Employee Free Choice Act news:

►  At AFL-CIO Now --
EFCA introduced in Congress -- The Employee Free Choice Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday, launching the legislative battle to restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), pictured here, and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) announced the bill’s launch at the Senate, along with workers whose struggles to form unions illustrate the need to give workers, not bosses, the ability to choose how to form a union, as well as a guarantee of a contract and protection from employer intimidation, coercion and firing.

►  At AFLCIO.org -- Every Democrat from Washington state co-sponsors EFCA -- The Employee Free Choice Act has 45 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate, including both Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and it has 234 in the House, including Reps. Jay Inslee, Brad Larsen, Brian Baird, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott and Adam Smith.  

►  In today's Chicago Sun-Times -- Strong unions will help economic recovery (Jesse Jackson op-ed) -- The right to organize and bargain collectively in America has effectively been trampled over the last 30 years. This isn't just a union fight. All of us have a stake in strong unions creating the conditions for broadly shared prosperity. This will be a brutal fight, but it is one worth winning

►  In today's NY Times -- Fierce lobbying greets bill to ease unionizing -- Labor leaders hope a two-pronged strategy will get at least every Senate Democrat to back it: Obama’s full-throated support and letters, e-mail messages, phone calls and visits to inundate lawmakers.

►  From AP -- Democrats open to compromise on card check -- Democratic leaders hint that compromise may be needed to get wavering lawmakers on board for the EFCA. They insist they are not losing support, but acknowledge that changes might be needed.

►  On MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show -- Watch Rachel Maddow as she mocks Republican rhetoric and outright lies about the Employee Free Choice Act: "No, seriously... did you guys read the bill?" She calls it the "maybe the fundamental ideological clash of this time in America." 

Legislative news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Union takes pay-raise dispute to state Supreme Court -- A powerful union (SEIU Local 775) asks the state Supreme Court to make Gov. Gregoire submit a new budget proposal that includes home health-care workers' raises agreed upon last year. (Learn more in our Feb. 20 Legislative Update: Collective bargaining at stake.)

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Same-sex benefits bill clears Senate -- It would change all remaining areas of state law where only married couples are addressed, adding same-sex partners to statutes on labor, employment, pensions, and other public employee benefits.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Groups ready to do battle over gay-rights bill -- The bill has galvanized gay-marriage opponents, who worry that it would give same-sex couples legal ammunition to go for full-out marriage once the state has already granted them everything short of it.

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Earth-friendly jobs bill passes Senate -- SB 5649 proposes to put people to work by weatherizing homes and buildings to make them more energy efficient. It is part of a package by Senate Democrats that proposes to create 25,000 jobs in the state. 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Bill would revamp child-welfare system with private contractors -- Lawmakers are considering a proposal to radically transform the state's child-welfare system by requiring the state to hire private contractors to work with children and troubled families.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- State revenue drops again, but in line with outlook -- State revenues have fallen again -- to the tune of $39.8 million in the state’s latest revenue report. But it was expected, if not predicted, in a preliminary revenue “guidance” report given late last month.

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- Port, industry fret over tunnel access -- Port officials and business leaders are worried by the state's plans for connecting Seattle's industrial communities to the $4.2 billion deep-bored tunnel in the works to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct

►  In today's News Tribune -- Good reason to preserve State Fund for workers' comp (Bob Malooly op-ed) -- Private insurers typically pay about 55 cents on commissions and administrative expenses for each dollar of insurance benefits incurred. The State Fund spends only about 15 cents on administrative costs for each dollar of benefits incurred. 

Local news:

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Omnibus bill's OK boosts Hanford, Mid-Columbia projects -- Senate approval of a new federal spending bill means Hanford is likely to receive $146.5 million more for cleanup projects this year than was proposed by the Bush administration. The omnibus bill also includes money for other Mid-Columbia projects planned by PNWNL, Kadlec Medical Center, Ben Franklin Transit, the Port of Benton and Hanford's historic B Reactor. Says Sen. Patty Murray: "This is a big victory for the Tri-Cities at a critical time. With area unemployment rates surging, this bill will help get Tri-Cities residents back to work by investing federal funds in projects in their own backyards."

►  In today's Olympian -- Still looking for a job? Try applying with the state -- Despite a recession, budget cuts, a hiring freeze and layoffs, state government still is hiring social workers, nurses and corrections officers and other such high-stress jobs.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Obama suggests delay for tankers; state delegation skeptical -- Often called the Pentagon's top acquisition priority, the tanker competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman was expected to kick off again this spring. Surprise and skepticism greeted the president's recommendation for a delay in the process on Tuesday.

►  Today from AP -- Flight attendants ratify 2-year deal with Alaska Airlines -- Alaska says the AFA-CWA has ratified a two-year contract extension for the airline's 2,830 flight attendants.

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- Clues indicate P-I closure is near -- Clues suggest that Hearst plans to close the 146-year-old paper shortly and will continue operating a Web site.

National news: 

►  In today's LA Times -- Public education in U.S. falls short, Obama says -- The president's first speech on education may alienate some in teachers unions. He calls for more charters, higher pay for good teachers and quicker firings of bad ones.

►  From AP -- Cintas suit against UNITE HERE, Teamsters dismissed -- A federal judge says the uniform supplier's suit accusing the unions of racketeering and defamation was without merit.

►  In today's LA Times -- Finances of charity run by SEIU official scrutinized -- The union officer gets more from the nonprofit, run from his home, than from his full-time San Francisco transit job. He's also paid for use of the home and his son is on the charity payroll.

►  From AP -- Ford says modified UAW pact brings foreign parity -- Ford says its labor and benefit costs will total $55 an hour by the end of the year, compared with estimates of $48 to $49 at foreign auto plants in the U.S. (If we had universal health care, it would be even less.)

►  From Wonkette -- Sen. Diaperman throws a tantrum -- Hooker-using diaper fetishist Republican Sen. David Vitter freaks out at an airport after missing his flight. what an awful human.