,000, cutting dividend -- Seattle PI -- WaMu plans to close all 186 of its freestanding home loan offices (including 23 in Washington, most of those in the Puget Sound region), laying off 3,000 employees. That comes on top of nearly 3,300 job cuts announced in December.
• We can address local hunger crisis -- Seattle PI Opinion -- According to a recent study by Brad Johnson, a Congressional Hunger Center Fellow, nearly 55 percent of seniors and people with disabilities who reside in seven of Seattle's public housing buildings meet the federal definition for food insecurity. Many must regularly skip meals entirely. While the study focused on a handful of buildings, the implications are that about 3,000 vulnerable adults in 28 public housing buildings struggle with hunger and nutrition-related health problems.

Tanker Deal:

• Another union blasts tanker deal -- Alabama Press Register -- Members of the labor community were "stunned" by the Air Force's decision to award the valuable work to a foreign company, Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, wrote in a Tuesday letter to top members of the House and Senate defense appropriations subcommittees. EADS North America is a subsidiary of Paris-based European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.

Regional News:

• Fall may deliver labor pains  -- Aurora Sentinel, CO -- The battle started last year when some business interests launched a campaign to make Colorado a so-called "right to work" state, meaning workers didn't have to join a union as a condition for employment and pay union dues ­- even if the majority of workers at a job had already voted for the workforce to join a union. ...Labor unions fired back early this month with five proposals of their own that union officials say are designed to offset the effects of a right to work initiative if it were to pass. The initiatives, which were brought forth by the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union Local No. 7, would require annual cost-of-living raises and force certain business to provide employees with health insurance, among a handful of other things.

Political and Legislative:

AFL-CIO Congressional Records Available click here for more

Columbian Trade Deal:

• Republicans want Dems' help on Colombia deal --Seattle Times -- Republicans in the state's congressional delegation want Democrats to join them in protesting Speaker Nancy Pelosi's move to put off a vote on a Colombia free-trade agreement. A letter to Pelosi was circulated among the delegation by Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, just back from a weekend trip to Colombia. No Democrats have signed on.
• Democrats move to shelve Colombian trade pact -- Tacoma News Tribune -- The move will likely quiet, but not kill, a debate that has grown into a symbolic fight over union rights and worker safety, lost factory jobs, presidential-congressional relations and the spread of Hugo Chavez-style socialism in South America.

McCain Myth Busters: 

• Check out the latest on the AFL-CIO's website:

  McCain Revealed. There you will find the real story about Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the Republican nominee for president. McCain has built a media-friendly reputation as a “maverick” and moderate. But there’s nothing moderate about McCain, a loyal ally of Bush who has consistently and perniciously voted against the interests of working families in his decades-long career in Washington.

   

• McCain is either nuts or stupid-maybe both! -- opednews.com --  Big bro 43's Mini-me, McCain, has painted himself into a quagmire surrounded by a swamp. His career has been filled with so much hypocrisy that he has been forced to say a lot of nonsense. He can't maintain consistency. That means he is a flip-flopper which the rabid right-wing extremists hate. Let's throw some out. The first set of dueling stances are McCain's crooked role with the Keating Five and McCain's stances as an anti-lobbyist zealot--a campaign finance reformer.....
•  

• McCain temper boiled over in '92 tirade, called wife a 'cunt' -- Raw Story --  The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop.The man who was known as "McNasty" in high school has erupted in foul-languaged tirades at political foes and congressional colleagues more-or-less throughout his career, and his quickness to anger has been an issue on the presidential campaign trail as evidence of his fury has surfaced.

• The Arizona hit man -- Seattle Times Opinion -- As The Washington Post reports, McCain is now "assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising." He has more lobbyists as fundraisers than any other White House contender, and he allows lobbyists to simultaneously work in his campaign and represent business clients. In fact, the Post reported that his chief adviser "said he does a lot of his (lobbying) work by telephone from McCain's Straight Talk Express bus." Such antics have run that "Straight Talk Express" into the ditch of hypocrisy. Just look at McCain's actions on two huge issues: energy and campaign-finance reform.

National News:

• AP poll: Bush public approval at new low -- AP -- A survey released Thursday showed just 28 percent approve of the overall job he is doing. His previous record low in the poll was 30 percent last month. In another record low, only 27 percent are happy with his job on the economy, which threatens to enter a recession.
• Mounting misery for airlines, travelers -- NY Times --Years of cost cutting on maintenance — and, to some critics, a lax approach in regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration — appear to be catching up with domestic airlines and their customers. American and its domestic competitors have been scaling back maintenance spending for years. Some airlines sent work overseas in search of less-expensive labor. They cut wages of mechanics in the United States and reduced their numbers. And they quickened the pace of work at maintenance facilities. "They let too many people go," said Kevin Cornwell, an MD-80 captain at American who is also a pilots-union official. "They sold spare parts years ago to raise cash. Things don't get fixed as fast."
• Within Powerful Union, Debate Over Mission Intensifies -- NY Times -- Mr. Stern is speaking out in preparation for what is expected to be a tumultuous union convention next month in Puerto Rico. His critics plan to introduce amendments to weaken his authority, accusing him of selling out workers by negotiating back-room deals that sacrificed some gains for current union members, like health coverage for retirees. Mr. Stern is trying to frame his argument by saying that labor has two stark choices: “Just Us” unionism or “Justice for All” unionism.
• Airline Cancels More Flights as Inspections Progress Slowly -- NY Times -- As of late Wednesday, American said it had inspected 179 of the 300 planes but that just 60 of those had been returned to service. The other 119 that were inspected were still being worked on, and the remaining 121 MD-80s in its fleet had yet to be inspected. The airline dispatched teams of mechanics to eight airports around the country to check out the planes. 
• America for Sale: 2 Outcomes When Foreigners Buy Factories --NY Times  -- As foreign buyers descend upon the United States, capturing widening swaths of the industrial landscape and putting millions of Americans to work for new owners, these two cities offer sharply competing narratives for a nation still uneasy about being on the selling end of the global economy. And with the dollar losing much value in recent years, the pace is picking up again, as some of the country’s most valuable assets go on the block at bargain-basement prices.
• Trade deficit wider; jobless claims drop -- AP -- The rise in the trade deficit will give ammunition to critics who contend that the Bush administration's policies have helped lose more than 3 million manufacturing jobs since January 2001, as the trade deficit set records for five consecutive years. Trade is shaping up as a key issue in the upcoming presidential campaign and in the fight for control of Congress. Republicans contend that free trade is boosting U.S. export opportunities, while Democrats contend that Republicans have not done enough to protect American workers from unfair foreign competition.
• FHA rescue won't help worst off -- AP -- With home prices declining rapidly in much of the country, nearly 9 million homeowners have mortgages equal to or greater than their home's value, according to Moody's Economy.com. The Bush administration's expansion Wednesday of a program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure could help some of those borrowers, but it would require significant concessions by reluctant lenders and investors in mortgage-backed securities.
• Labor Unions Will Never Get a Fair Shake -- CounterPunch -- One of the more disturbing statistics to turn up during the last seven years ... was the report that, while only 12% of the workforce is unionized, a whopping 60% of America's workers have indicated that they'd be "interested" in belonging to a labor union. This discrepancy between those who belong to a union, and those who would consider joining one, is not only staggering, it speaks volumes for the demoralized state of organized labor in this country and the concerted "reign of terror" being waged against unions by the Bush administration.

Health Care:

From a new report by Families USA -- this is just a snapshot... 

click here for the full report: Dying For Coverage

War News:

• Bush halts troop withdrawals, reduces length of combat tours-- AP -- President Bush today ordered an indefinite halt in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after July, embracing the key recommendations of his top war commander. Bush said that Gen. David Petraeus will “have all the time he needs” to evaluate further withdrawals. Bush’s decisions virtually guarantees a major U.S. presence in Iraq throughout his term in office in January, when a new president takes office.

Democracy: The Cornerstone of Community

By Paul Lee

(Paul is a shop steward at OPEIU Local 8)

           Saturday April 5^th was the date that I discovered the power of democracy and why it is so integral to the formation of community. This year the 37^th Legislative District held their caucus at Cleveland High school , home of the fighting Eagles. The energy was high and people seemed enthusiastic. We heard from party notables and elected officials. Both Clinton and Obama supporters were out in force! But something happened that night that was truly transcendent.  

            It was about 4:30PM and all the festivities had ended, people had already given their speeches, and voted on their ballots. The janitors had arrived and cleared the chairs of the floor. We were instructed to make our way into the lunchroom and wait there for the final votes to be tallied. As time pressed on, we all became tired and anxious. Then suddenly, the caucus chair announces over the microphone that Pat Wright of the Total Experience Gospel Choir was going to share a couple of songs with us. I began to feel the spirit in the room begin to lift as everyone shared in singing some old time hymns. Following Pat were others that shared jokes with us, which also included Dawn Mason former State Representative from our district. Soon people were reciting poems and sharing stories, the kind that are usually reserved for the kitchen table. I don’t think it was just me that noticed what was beginning to happen. Others began talking about what a special experience this caucus process was becoming. By the time the votes were tallied, which was about 11PM I don’t think there was a person in that room that wanted to leave. We all wanted to share what had happened in the room and spread it out to our other neighbors and community.

             As I reflect on what I experienced that day, I realized that democracy is all about giving voice to each and every common man. Perhaps what draws me to the process is this notion that each person’s voice is regarded equally and that this empowers people to stand up and be heard.

Do you want to know how Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voted on a move to repeal the federal minimum wage?

Are you interested in Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) vote on a measure to rein in the soaring cost of prescription drugs for seniors and working families?

How about finding out where Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) stood on a bill that would restore the freedom of airport screeners to join a union?

Or maybe you just want to know if your U.S. House member voted with working families last year?

All that information and more about your U.S. senators and representatives is just a click or two away in the AFL-CIO's final 2007 House and Senate Voting Records. The congressional scorecards track 19 Senate votes and 24 House votes from the first session of the 110th Congress.

Workers Memorial Materials Available Online Now -- AFL-CIO Blog -- 

Each year, thousands of workers are killed on the job and millions more are injured or become ill because of their jobs.

This April 28, workers in the United States and around the world will honor those killed and injured on the job and call for improved workplace safety on Workers Memorial Day.

You can start planning and organizing a Workers Memorial Day event in your workplace or community with materials now available online from the AFL-CIO.