Boeing news:

IAM District 751: There are no "secret talks" with Boeing

Machinists District 751 President Tom Wroblewski tells the union's members, "There are no 'secret talks' as reported in The Seattle Times, just the ongoing discussions on a variety of topics which the Union has continually reported to our members and the public. Issues including jobs, the second 787 line, the replacement airplane for the 737 and bringing our work back in house where it belongs are just some of the topics being discussed. If these ongoing discussions produce anything outside of the current contract language it will be brought to the membership and voted on. OUR MEMBERS HAVE THE FINAL SAY!"  Read more.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Second 787 line in Everett may hinge on Machinists -- The union's president says any no-strike proposal (read: contract extension) would go to a union vote.

►  At LeehamNews -- SPEEA: We'll organize Charleston engineers -- If Boeing puts the second 787 line in Charleston, isolating this work from SPEEA engineers in Puget Sound, SPEEA will immediately begin an organizing effort of engineers hired in or transferred to Charleston. 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Why Charleston could land 787 line -- Already the site of side-by-side factories that produce two thirds of the 787 fuselage, the South Carolina city has more going for it than is generally recognized in Washington. Boeing Charleston mechanics describe a production line under stress, with a furious pace of work, 10-hour days and recently instituted mandatory weekend overtime. Without enough trained workers, Boeing is importing contract workers. The outside contractors, who make up some 35% of the work force, are paid about $26 an hour, compared with the $14 an hour for local employees. (In Everett, Machinists on average earn about $26 an hour plus benefits.) A week after ousting the Machinists union, Boeing announced with "great pleasure" a one-time, 3% pay increase. Boeing Charleston mechanics took that as a sign of more to come. They expect Boeing will give them a more significant pay raise next year to ensure the facility stays union-free: "We're certainly hopeful they'll do us right," said one mechanic. "If they don't," the other said, and he mimed putting a phone to his ear: "Hello, union." 

►  In yesterday's LA Times --  South Carolina embarrassed by politicians behaving badly -- South Carolina Gov. Mark "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" Sanford and U.S. Rep. Joe "You Lie!" Wilson are just the latest examples. Late-night jokes aside, some fear the shenanigans are paralyzing state government and causing visitors and businesses to stay away. It doesn't help that the state treasurer was sentenced to prison last year for cocaine possession. Or that the state agriculture commissioner went to jail for ties to a cockfighting ring. Or that the head of the state board of education resigned amid allegations she used a pseudonym to post erotic fiction on the Internet.

Local news:

►  At SeattleTimes.com -- New report ranks Washington No. 26 for state, local taxes -- According to newly released federal data, Washingtonians paid $109.35 in state and local taxes per $1,000 of personal income, compared to a national average of $113.32. Of that, $29.25 went to property taxes, compared to a national average of $34.04, which means Washington 32nd highest in property taxes.

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Rep. Laura Grant defends transportation project votes -- A Republican-funded PAC has sent a mailer saying Grant "sent our money to Seattle" by supporting a $2.4 billion tunnel for Seattle while voting down funding to repair Highway 12, which connects Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities. She says that's not the whole story.

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Fewer bus runs, higher fares for Grays Harbor Transit -- On Nov. 16, Grays Harbor Transit  will reduce the frequency of buses it runs on all but a handful of routes, and will change its fares for the first time since 1998 and just the second time in its 34-year history. Fare increases will also hit paratransit and Dial-A-Ride services the Transit Authority operates.

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Unions forgo raises -- Because the Aberdeen firefighters’ union is giving back its contractually-mandated raises for this year and next, the union has, in effect, saved everyone’s utility bills from increasing next year. 

►  In today's Peninsula Daily News -- Union agrees to furloughs to keep Clallam library system afloat -- The union that represents employees of the North Olympic Library System (AFSCME) agrees to take two, one-week furloughs in 2010 to reduce the need for layoffs.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Seattle firefighter who fell down pole shaft gets $12.7 million -- A King County jury awards the sum to a Seattle firefighter who was severely debilitated in 2003 after falling down a fire pole shaft during his shift at Station 33, not his normal duty station.

Election news: 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Hospital executives: I-1033 hurts health plan -- Hospital executives and health-care workers gather at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center to warn that passage of Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 could eliminate the state's Basic Health Plan, reduce charity care and cost 9,000 hospital workers their jobs.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Ref. 71 foes sue to raise donation limits -- Apparently emboldened by recent legal victories, conservative religious groups from out-of-state that are opposed to Washington's domestic-partnership law are suing again in federal court, this time to lift the state's limits on campaign contributions.

National news:

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama economic adviser predicts 10% jobless rate -- Christina Romer expects the economy to expand at a moderate pace through the end of next year, but cautions that employment usually recovers much more slowly than economic growth, and that the job creation had to make up for a great deal of lost ground from the last two years.

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- New mine safety chief: The change we needed -- The U.S. Senate confirms Joe Main, a longtime advocate for industry safety and health with the United Mine Workers of America, as the new leader of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.