LIVE BLOGGING!

►  Check back RIGHT HERE, starting at 9 a.m., when the entire staff of WSLC Reports Today will begin live blogging from the convention floor. Or, maybe we'll get up and sit in a chair to do it -- once the Tylenol kicks in.

►  9:15 a.m. -- Doh! Had to shuffle the agenda a bit because of some miscommunications. 

First up, a panel on the ballot measures that Washington voters will face this fall. Jeff Johnson, WSLC's Special Assistant to the President, is describing Initiative 1082, an insurance industry-sponsored bill to privatize our state's public nonprofit workers' compensation system. As if that wasn't bad enough, Johnson notes, it completely deregulates those insurers, so there would be no oversight from state government. "We have a strong workers' compensation system that provides decent benefits to injured workers," Johnson said. "The cost to employers is the 46th lowest in the nation to insure workers in the State of Washington. We've got to stop this privatization, deregulating Initiative 1082."

►  9:30 a.m. -- Sarah Cherin of UFCW Local 21 is explaining Initiatives 1100 and 1105, the liquor privatization initiatives. She is urging delegates to get past the question of whether it would be more convenient to have many more liquor stores to choose from. "In organized labor, we're smarter than that," Cherin said. "Look behind the curtain. These are radical initiatives sponsored by big corporations to line their pockets at the expense of Washington families." Under I-1100, the number of liquor stores would increase from 300 to 3,300 virtually overnight and they would be completely deregulated, able to sell liquor anywhere, anytime.

►  9:35 a.m. -- April Sims of the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28 is now speaking on Initiatives 1053 and 1107. The former is Tim Eyman's effort to impose a two-thirds supermajority requirement on state revenue increases. In California, allowing a small minority of legislators to block legislation has been disastrous for the state budget, leading to government shutdowns and IOUs instead of paychecks for state employees. Sims noted that BP is one of the big funders of I-1053 because they want to avoid paying higher petroleum taxes. Initiative 1107 repeals the temporary tax increases on bottled water and sales tax on candy and gum. These new revenue streams raise about $300 million over the next few years and mitigated the already drastic cuts that have been forced by the recession.

►  9:45 a.m. -- Robby Stern of the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans is (what else?) singing "Power to the People" with fresh lyrics he just scribbled down about ballot initiatives. Look for this to go viral on YouTube once TVW gets it posted. Now, Stern is talking about how regressive the tax structure is in Washington state is and the importance of passing Initiative 1098, which would provide $1 billion a year of revenue for education and health care by creating a high-earners income tax while eliminating B&O taxes for 80% of the small businesses and lowering the state property taxes. "This is a step we should have made decades ago," Stern said. "I-1098 challenges us, what is our commitment to our neighbors, to our state, to our parents, our children and our grandchildren."

►  9:50 a.m. -- Cody Arledge of Sheet Metal Workers Local 66 is touting Referendum 52 which will do three things: create jobs, make healthier schools, and conserve energy. And thus concludes the ballot measure panel.

►  10:15 a.m. -- Kristin Biefus, Director of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, gave delegates an update on what's happening in the other Washington regarding fair trade policies. The Obama administration continues to promise to double exports without offering details on how he would do that and why new so-called "free-trade" deals with Colombia, South Korea and some other nations. "There is nothing in the proposed agreements that would change anything with respect to the offshoring of American jobs." Biefus said.

►  10:35 a.m. -- Mark McDermott, Regional Representative for the U.S. Department of Labor, assured delegates that "there is a new sheriff in town" by the name of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis who is restoring the agency's focus of protecting workers and their rights. He updated all about, among other things, the efforts to restore DOL staffing to 2001 levels, before President Bush drastically cut the number of wage and safety enforcement officers at the agency. "We're putting more cops on the beat," McDermott said. 

►  11:00 a.m. -- Another McDermott (U.S. Rep. Jim) has just arrived after flying to D.C. and back to vote Tuesday on FMAP funding that will provide Washington state $500 million to avoid teacher and state employee layoffs and service cuts. He warned against the attack on Social Security and efforts to cut benefits by raising the retirement age. "Nobody who's voting to raise the retirement age (from 67) to 70 has ever worked in any kind of job where physical activity is involved," McDermott said. He also touted the importance of the Washington State Labor Council's grassroots member-to-member political program. "Labor Neighbor is the way you're going to protect yourself," McDermott said. "There's nothing like somebody knocking at your front door. That kind of power is so strong." 

►  11:20 a.m. -- Now, the fiscal panel is discussing the dramatic impact the national recession has had on our state budget and our future: Remy Trupin, Executive Director of the Washington State Budget and Policy Center; Greg Devereux, Executive Director of the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28; Dave Johnson, Executive Director of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council; and Julianne Moore, a WFSE member who works at the Yakima Valley School in Selah and has been an outspoken opponent of proposed closures of important state institutions.

►  11:55 a.m. -- We're running a bit behind schedule. Up next is U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee. Gotta DJ the escort. Be right back.

►  12:05 p.m. -- U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee starts by quipping that the nation hasn't suffered such a blow as the impending retirements of WSLC President Rick Bender and Secretary-Treasurer Al Link "since Cheech and Chong retired." Much laughter ensues. 

But then, Rep. Inslee gets serious about the problems facing the nation and the potential with the coming election that our nation could move backward on what's important for working families.

"Some people want to move us back to the policies that put us in this economic ditch," Inslee said. "I, for one, want to move forward." Inslee also talked about his efforts to protect, maintain and grow aerospace jobs in Washington, including the amendment he successfully sponsored to make sure Boeing workers are not harmed by its European competitor's illegal subsidies. That earns him a standing ovation and the audience begins chanting, "Thank you, Jay!"

►  12:25 p.m. -- A solemn tradition is conducted as the lights are dimmed and delegates remember the union Brothers and Sisters who have passed during the past two years by reading their names into the convention record.

►  12:35 p.m. -- That's it for today. we reconvene this afternoon for delegate action on political endorsements and resolutions. No more live blogging. We'll post a fresh update tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Today's headlines?

►  Links to all of the state and national news affecting working families will resume next week.