THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010
WSLC Convention gives Murray hero's welcome
Senator's efforts on state aid, Boeing highlight advocacy for working families

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray received a hero's welcome Wednesday night at the Washington State Labor Council's 2010 Convention banquet for her leadership in closing corporate tax loopholes to help states avoid teacher and state employee layoffs and for her strong advocacy for Boeing jobs and winning the Air Force tanker contract.

Murray introduced a budget-neutral amendment -- which cleared Republican filibuster efforts, passed the House on Tuesday and has been signed into law by President Obama -- that will will deliver $26 billion to states. It includes an FMAP investment to help states avoid job losses, cuts to Medicaid, and tax increases. In Washington state this funding helps avoid a costly emergency session of the state legislature or across-the-board cuts to jobs, health care, and state services. It also provides funding to school districts throughout the country to save teacher jobs so students aren’t forced to bear the burden of local budget shortfalls. This saves an estimated 100,000 teacher jobs across the country, including 3,000 in Washington state alone.

She delivered enthusiastic remarks that contrasted her positions and her desire to continue advocating for working families in the U.S. Senate with Republican opponent Dino Rossi, who hemmed and hawed and had to be recruited and convinced by party leaders in Washington D.C. to run against her. But there was no question who the delegates and guests supported Wednesday night, as they repeatedly interrupted her speech with wild applause, standing ovations, and chants of "Thank you, Patty!"

Delegates wrapped up business Wednesday at the WSLC Convention, a day early, after endorsing several candidates to supplement endorsements made at the May COPE Convention and after passing resolutions to guide the WSLC and its efforts in the coming year. (Those resolutions will be posted on this site by the end of the day Friday.)

Also Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee addressed delegates and quipped 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."  

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. 

Other action Wednesday included:

• A panel on the ballot measures that Washington voters will face this fall. Jeff Johnson, WSLC's Special Assistant to the President, described Initiative 1082, an insurance industry-sponsored bill to privatize our state's public nonprofit workers' compensation system that completely deregulates those insurers, so there would be no oversight from state government. Sarah Cherin of UFCW Local 21 urged delegates to "look behind the curtain" on Initiatives 1100 and 1105, the liquor privatization measures, to see the radical, dangerous expansion of deregulated liquor expansion that would occur.April Sims of the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28 discussed labor's opposition to Tim Eyman's Initiative 1053 and the corporate special interest-funded Initiative 1107. Robby Stern of the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans sang "Power to the People" with fresh lyrics to sum up labor's position on these measures, before addressing the labor-supported 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. And finally, Cody Arledge of Sheet Metal Workers Local 66 touted Referendum 52 which will create jobs, make healthier schools and conserve energy by funding energy upgrades at public schools throughout the state.
   
• 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.
    
• Another McDermott, U.S. Rep. Jim, quickly returned to the state from Washington D.C. after voting to support Sen. Murray's 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."
    
• A fiscal panel discussed 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.
   
• 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 are in American workers' best interests. "There is nothing in the proposed agreements that would change anything with respect to the offshoring of American jobs." she said.
   
• A solemn tradition was conducted as the lights were dimmed and delegates remembered their Union Brothers and Sisters who have passed away during the past two years by reading their names into the convention record.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010
WSLC delegates make additional endorsements

The following news release was distributed Wednesday afternoon regarding the election endorsement action made by WSLC Convention delegates to supplement earlier endorsements made in May.

Here is a printable comprehensive list of WSLC endorsements. For more information email WSLC Communications Director Kathy Cummings or email WSLC Political Director Benjamin Lawver, or call them at 206-281-8901.

TACOMA (Aug. 11, 2010) -- The largest labor organization in Washington state made their second round of endorsements for candidates in the 2010 election at the Washington State Labor Council convention in Tacoma this afternoon. Thirty candidates were endorsed including House Speaker Frank Chopp and the delegates also voted to oppose one candidate, Jim Johnson, in the State Supreme Court race. The WSLC only makes election endorsements for statewide ballot measures and in races for statewide office, state legislative and certain judicial races.

An endorsement from the WSLC means that the candidates can receive benefits of the Labor Neighbor program, a boots on the ground political program that includes phone calls, worksite leafleting and door knocking as well as financial contributions. The endorsement can only be gained with a two-thirds vote of the delegate body. There were more than 420 delegates in attendance at the weeklong convention.

The new endorsements are:

Statewide races:

Congressional District 03 -- Denny Heck

Court of Appeals Division 2, District 3 Pos. 2 -- Jill Johanson

State Supreme Court -- Oppose Jim Johnson

Legislative Districts:

LD 02 Pos. 1 -- Marilyn Rasmussen

LD 05 Pos. 1 -- Gregory Hoover

LD 06 Senate -- Chris Marr

LD 06 Pos. 2 -- John Driscoll

LD 08 Pos. 1 -- Carol Moser

LD 10 Pos. 2 -- Tom Riggs

LD 17 Pos. 1 -- Tim Probst

LD 19 Pos. 1 -- Dean Takko

LD 19 Pos. 2 -- Brian Blake

LD 23 Pos. 2 -- Christine Rolfes

LD 24 Pos. 2 -- John Dwyer

LD 25 Pos. 2 -- Dawn Morrell

LD 26 Senate -- Derek Kilmer

LD 26 Pos. 2 -- Larry Seaquist

LD 27 Pos. 1 -- Jake Fey

LD 29 Pos. 2 -- Steve Kirby

LD 33 Pos. 1 -- Tina Orwall

LD 34 Pos. 1 -- Eileen Cody

LD 37 Senate -- Adam Kline

LD 40 Pos. 1 -- Tom Pasma

LD 41 Senate -- Randy Gordon

LD 43 Senate -- Ed Murray

LD 43 Pos. 1 -- Frank Chopp

LD 45 Senate -- Eric Oemig

LD 46 Senate -- Scott White

LD 46 Pos. 1 -- David Frockt

LD 47 Senate -- Claudia Kauffman

LD 49 Pos. 1 -- Jim Jacks

^{Copyright © 2010 --  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO}