WSLC Reports Today -- June 24, 2009

June 24, 2009

June 23: Health care: Contact WA senators

June 22: Health care ad targets Cantwell

June 19: Fair shake for Boeing tanker

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Statewide actions to support public health plan

On Thursday, dozens of activists from the Health Care for America NOW! coalition -- which includes the Washington State Labor Council -- will deliver messages to every office location throughout the state for both Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell regarding the need to include a strong public health insurance option in health care reform legislation. Read more.

► Take Action! -- Thank Murray, urge Cantwell to back public option -- Sen. Patty Murray has publicly supported President Obama’s vision for health care reform, including the choice of a public health insurance plan. But Sen. Maria Cantwell has yet to unequivocally endorse a public option. Send an e-mail TODAY thanking Sen. Murray for her support of a public health insurance option, and encouraging Sen. Cantwell to stand with us also in supporting the public option. Take action now!

► In the Stranger -- Where our congressional delegation stands on health care -- "There is going to be a public option," says Rep. Jim McDermott.

► In today's NY Times -- Obama: Public plan would not hurt private insurers -- The president says that a government-run plan would be an “important tool to discipline insurance companies."

► In today's Everett Herald -- Health-care reform must include a public option (John Burbank column) -- We're told to think of health care as a market good, but are urged to not allow a competitor -- the government -- which has a more efficient and better product. We are not protecting this market, we are protecting the cartels of the health care industry, from the for-profit insurance companies to the big pharmaceutical companies, to health care providers themselves.

► In today's Pittsburgh P-G -- Health care studies beef up case for reform -- The White House and organized labor ratchet up their reform efforts with new studies filled with statistics and stories of Americans struggling to pay for medical treatment. In its "2009 Health Care for America Survey," the AFL-CIO found not just the uninsured struggling to pay for health care; 43% who reported having insurance said they were not able to get the health care they need due to cost.

Boeing news:

► In today's Seattle Times -- Initial flight of 787 delayed again -- In the fifth major delay to its schedule for flying the 787, Boeing says it has discovered the plane needs added structural reinforcement where the wing and fuselage meet. The news dealt the 787 program a serious new setback as the window closed on Boeing's plan to accomplish first flight by June 30.

► In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing's cred takes a beating with 787 delay (Jon Talton column) -- More and more, the idea of a global supply chain to cut costs and gradually replace those testy, expensive workers in Everett seems like a really dumb idea, especially for what is billed as the most sophisticated and complex commercial aircraft in history, one based on composites. So does the trial balloon of moving production to beautiful but backward South Carolina. There's a reason why seasoned Boeing workers in one of the world's top aerospace clusters are worth good money. Compare a two-month labor showdown to a two-year Dreamliner delay and there is indeed an issue with the "workforce reliability." Unfortunately it's the workforce in the executive suites.

► In today's Everett Herald -- Latest 787 delay may cause backlash -- In recent months, 787 customers have grown increasingly restless. Boeing has logged 58 order cancellations for the 787 this year. Qatar Airways' CEO threatened to cancel its 60-jet 787 order if more problems arose: "Boeing doesn't realize how much they're hurting their customers' plans. They're very much mistaken if they think we're going to give them much more time on the issue."

► At SeattlePI.com -- 787 flight delay: Technical details, Q&A transcript -- After announcing the 787 delay Tuesday, Boeing held a conference call with analysts and members of the media.

Local news:

► In today's Seattle Times -- 2nd Brightwater tunnel-borer breaks down, idling 67 -- The westbound machine is not as badly damaged as the eastbound one, which broke down last month and caused the layoff of 60 people. Nonetheless, repairs are expected to take months. Officials say the latest tunneling glitch won't necessarily delay startup of the $1.8 billion Brightwater plant beyond the current target of mid-2011.

► In today's Daily News -- Longview Fibre increases workforce -- Longview Fibre, which shed 40% of its workforce over the last two years, has hired about 25 workers due to improving sales. The company says it plans to add 20 more workers by the end of the year.

► In the Kitsap Sun -- Workers putting finishing touches on Bremerton tunnel -- Ray LaHood, President Obama’s transportation secretary, will help celebrate the opening of the Bremerton tunnel on July 6. It will be two years to the day since the $54 million project began.

► At SeattlePI.com -- Poll: Hutchison ahead in exec race, Constantine second -- County Council chairman Dow Constantine is now in second place, suggesting his decision to confront Hutchison directly about avoiding interviews and forums may have worked.

► In today's Spokesman-Review -- Immigration initiative backers buy ad insert -- They’ve used a similar tactic to distribute copies of Initiative 1043 petitions in Yakima, Ellensburg, Republic and the Olympic Peninsula as the July 2 deadline for signatures draws near.

News from Olympia:

► In today's Seattle Times -- Seattle's bid to lure Russell Investments from Tacoma is a losing strategy (op-ed by Sens. Brown and Kastama) -- Any city or state that believes it can grow only by luring companies with tax breaks will be left behind in today's increasingly competitive global economy. (Hear, hear! Labor lobbyists: File this column away for future reference.)

► At TheOlympian.com -- Ethics Board dismisses complaints against 3 legislators -- The board found Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Kent) was merely expressing her opinion on a pending bill when she wrote on her legislative blog about "payback" regarding this year's Retro disclosure bill.

National news:

► In today's LA Times -- SEIU borrows business' anti-union tactics to fend off rival -- In a high-stakes battle in California, SEIU is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group. In lodging legal challenges to the roughly 80 petitions filed by its fledgling competitor -- the National Union of Healthcare Workers -- SEIU has moved to block organizing elections at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes up and down the state by alleging the NUHW is intimidating and misleading workers.

► In today's NY Times -- Despite recession, high demand for skilled labor -- Unnoticed in the government’s standard employment data, employers are begging for qualified applicants for certain occupations, even in hard times. Most of the jobs involve skills that take years to attain, such as welders, critical care nurses, electrical linemen, geotechnical and civil engineers, and respiratory therapists.

► From AP -- Wisconsin orders state workers to take 16 furlough days to plug deficit -- Gov. Jim Doyle orders the furlough days over the next two years to help close a $6.6 billion shortfall.

► In today's NY Times -- Paycheck fairness (editorial) -- With due fanfare in January, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It is a vital, if narrow, legal fix needed to reverse a notorious 2007 Supreme Court decision that made it much harder for victims of pay discrimination to challenge their wrongful treatment. A broader bill aimed at combating gender-based wage discrimination remains stalled in Congress.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2009
Statewide actions Thursday on public health plan
Visits to Senators' offices around Washington to coincide with D.C. rally

On Thursday, dozens of activists from the Health Care for America NOW! (HCAN) coalition will deliver messages to every office location throughout Washington state for both Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell regarding the need to include a strong public health insurance option in health care reform legislation.

Also Thursday, the national HCAN organization -- an unprecedented national grassroots campaign composed of over 1,000 organizations representing more than 33 million people -- is organizing a National Mobilization in Washington, D.C. bringing in thousands of people from 40 states to rally for comprehensive health care reform.

TAKE ACTION: If you would like to participate in the health care action in your area, contact the event coordinator at the numbers below. Also, if you haven't already, send Sens. Murray and Cantwell an e-mail message urging them to support providing families and businesses with the choice of a strong national public insurance option as part of comprehensive health care reform.

Both Washington senators play important roles in formulating health care reform legislation. Sen. Murray sits on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will be working directly on a bill for health care reform, and Sen. Cantwell is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with structuring the financing of reform.

Murray has publicly announced her support of President Obama’s vision for health care reform including a public insurance option. Cantwell has not unequivocally endorsed a public insurance option. The HCAN coalition members on Thursday will be thanking Murray for her support and are urging Cantwell also to support this vital piece of the legislation -- any proposals that dilute and delay a public insurance option, including private "co-ops," are no substitute.

Here are the event coordinators for Thursday's actions at the offices of Sens. Murray and Cantwell:

BELLEVUE – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinators: John Donaghy, SEIU 1199 NW, (425) 917-1199
Linnae Riesen, SEIU 1199NW, (425) 917-1199
Office Location:

Murray: 1611 116th Ave. NE, Ste. 214

EVERETT – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinators: Antoinette Angulo, Sea Mar, 206-764-4705
Ana Moreno, 360-566-4425
Office locations:

Murray: 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite. 903
Cantwell: 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 9B

RICHLAND / TRI-CITIES – Meet at 2 p.m.
Coordinators: Ray Carrillo, SEIU 1199, Cell: 509-833-7003, office: 509 573-9522
Trish Divine Wilder, Washington CAN!, 509-301-9395
Office Location:

Cantwell: 825 Jadwin Avenue, Suite 205, Richland

SEATTLE – Meet at 10:45 am in front of the Federal Building
Coordinator: Robby Stern, PSARA, (206) 391-6998.
Office Locations:

Murray, 915 2nd Avenue
Cantwell: 915 2nd Avenue, Suite 3206

SPOKANE – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinators: Ed Wood, 509-869-4454
Beth Thew, Spokane Labor Council, 509-939-0688
Craig Salins, WashClean, 206-784-9695
Office Locations:

Murray: 10 North Post St., Suite 600
Cantwell: U.S. Federal Courthouse, W. 920 Riverside, Suite 697

TACOMA – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinator: Nathe Lawver, Pierce County CLC, 253-973-3765
Office Locations:

Murray: 950 Pacific Avenue, Suite 650
Cantwell: 950 Pacific Avenue, Suite 615

VANCOUVER – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinators: Antoinette Angulo, Sea Mar, 206-764-470
Ana Moreno – 360-566-4425
Office Locations:

Murray: 1323 Officer's Row
Cantwell: 1313 Officers Row

YAKIMA – Meet at 10 a.m.
Coordinator: Maggie Valtierra, 509-438-4024
Office Location:

Murray: 402 E. Yakima Ave, Suite 390

For more information about Thursday's events in Washington, contact WSLC Communications Director Kathy Cummings at 206-281-8901.