News for the
week of March 16-20, 1998If you have news related to the labor movement in Washington state that you would like to share via WSLC Reports Today, we encourage you to submit it by e-mail, by fax (206-285-5805) or by phone (206-281-8901)
News for the
week of March 16-20, 1998Friday, 3/20/98 — Governor
Locke signs farm worker housing bill into law
Thursday, 3/19/98 — Snohomish
County to celebrate community service, train union counselors
Wednesday, 3/18/98 — Fred Meyer's non-food workers agree to
contract
Tuesday, 3/17/98 — AFL-CIO seeks Director for
Seattle Organizing Center
Monday, 3/16/98 — Come see Michael Moore's "The
Big One" and help Jobs With Justice
News from previous weeks:
March 9-13, 1998 — March 2-6,
1998 — February 23-27, 1998 — February 16-20, 1998
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Governor Locke signs farm worker housing bill into law
Against the wishes of organized labor and the farm worker advocate community, Governor Gary Locke signed SB 6168, the farm worker housing bill, into law on Wednesday. The measure, which has long been sought by growers, lowers building code standards for temporary on-farm housing and makes a one-time $2 million appropriation for permanent, community-based housing.
"We're disappointed," said Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council. "We had hoped there would be a stronger commitment to providing a more permanent, long-term solution to the problem. But now that the growers have what they want, we worry that the workers have lost what little legislative leverage they had to get that commitment."
It is labor's position that SB 6168 abandons a long-sought compromise between farm workers and growers forged last December at the governor's request. As originally written, the bill would have spent $2 million annually on permanent housing for the workers, more than half of whom are residents of the state and not temporary "guest" workers.
But the Republican leaders who control the state's pursestrings spent the entire two-month session hemming and hawing over that relatively tiny appropriation. In the end, the best they could muster was the one-time appropriation, half of which comes out of existing Housing Trust funds and therefore comes at the expense of other poor families who need housing.
In signing the measure Wednesday, Governor Locke cited the fact that the new temporary housing codes have more plumbing, electrical and insulation requirements that the similar bill he vetoed last year. But he also added that more money is needed to provide year-round housing for low-income farm workers. Locke said he will seek more funding in the 1999 session.
"We are encouraged that the governor has at least acknowledged that $2 million won't go very far to respond to the crisis," Bender said. "Hopefully, next year we will have a Legislature that's a bit more responsive to the needs of the working poor who continue to struggle during what's supposed to be a booming economy. If we can't commit to giving these workers a foothold for a better future when economic times are good, when can we?"
Snohomish County to celebrate community service, train union counselors
Help celebrate outstanding community service by trade unionists and other community activists and groups at the 7th Annual Snohomish County Labor Council Community Services Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, April 23 at 6.30 p.m. at the Howard Johnson Everett Pacific Hotel, 3105 Pine in Everett.
The keynote speaker is Rod Seimons of KOMO–TV. Tickets are $30 per person, and tables of eight are available for $240. Please RSVP by April 1 to Bill Borders at 425-742-5911. Checks should be made to SCLC.
Meanwhile, students are needed for the AFL-CIO Union Counselor Class, a six-week course meeting every Tuesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. beginning March 24 at the United Way of Snohomish County, 917 134th St. S.W., #A–6 in Everett.
This AFL-CIO certified program will teach you how to counsel and refer union brothers and sisters faced with work, personal, family issues, and get comprehensive knowledge of community resources available to help with these issues. Attendees receive certificates and a resource manual.
Contact Bill Borders, 425-742-5911 to register by phone or to request registration forms. Registration for this class is open until March 23. This class is open to the entire community.
Fred Meyer's non-food workers agree to contract
(Adapted from Seattle Times report)
Fred Meyer Inc.'s non-food employees voted Tuesday to accept a contract offer, avoiding what could have been an immediate work stoppage.
Company officials and representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1001 met with federal mediators Friday in negotiations to discuss the workers' concerns over wages and employees working outside their departments.
The new contract, affecting some 1,900 Fred Meyer workers, was then offered that provides for an overall wage increase of $1 an hour for everyone covered under the contract. Specific language sought by the workers was also included that defined the wages/boundaries between food and non-food workers.
"We think it's an excellent agreement," said Diane Zahn, a UFCW 1001 spokesperson. Fred Meyer spokesman Rob Boley said his company is glad an agreement was reached.
AFL-CIO seeks Director for Seattle Organizing Center
The AFL-CIO Organizing Institute has posted a job announcement for the Director/Chief Organizer of the Seattle Organizing Center, a new initiative of the AFL-CIO, the King County Labor Council and several Seattle-area unions that are opening a common office and cooperating closely in order to organize thousands of workers in King County.
The center's director will be responsible for setting up and running many programs associated with the project and supervising the center's staff. He or she will report to the Assistant Director for Cooperative Organizing in the AFL-CIO Organizing Department and work closely with the King County Labor Council and project participants.
Duties and responsibilities for the position are:
— Open the center's office and assist in the hiring of other center staff
— Supervise the center's community outreach organizer, member mobilization organizer, communications coordinator, organizer & salt training coordinator, office manager and perhaps other staff
— Develop and coordinate a wide range of programs to support center organizing campaigns, including staff and member organizer training; member education; labor movement-wide mobilization to support organizing; community outreach; a workers' rights board; communications; strategic research; and salting
— Run a house-calling team of member and staff organizers from participating unions
— Work with AFL-CIO field staff, the KCLC, local unions and state labor council to reorient labor's relationship with local politicians, emphasizing the need for them to support workers when they organize
— Help develop the Center's theme and message; work with local and national press
— Work closely with the project governing board; convene the board's meetings and prepare its agendas and minutes
— Work closely with staff from participating unions and central bodies; convene regular meetings with them
Qualifications:
— Seven years of experience in labor organizing and representation, community organizing or other social justice work (union organizing experience strongly preferred)
— Proven ability to develop and drive a program
— Ability to design and lead worker training or other popular education programs
— Excellent communications skills, both verbal and written
— Proven ability to supervise staff
— Ability to work with all sorts of people from a wide range of organizations inside and outside the labor movement in politically sensitive situations
— Capacity to work independently within the context of an overall plan and structure
— Ability and desire to work collaboratively as part of a team
— Ability to handle multiple tasks and projects
— Ability to meet deadlines in a high pressure environment.
— Fluency with word processing, database, and e-mail programs
— Willingness to work long and irregular hours and weekends
— Ability in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Philippine languages a plus
The salary and benefits for this position are highly competitive; salary depends on experience. The AFL-CIO hopes to fill this job by April 1 with someone who can start no later than May 1. The AFL-CIO is an equal opportunity employer, and women and people of color are encouraged to apply.
If you are interested, send a cover letter, resumé and at least three references to:
Andy Levin, Assistant Director of Organizing
AFL-CIO
815 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
or by fax to (202) 639-6210. Absolutely no phone calls, please.
Come see Michael Moore's "The Big
One" and help Jobs With Justice
Washington State Jobs With Justice invites you to attend a benefit premiere of Michael Moore's new file,"The Big One," on Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Harvard Exit Theatre, 807 E. Roy, Seattle. Tickets are $10 for the film and $30 for the film and reception with Moore after the film.
Best known for his documentary "Roger & Me," Moore is a truly inspiring and hilarious social-justice advocate with a real consciousness of the struggles facing working families in the new "global economy."
"The Big One" began as Moore set out on a city-to-city tour to promote his best-selling book "Downsize This!" But the tour turned into a mission as he repeatedly came across laid-off workers, factory shutdowns and "unavailable" CEOs in every town he visited. Moore became more determined to find one CEO from Corporate America who would explain to him just what was going on.
To reserve tickets to the premiere, call JWJ at (206) 441-4969 or mail in your reservations to JWJ, P.O. Box 9662, Seattle, WA 98109. Advance registrations must be received by Thursday, March 19. And hurry, there will likely be no space available for tickets at the door.
If you have a news item regarding unions in Washington state that you would like to have posted on WSLC OnLine, please e-mail or fax a news release to (206) 285-5805.
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