|
September 9, 2009 |
|
|
|
RSS
2.0 feed
|
Updated DAILY... Almost
Every Day!™ by 9 a.m. Pacific
NEXT UPDATE:
Tuesday, Sept. 15 -- Why so long?
Links are
functional at date of posting, but sometimes expire.
Wednesday
I-1033:
Don't Buy It!The Washington State Labor Council joins the state's business, labor, environmental and social service communities in adamantly opposing initiative profiteer Tim Eyman's latest misleading ballot measure, Initiative 1033. If approved by voters this fall, I-1033 would cost Washington jobs, jeopardize our families' safety, and harm our schools, transportation, health care and other basic public services. The WSLC has prepared a flier -- "Initiative 1033: Don't Buy It!" -- describing the negative impact of I-1033 for its affiliated union organizations to distribute to rank-and-file union members. Union locals can order customized versions of this flier with their names and logos. Read more.
Follow the action at the AFL-CIO Convention!
For some reason, this site won't be updated until Tuesday, but you can follow the action at the AFL-CIO's 26th Constitutional Convention in Pittsburgh LIVE right here. The convention convenes at 3 p.m. on Sunday and will continue through Thursday.
|
CONTACT CONGRESS! Now
that Congress is back in session, we need to remind our
Representatives and Senators that "Health
Care can't Wait" and they need to get the job done. Even if
you've contacted them before, call the Congressional Hotline at SEN. PATTY MURRAY: Urge her to support the Kennedy HELP health insurance reform bill, and to tell her colleagues like Sens. Reid and Durbin to do the same. Call her office directly at 202-224-2621 or e-mail her here. SEN. MARIA CANTWELL: Urge her to move a health insurance reform bill in the Finance Committee ASAP, and tell her colleagues like Sens. Reid and Durbin to get health care reform done. Call her office directly at 202-224-3441 or e-mail her here. YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Tell him or her that "Health Insurance Reform Can't Wait" and to stand strong in support of a public option. |
Health care news:
► In today's NY Times -- Despite fears, health care reform is moving ahead -- While the month of August clearly knocked the White House back on its heels, as Congressional town hall-style meetings exposed Americans’ unease with an overhaul, the uproar does not seem to have greatly altered public opinion or substantially weakened Democrats’ resolve.
► At AFL-CIO Now -- 24,000 union members part of August actions to back health insurance reform -- Labor Day marches and rallies capped off more than a month of an incredible union member mobilization to move the health care reform debate beyond the screaming diatribes and disruptive tactics by opponents that marred the start of the congressional recess. (This report includes a link to the WSLC-produced video of the Sept. 3 rally in downtown Seattle.)
► At Politico -- Obama will hedge on public option -- He plans to give a strong endorsement of a public option in his remarks to Congress tonight but will stop short of an ultimatum, leaving wiggle room for negotiation as the bill moves through Congress.
► At Politico -- Pelosi's trump card: Public option -- Tired of watching helplessly as House bills are carved up to win support from conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Senate, the speaker has a message for President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: Take the public option out of health care reform, and you may not have a bill at all.
► At Huffington Post -- Democrats' health plan half as costly as Bush tax cuts, report says -- Enacted in 2001 and 2003, the Bush tax cuts are projected to cost about $2.1 trillion in lost revenue in the 10 years since they were passed. About $979 billion of that went to the richest 5% of taxpayers. By comparison, the health care plan advocated by House Democrats is projected to cost about $1 trillion through its first decade (2010-2019).
► In today's NY Times -- Bristling at a health plan to cover early retirees -- Within the battle over the health care overhaul, critics of organized labor have latched onto a little-noticed provision in the legislation already circulating in Congress. Under the provision, the federal government would pay as much as $10 billion for early retirees' medical claims. It is intended to be a bridge to Medicare, aimed at retirees ages 55 to 64. Although it would be available to union and nonunion workers alike, critics say it is a Democratic payback to unions.
►
In Rolling Stone -- Sick
and wrong (by Matt Taibbi)
-- Without
a public option, any effort at health care reform will be as meaningful as a
manicure for a gunshot victim. The House versions all contain a public
option, as does the HELP committee's version in the Senate. So whether or
not there will be a public option in the end will likely come down to Sen.
Max Baucus (D-MT), one of the biggest whores for insurance-company money in
the history of the United States.
Baucus has set things up so that the final Senate bill will be drawn up by six senators from his committee: a gang of three Republicans and three Democrats. The setup senselessly submarines the committee's Democratic majority, effectively preventing members who advocate a public option from seriously influencing the bill.
So this is what the prospects for real health care reform come down to -- whether one of three Republicans from tiny states with no major urban populations decides, out of the goodness of his or her cash-fattened heart, to forsake forever any contributions from the health-insurance industry (and, probably, aid for their re-election efforts from the Republican National Committee).
Local news:
► From AP -- Kent teachers continue to defy court order, stay on strike -- Talks with the Kent School District ended Tuesday morning with no agreement in sight, and further talks have not been scheduled. The district said the King County Superior Court judge will decide on any sanctions the union might face for defying an injunction.
► In today's Olympian -- Workers vote to strike at St. Peter's Hospital -- SEIU 1199NW members vote to authorize a one-day strike, saying the hospital wants to reduce medical and retirement benefits and implement sub-standard wage increases. A strike date has not been set.
► In today's Olympian -- Democrats want comments on state budget cuts -- A coalition of left-leaning House Democrats plans a forum on Thursday, Sept. 17 in Olympia to hear the public reaction to state budget cuts taking place this year. The event is timed to occur after the next state revenue forecast, which will be announced earlier that day.
► From AP -- Judge rejects challenge to R-71 vote -- A judge refuses to block a public vote on expanded domestic partnership benefits. A gay-rights group had claimed Secretary of State Sam Reed improperly accepted thousands of Referendum 71's petition signatures.
► In today's Seattle Times -- Ferry fares to rise 2.5% on Oct. 11 -- It'll be the first across-the-board fare increase in two years. Meanwhile, the Transportation Commission rejects a 10% summer "super-surcharge" increasing the existing 25% peak-season surcharge during July and August.
► In the Skagit Valley Herald -- Celebrating the "blue collar holiday" -- While many see Labor Day as another paid holiday, a small group of people at a labor union picnic at Hillcrest Park in Mount Vernon gathered to eat hot dogs and potato salad and catch up with fellow union members.
Boeing news:
►
In the NY Times -- A
dream interrupted at Boeing
-- The reverberating
effects of Boeing’s outsourcing missteps have taken a huge toll. The
Dreamliner is now more than two years late and still awaits its first flight
tests. Boeing acknowledges that the problems have sorely tested the patience
of suppliers and customers, and damaged its credibility. Stock analysts
estimate that the company initially planned to invest $8 billion to $10
billion in developing the project, but could end up spending $20 billion,
including the penalties it will owe for delivery delays.
National news:
► At Forbes.com -- Obama's gift to labor -- With little fanfare, President Obama signed an executive order in February revoking Bush-era policy and promoting the use of project labor agreements for any construction project that uses more than $25 million in federal funds.
► At Truthout.org -- Truthout becomes first online-only news site to unionize -- Truthout holds the country's first "virtual card check" election, verifying union cards with faxed PDFs of each employee's signature to became the first online-only news site to successfully unionize. A member of Truthout's board of directors signed a recognition statement, granting Truthout employees membership in The Newspaper Guild/Communication Workers of America.
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
Tim Eyman's I-1033: DON'T BUY IT!
The Washington State Labor Council joins the state's business, labor, environmental and social service communities in adamantly opposing initiative profiteer Tim Eyman's latest misleading ballot measure, Initiative 1033. If approved by voters this fall, I-1033 would cost Washington jobs, jeopardize our families' safety, and harm our schools, transportation, health care and other basic public services.
The
WSLC has prepared a flier for its affiliated unions to distribute to
rank-and-file union members describing the negative impact I-1033 would
have in Washington. All affiliates are urged to download,
post and distribute this information.
Customized versions -- featuring your union local's name and logo -- are available upon request.
Here is the text of the flier:
Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033™
DON'T BUY IT!Initiative huckster Tim Eyman’s latest product is Initiative 1033. It would cap revenue for state, county and city governments, making it illegal
for local lawmakers to spend more than the previous year’s budget on schools, police, fire protection, roads, libraries, parks, hospitals and other services. I-1033 is deliberately timed to lock in the budget cuts forced by the recession.I-1033 kills jobs and prolongs the recession
I-1033 would prolong the recession into 2010 and beyond, making it much harder for Washington’s economy to recover. It would lock in thousands of layoffs, including nurses, teachers, police, fire fighters, road workers and other public employees. It would also lock in the “ripple effect” job losses in Washington’s private sector.
I-1033 jeopardizes our families’ safety
I-1033 would block police and fire departments from recovering to normal staffing levels. Fewer emergency services personnel means higher response times in life-and-death situations. Meanwhile, recession-forced prison cuts are resulting not only in job cuts and jail closures, but also in criminals being released and some offenders no longer being supervised upon their release. I-1033 makes those cuts permanent.
I-1033 harms schools, roads, and health care
Due to recession, thousands of Washington families have lost their health coverage, teachers and other school employees have been laid off, hospitals and nursing homes have cut services, and public transportation has suffered. I-1033 would make it illegal for elected legislators to restore these services when the economy recovers.
I-1033 is a proven failure
In 1992, Colorado became the only state—before or since—to impose revenue limits like those in I-1033. The damage was severe. Colorado dropped to 49th in the nation in education funding and the percentage of low-income children with no health insurance doubled. In 2005, voters in Colorado suspended the revenue restrictions.
Tim Eyman’s I-1033 is bad for Washington. Your Union urges you to...
VOTE NO on INITIATIVE 1033.
For more information about Initiative 1033, contact WSLC Political Director Benjamin Lawver at 206-281-8901.
Copyright © 2009 -- Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO