Health reform news:

►  From AP -- Unions will oppose Baucus bill unless it's changed -- A top labor lobbyist says about 30 unions will run a full-page ad in newspapers announcing their opposition to the Senate Finance Committee’s health bill. The ad says that unless the bill brought to the Senate floor makes substantial progress to address workers' concerns, unions will oppose it.

►  From AP -- Health bill clears Finance Committee hurdle -- Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first Republican supporter Tuesday and cleared a key Senate hurdle, a double-barreled triumph that propelled President Obama's signature issue toward votes this fall in both houses of Congress. "When history calls, history calls," said Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Sen. Cantwell's tenacity yields results on key committee -- Cantwell isn't part of the Finance Committee's so-called gang of six, which wielded outsized clout on shaping the health-care bill. Still, several of her amendments, if adopted, could lead to tangible gains for patients and providers, including incentives to shift elderly Medicaid patients out of nursing homes and into homes or community-based care programs.

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Senate Finance passes bill, but public option still AWOL -- By a 14-9 vote, the panel approved a bill that Sen. Cantwell says is ”a down payment and… the start of reforms.” The bill taxes workers’ health care benefits through its tax on certain premiums. It also does not include a public health insurance plan option that would give working families a choice between private insurance and an affordable, quality public option.

►  In today's NY Times -- Republican's vote lifts health care, but hurdles remain -- Aside from Sen. Snowe, no Republicans in Congress have publicly endorsed the bills in their current form. And Republican leaders are strongly opposed. And pressure from lobbyists is sure to grow.

►  From AP -- Another GOP senator open to health care overhaul -- Another Republican senator says she's open to voting for a sweeping health reform this year. Maine Sen. Susan Collins.

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- Big jump seen in health care for employees -- As companies begin unveiling their benefits for next year, many employees are learning they will have to dig even deeper into their pockets for coverage. Price increases have become a fact of life during open-enrollment season, when workers sign up for their health plans. But the jump is expected to be steeper in 2010 as employers struggle with the impact of the recession and continually rising insurance costs. Employees will pay $4,023 on average in premiums and out-of-pocket charges next year, up 10% from 2009, according to a projection from Hewitt Associates. In dollar terms, it's the biggest boost since the benefits-consulting firm started keeping track of the data a decade ago.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Include a public option in health-insurance reform (editorial) -- Brash, bullying talk by the nation's health-insurance industry exactly makes the case for keeping a public option alive in health-care reform. Lobbyists are swarming Capitol Hill with threats of extraordinary premium increases for health-insurance coverage. Congress should take them at their word and create a government-run, competitive option for health-care consumers.

Unemployment news: 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Recession has cost one of every 20 jobs -- The state has lost almost 1 out of every 20 jobs since the economy began slumping early last year. And it isn't likely to regain them any time soon. That was the stark message from the latest jobs report released by the state Employment Security Department. The report showed Washington's unemployment rate climbing to 9.3%, the highest level in decades, from a revised 9% in August.

►  In today's Olympian -- Fearing for their jobs, state workers seek advice -- The number of employees on the state government payroll fell again last month, and for many state agency workers, job-loss fears haven't subsided. A process called “bumping” is under way, with hundreds of workers at major agencies such as the DSHS using seniority rights to “bump” into jobs held by newer employees.

►  Local unemployment coverage -- Clark (11.9%); Cowlitz (12.9%); Kitsap (7.2%); Pierce (9%); Snohomish (10.1%); Spokane (8.4%); Tri-Cities (6%); Walla Walla (5.6%); Whatcom (7.9%); Yakima (6.9%).

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Women, people of color down for count in jobless recovery (Arlene Holt Baker column) -- The jobless rate for minorities is still significantly higher than that of whites and has been for a long time. And with this recession looking to be long and deep, these higher rates could have dramatic consequences for economic security, homeownership and child poverty.

►  From AP -- Washington execs urge Boeing to build 787 line in state --  Executives from some of Washington's largest employers urge Boeing to build a second assembly line for its 787 jetliner in the state, entering the fray in an interstate competition for the facility.

►  At Crosscut -- Coming to grips with a changed old friend: McBoeing -- For a certain generation of Northwest airplane geeks, Boeing's recent troubles hit especially hard. The easiest thing may be to just call the company what it has become: McDonnell Douglas. Industry analyst Richard Aboulafia explains: "The McDonnell Douglas zombie bit them before it died... the new Boeing disempowered the company’s engineers, turning its back on a decades-old management culture that didn’t always produce profits but did always produce great planes. Instead, it embraced McDonnell Douglas’s culture of leadership by money people. This disconnect between engineers and finance executives would explain why bad news wasn’t communicated upstairs." Will McBoeing try to move as much production as possible to union-free South Carolina? Of course it will. Will McBoeing attempt to extract as many concessions as possible from local and state governments under the ruse of keeping jobs here in the Northwest? Of course it will. Will those concession do anything to change the outcome? Of course not.

Local news: 

►  In today's Columbian -- Clark County to slash budget by $12.7 million -- The cuts represent 11% of the $113 million in non-dedicated general expenses for 2010. That’s the cost of 147 full-time jobs. Whatever cuts commissioners might agree on would be locked in if an issue on the Nov. 3 ballot, Initiative 1033, is approved by voters.

►  In today's Olympian -- Lacey firefighters' union on the campaign trail -- The union representing Lacey firefighters has emerged as a potent force supporting three challengers in their efforts to unseat City Council members next month. Members of IAFF Local 2903 oppose the council’s vote in February to end the service contract with their employer, Lacey Fire District No. 3.

►  In today's News Tribune -- Todd Shipyards gets contract to build ferries -- Washington State Ferries has awarded a $114 million contract to Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle to build two more 64-car ferries, including one to provide service between Point Defiance and Vashon Island.

National news:

►  In today's NY Times -- Still on the job, but making half as much -- In recent decades, layoffs were the standard procedure for shrinking labor costs. Reducing the wages of those who remained on the job was considered demoralizing and risky: the best workers would jump to another employer. But now pay cuts, sometimes the result of downgrades in rank or shortened workweeks, are occurring more frequently than at any time since the Great Depression.

►  From AP -- Colorado minimum wage drops as living costs fall -- Colorado will become the first state to reduce its minimum wage, from $7.28 to $7.24. That's lower than the federal minimum of $7.25, so most workers would lose 3 cents an hour. (Washington's indexed minimum wage has a provision that prevents it from dropping. It will remain unchanged in 2010 at $8.55 an hour. Washington was the first state to index its minimum wage with the passage of Initiative 688 filed by WSLC President Rick Bender. Now 10 states have indexed minimum wages.)

►  In today's NY Times -- Faith-based discrimination (editorial) -- Religious-oriented programs that receive federal financing should not be allowed to hire and fire on religious grounds.

►  In the Seattle Gay News -- UFCW president pledges support for gay-rights bill -- Says UFCW President Joe Hansen: "I will bring it (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) to the Executive Board. I think we should endorse it and I think we will endorse it." UFCW 21 President Dave Schmitz added, "We absolutely support equal domestic partnership benefits. We haven't gotten that in all our contracts, but we have won it in our grocery contracts and our hospital contracts. We will keep fighting for equal protection for all our members and all our families."