WSLC Reports Today -- March 18, 2009

March 18, 2009

Mar. 17: NALC Food Drive is May 9

Mar. 16: Historians support EFCA

Mar. 13: Latest WSLC Legislative Update

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Email investigation a "gross overreaction"
Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender said today that it was a "gross over-reaction" for legislative leaders to refer an internal email between labor leaders to the Washington State Patrol for a criminal investigation. The WSP today announced that it "quickly" determined no laws had been broken. Read more.

► From AP -- State Patrol says labor email tying bill to campaign money wasn't illegal -- The weekend before the labor e-mail was sent, Gregoire administration officials were circulating an e-mail from Boeing lobbyists that pressured Gregoire to help halt the bill. In that e-mail, Boeing lobbyist Trent House told Gregoire aviation adviser Bill McSherry: "This bill must not come up for a vote or it will pass with a large margin and compel the Senate to act as well."

► In today's Everett Herald -- WSP finds no crime in labor email about worker rights bill -- Says WSLC President Rick Bender: "An honest mistake occurred in copying this e-mail to some legislators who already supported our legislation, so to characterize this internal e-mail as some kind of threat to legislative leaders -- or a possible crime -- is absurd."

► At Publicola -- Rep. Mike Sells says Democratic leadership should be investigated -- He says his leadership’s reaction was more like “something you’d expect from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation... Now there should be an investigation into how this decision (by the leadership to turn over the WSLC email to the state patrol) was made. Was it a ploy to get rid of the bill?”

► At HorsesAss.org -- PDC denies requesting labor email info -- Contrary to what the WSP reported yesterday) it seems the PDC wants no part of the flimsy faux-controversy “email-gate.”

Legislative news:

► At Spokesman.com -- State workers decry "all-cuts" plan -- In a scene replicated throughout the state, a group of state workers held a rally on the muddy capitol lawn today, calling on lawmakers to look at raising taxes to offset some deep budget cuts.

► In today's Olympian -- State workers rally at Capitol against possible cuts -- The WFSE held gatherings at the Capitol Campus and in state offices statewide Tuesday, hoping to build opposition to closing a massive state budget gap without more tax money.

► In today's SeattleTimes.com -- Closure of McNeil Island prison on the table -- Sen. Jim Hargrove says the Senate is weighing the closure of the country's last island prison.

► In today's Seattle Times -- Gregoire seeks higher ed surcharge -- Gregoire, who pledged not to raise taxes or fees this session, proposed Tuesday that students pay a temporary surcharge during the next two years to help make up for higher-education budget.

Local news:

► In today's Seattle Times -- Hunt for work harder as state unemployment rate skyrockets -- The state jobless rate shot up to 8.4% in February. That's six-tenths of a percentage point higher than January's rate, and above the 8.1% national unemployment rate.

► See regional coverage in The (Everett) Herald, The Kitsap Sun, The Olympian, The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, The (Tacoma) News Tribune.

► From AP -- Paccar CEO got $10.5 million in compensation -- His pay rose 27% from the prior year amid the current economic recession. Paccar said it had targeted net profit of $1.1 billion for last year, and profit came in at $1.02 billion. Meanwhile, layoffs at Paccar continue.

National news:

► From AP -- Labor infighting undermines political clout -- A vicious civil war over the future of UNITE HERE, a textile, restaurant and hotel employees union, has gotten so nasty that Democrats privately warn the battle could unintentionally derail labor's biggest agenda item, legislation making it easier for workers to organize. The dispute is affecting others in organized labor, with a UNITE HERE faction accusing the SEIU of using heavy-handed tactics to boost its already 2 million-strong roster by trying to raid eight smaller unions. SEIU, which has faced its own internal strife, calls the charges ''blatantly false.'' There's also unrest as rival federations AFL-CIO and Change to Win consider reuniting four years after an ugly split that left deep scars among labor's leaders.

► In today's LA Times -- Labor Secretary Solis pumps up crowd at workers' conference -- At the California Labor Federation event, the former congresswoman from California promises to be an advocate for workers, though she failed to address the EFCA.

► In The Economist -- Unions: In from the cold? -- Capitalism’s crisis gives the American labour movement a chance to revive and reinvent itself.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- On the Hill, Fire Fighters push for bargaining bill -- Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders tell more than 1,000 members of the IAFF that legislation protecting the freedom of firefighters in all states to join unions and bargain for a better life will be approved and signed into law.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- OSHA moves to protect workers from "popcorn lung" -- Reversing years of foot dragging while the agency was controlled by the Bush administration, the agency is moving quickly to protect workers from a serious disease caused by its artificial butter flavoring.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2009
Email investigation a "gross overreaction"

The following press release from the Washington State Labor Council was distributed Tuesday afternoon:

Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender said today that it was a "gross overreaction" for legislative leaders to refer an internal email between labor leaders to the Washington State Patrol for a criminal investigation. The WSP today announced that it "quickly" determined no laws had been broken.

Last week, a strategy meeting between labor leaders about supporting the Worker Privacy Act was held. Afterwards, an email report of that meeting was sent to all of the labor leaders that had been invited. But that report was inadvertently copied to an email group that included four state legislators — all of whom were sponsors of the Worker Privacy Act. The email was NOT sent to House Speaker Frank Chopp, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown or Governor Chris Gregoire, as today's news release by the Washington State Patrol suggests.

"It was an honest and regrettable mistake," said Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council. "It was very obviously intended to be an internal labor email — one that began with the salutation 'Brothers and Sisters,' which is never how we would address a state legislator. Referring the matter for possible criminal prosecution was a gross overreaction and never should have happened."

Apparently, this internal email report was forwarded by one of its recipients to House Speaker Frank Chopp and/or Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, who later shared it with Governor Chris Gregoire. None of them contacted the Labor Council for an explanation of the email before referring the matter to the Washington State Patrol.

"This whole thing never should have happened," Bender said. "An honest mistake occurred in copying this email to some legislators who already supported our legislation, so to characterize this internal email as some kind of threat to legislative leaders -- or a possible crime -- is absurd."

The Washington State Labor Council will cooperate fully with any Public Disclosure Commission investigation into this matter and is confident that it, too, will find no wrongdoing.