WSLC Reports Today -- February 10, 2009

February 10, 2009

Feb. 9: Propagandists mask facts on EFCA

Feb. 6: Latest WSLC Legislative Update

Feb. 5: Urge your legislators: Support Worker Privacy Act!

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Support Port of Seattle plan at today's hearing
Union members, environmental activists and their supporters are invited to a Port of Seattle hearing at 2 p.m. TODAY (Tuesday, Feb. 10) to urge commissioners' support a proposal that could move thousands of poverty-level workers into living-wage jobs while making groundbreaking strides in emissions reductions. The plan would require the transition from diesel-burning to clean trucks and for trucking companies to treat drivers as employees (with insurance, health care coverage and a living wage), among other things. Read more.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- Green jobs must also be good jobs -- More than 2,600 union and environmental activists and lawmakers gathered in Washington, D.C., last week to discuss how to create a new wave of green jobs that will both stimulate the economy and provide a clean future.

Federal economic stimulus news:

► Today from AP -- Obama to Congress: Pass stimulus, don't play games -- The president turns his first news conference into a determined defense of his emergency plan and an offensive against Republicans who try to "play the usual political games."

► A related story at SeattlePI.com -- Obama up, Republicans down in Gallup poll -- More than two thirds of Americans approve President Obama's handling of efforts to pass an economic stimulus package, while less than a third approve actions by Republicans in Congress.

► In today's NY Times -- By slim margin, Senate advances stimulus bill -- It clears a major hurdle on a razor-thin 61-36 procedural vote with the help of just three Republicans.

► In today's NY Times -- As aid vote nears, governors dial for dollars -- Governors around the nation scramble to influence senators to change their positions on the Senate’s economic stimulus bill, which is less generous to state governments than the one approved by the House.

► In today's NY Times -- A better stimulus bill (editorial) -- Obama is right: Congress needs to quickly pass a stimulus bill. But a bill that is merely better than nothing won’t be nearly good enough. Aid to states is excellent stimulus because the money is funneled quickly to public employees, private contractors and beneficiaries of public programs. The Senate bill falls far short.

Legislative news:

► In today's LA Times -- Farms see big crop of workers -- Growers, once hurting for laborers, are benefiting from a migration as jobs in food service and construction dry up. (Meanwhile, tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. the House Commerce & Labor Committee will hear HB 1896, which would create a pilot guest-worker program where the state would recruit, import and TRAIN foreign workers in not just agriculture, but also construction, retail, restaurants and more. Learn more about it.)

► In today's Olympian -- Gregoire submits government "shake-up" -- Pledging to act boldly while the budget pressure is on, Gov. Gregoire has proposed merging some small and midsize departments, changing some agency responsibilities, and more.

► From AP -- Gregoire offers plan to streamline government -- The plan Gregoire calls a "first step" would close 25 Dept. of Licensing offices and eliminate 152 boards and commissions and increase online services, including more online courses at community and technical colleges.

► At TheOlympian.com -- Jobs lost in reform? -- On shutting down two dozen Licensing offices, Gregoire says, “What we lose is bricks and mortar. We don’t lose people.” On merging agencies and functions, she says, “I don’t expect that we’ll be laying off with what we’re doing.”

► In today's Seattle Times -- UW braces for 600 layoffs -- UW says 400 administrative and 200 teaching jobs must be cut under Gregoire's budget, and it could rise to 800 if cuts are deeper.

Opinions about legislative news:

► In today's News Tribune -- A medical safety net begins to unravel (editorial) -- The budget Gregoire offered would drastically cut subsidized health care for the unemployed and working poor by hundreds of millions of dollars. The impact would ripple across virtually all hospitals, clinics and medical practices that care for Washingtonians who have no jobs or insurance.

► In today's Everett Herald -- Spend on quality, not red tape (editorial) -- High-quality child care requires subsidies that cover its true costs. Currently, they don't, and two very different remedies are being considered. One would establish regular increases in state subsidies, a simple and effective approach. The other would require union membership at child-care centers that accept subsidies. Such a bureaucratic approach strikes us heavy-handed and counter-productive.

► In today's Seattle P-I -- State budget: Costly day care (editorial) -- It's a horrid time for putting resources into something that may help unions more than families or workers.

► In today's News Tribune -- Payday lending proposals inch closer to answer (editorial) -- Legislators should find the middle ground that provides prudent restraints without strangling the industry.

► In today's Everett Herald -- Eliminating adult day health will hurt Snohomish County seniors (op-ed) -- If Gregoire's proposed budget is enacted, a vital part of the safety net that protects our most vulnerable citizens, will vanish. The consequences for the elderly and disabled will be terrible.

Opinions about uppity workers:

► In today's Everett Herald -- Aerospace analysts nervous about Boeing -- Given labor unrest, one free-tradin' analyst reiterates, "I cannot imagine them building the next new airplane in Washington." Boeing likely will move to a right-to-work state over the next few decades.

► In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing, unions should listen to Virgin's Branson (Bill Virgin column) -- Branson was not being altruistic in giving Boeing, the IAM and the region a "shape up or we'll ship out" warning. When the warning comes from someone writing the checks that pay the company and its employees, that's one worth hearing.

Local news:

► In today's Kitsap Sun -- Ridership on state ferries declined 4% in '08 -- Ridership declined to 22.7 million from 2007, which the WSF attributes to service disruptions, high gas prices, a lousy economy and snowy weather.

► In today's Everett Herald -- County Clerk's office workers agrees to unpaid days off -- Fifty will take unpaid days off to help save money. They will earn extra vacation days in 2010 and 2011.

► In today's Seattle P-I -- State to review Glacier's permit for Maury Island pier -- Commissioner Peter Goldmark orders a review of a lease granted by his predecessor to the mining company.

National news:

► In today's Denver Post -- Unions' political effort pays -- Wins in well-funded state campaigns have "re-energized" labor and given it leverage. Now, most political and economic experts consider the post-electoral climate one of the most union-friendly in recent memory.

► In today's NY Times -- Months after plant closes, many still struggling -- Almost a year after an Ohio tool-making plant shut down, less than 15% of the hourly workers have steady jobs. Many of the rest, especially the older workers, are sliding perilously close to the economic precipice.

► At CNN.com -- Free trade has sold out the American worker (op-ed by mayor of Lansing, MI) -- The cold, hard truth is that the unholy alliance between Washington and Wall Street has sold out the American worker and exported our standard of living. Driven by the insatiable greed of profiteers and accelerated by the false promise of free trade, our manufacturing base has been chased out of this country and along with it the livelihood of millions of hard-working Americans.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Support Post of Seattle plan at today's hearing

The following announcement comes from the ML King Jr. County Labor Council, AFL-CIO:

“Workers, Safety, Environment First” at the Port of Seattle
When: Tuesday, February 10th at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Port of Seattle Headquarters
Pier 69, 2711 Alaskan Way, 98121

BACKGROUND:

On February 10th the labor community, in coalition with our environmental allies, will have the opportunity to coalesce around a proposal that could move thousands of poverty level workers into living wage jobs while making groundbreaking strides in emissions reductions – as much as 70% for docked ships and 30% for equipment on shore that hauls cargo, by 2010.

The Port of Los Angeles passed a responsible plan requiring the transition from diesel-burning to clean trucks and their plan requires trucking companies to treat drivers as employees (with insurance, health care coverage and a living wage), and to take responsibility for reducing greenhouse gases, asthmas and cancer-causing pollution emitted by dirty diesel trucks.

PROBLEM:

At this point we do not have the support of a majority of Seattle Port Commissioners needed to pass the responsible plan and we need your help to change this equation.

WHY:

Shipping, logistics and trucking companies, exporters and terminal operators are lobbying heavily against the responsible plan and their current proposal would instead force individual (and mostly poverty level) workers to buy, retrofit and maintain clean trucks instead of requiring trucking companies to take responsibility for their fleets.

SOLUTION:

If we are able to build a strong coalition to contest the current plan we will have the opportunity to empower thousands of poverty level workers, drastically reduce emissions levels and improve our quality of life throughout the Puget Sound Region at large.

Please contact Lily Wilson-Codega at (206) 650-5503 or lily@mlkclc.org if you can join us February 10th and help us fight industry attempts to shift this cost burden to workers who are already struggling to make ends meet. Our jobs, our environment and our community are at stake.