Employee Free Choice Act news:

►  In Roll Call -- Congress, stand up for workers (by AFL-CIO's John Sweeney) --  Will lawmakers stand with workers, or will they support powerful corporate interests? Will Congress side with the same corporate special interests that pushed for financial deregulation and put profits over the good of the country? Or will they stand with people who are working harder than ever while facing rising health care costs and stagnant wages? Nowhere is this question starker than in the debate over the EFCA.

►  In the Wall St. Journal -- Specter suggests changes to EFCA -- Sen. Arlen Specter is floating two compromise proposals to gauge the business community's willingness to find a middle ground. But business groups were quick to shoot down his proposals, in a sign of how difficult it will be to reach agreement on legislation that makes it easier to organize workers.

►  At CQpolitics.com -- Harkin optimistic for EFCA -- After many setbacks, the “card check” bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, is expressing new optimism that the legislation, which would ease union organizing, could be on the Senate floor this summer.

Legislative session redux: 

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Democrats must stand by Gregoire, budget (Jerry Cornfield column) -- Chopp and Brown aren't expected at Tuesday's signing of the new budget that hacks $4 billion in spending from schools, hospitals, colleges and social services. But they should do the unexpected and show up. They should attend and acknowledge their role. Doing so would be an act of political courage. It would not leave the spotlight trained on Gregoire as if somehow she is solely responsible for a budget detested by Democratic lawmakers and the special interests that are the party's political fiber.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Sonntag plays hardball over "dumb" cuts to budget -- The state auditor has asked Gregoire to restore at least some of the $29 million cut in his performance-audit program, saying the cut "decimates" a program that's found millions in potential savings. Sonntag has publicly described the money grab as a "sucker punch" and has thrown around words like "stupid," "dumb," "ridiculous" and "unacceptable" when talking about the plan.

►  In the PSBJ -- Business groups' push to tame health insurance costs doesn't get far (if you can't read the whole story, e-mail us) --  Business groups this year pushed for state legislative measures aimed at making health insurance more affordable, but were successful with only a few.

School layoff news:

►  In Sunday's News Tribune -- Hundreds of teachers jobs hang in balance -- The WEA confirmed that at least 2,922 public school teachers had received layoff notices as of the Friday deadline, and expected the number to grow as it collected more information.

►  From KOMO TV -- Seattle Public Schools to cut 172 teachers, staff -- The district said Friday it will lay off 172 teachers and other certificated staff to meet a huge funding gap in the coming school year. The cuts will be about 5% of the district's total certificated workforce.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- As cuts loom, students rally around favorite teachers -- In a role reversal, students are advocating on behalf of the teachers who guide them in school. School officials say this is the first time they've seen students rally en masse for individual teachers.

►  In the Walla Walla U-B -- Students protest to keep teachers -- Several dozen local high school students gather outside district offices to protest the departure of two popular teachers.

►  In today's Columbian -- Perks lift superintendent salaries -- Last year, former Vancouver Superintendent John Erickson had a base pay of $176,000 but collected $235,000. the WEA says school boards and superintendents have become "more creative in the area of compensation with all those things that aren't necessarily counted as a straight salary."

Should WA liquor stores continue to be state-run?

►  In the News Tribune -- Yes. Our system protects minors (by UFCW 21's Dave Schmitz) -- Hard liquor is not like a tire or a loaf of bread. It is a product that, in the wrong hands, can be dangerous and cause serious health and public safety concerns, especially if sold to minors. The public benefits from the $100 million in profit each year from controlled liquor sales. Certainly there are some who would benefit if those profits went to a private retailer. But the taxpayers would be the loser.

►  In the News Tribune -- No. Free market would create jobs, profits (by EFF's Michael Reitz) -- It’s nothing less than socialist for the state to monopolize an industry that could be run in the private sector. (The S word! Gasp.)

Local news:

►  In the Everett Herald -- Take strikes off table at Boeing (editorial) -- Boeing's unions should agree to a system of binding arbitration, which would lead to reasonable dispute resolution without the damage of strikes. That would remove one of the obstacles to Boeing's success here, while ensuring its skilled and valued workforce is treated with the respect it deserves.

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Lynden considers lifting ban on big-box stores -- The City Council will hold a hearing on the proposed changes tonight before deciding whether to approve them.

Auto industry news:

►  In today's NY Times -- GM seeks more imports from low-wage regions -- As part of its reorganization, GM wants to increase imports from its plants in Mexico and Asia while closing factories and cutting the work force in the U.S.  That approach drew a sharp rebuke from the UAW, but the Obama administration appears to accept the proposition that to return to profitability as quickly as possible, GM must import a greater percentage of cars from its plants in low-wage countries.

► Last week at Huffington Post -- GM to American workers: Pay for your own execution (by UAW President Leo Gerard) -- GM, which already took $15.4 billion in federal bailout money, wants another $11.6 billion and is offering in return this deal: It will close 16 of its U.S. manufacturing plants, terminate 21,000 of its factory workers and double the cars it builds in low-wage Mexico, China and South Korea and ships back to the U.S. to sell. There it is: GM is demanding that Americans pay to send their own jobs overseas. 

►  In today's Washington Post -- At Geithner's Treasury, key decisions on hold -- Seven weeks after the Treasury Department announced that it was ousting GM chief G. Richard Wagoner Jr., he is still on GM's payroll. His removal has been held up because senior Treasury officials have yet to decide whether he should get the $20 million severance package that GM promised him.

►  In today's NY Times -- So far, so good (editorial) -- It looks as if Chrysler will emerge from its restructuring a more sensible company. But still looming is the fate of GM, a much larger and more sprawling company, the restructuring of which is unlikely to go so smoothly. 

National news:

►  In today's Washington Post -- Nuclear cleanup awards questioned -- The Energy Department has begun releasing more than $6 billion in stimulus money to clean up 18 nuclear sites from New York to California, more than doubling the typical yearly funding for the program. Contractors helped shape the stimulus package and are lined up to get the work, including many that have been cited for serious safety violations and costly mistakes.

►  From AP -- Congress has little appetite for health care taxes -- Congress is forging ahead with health care reform, but with no consensus in sight on how to pay for it. Few of President Barack Obama's proposed tax increases have been well received on Capitol Hill, and there aren't many popular ideas coming from lawmakers, either.

►  At AFL-CIO -- Painters' corporate-style reports keep union growing -- Each year, Painters and Allied Trades President James Williams has his staff produce annual reports for the international union and each of its 34 district councils in the U.S. and Canada. Now, IUPAT leaders at all levels are thinking in terms of market share, annual reports and audits, and at the same time they are considering organizing and contract negotiations. 

►  From AP -- Happiness is... being old, male and Republican -- Seniors are found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream wither.