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News for the week of March 23-27, 1998

Friday, 3/27/98 — UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta top attend Seattle rally on April 2
Thursday, 3/26/98 — Activists to begin organizing meetings on MAI trade agreement
Wednesday, 3/25/98 — "Paycheck Protection:" Another national update
Tuesday, 3/24/98 — Boeing unions to rally Wednesday and protest new medical plan
Monday, 3/23/98 — WSLC Women's Committee seeks donations, scholarship applicants

News from previous weeks:
March 16-20, 1998 — March 9-13, 1998 — March 2-6, 1998 — February 23-27, 1998

UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta top attend Seattle rally on April 2

Activists to begin organizing meetings on MAI trade agreement

"Paycheck Protection:" Another national update

Unlike in Washington state where Paycheck Protection is about raising the minimum wage, the movement to establish intrusive administrative hurdles for unions to participate in the political process continues to be championed by the Republican Party across the country.  Initiated by right-wing extremists with a political agenda that includes charter schools and privatizing Social Security, this version of "paycheck protection" is all about cutting their opponents — working people and their organizations — out of the politics.

In the U.S. House, H.R. 3485, the "campaign finance reform" bill championed by Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and other Republican leaders, would put new restrictions on corporations' and non-profit organizations' political spending, but singles out unions with the most extensive "paycheck protection"-type restrictions.  A vote on this bill is expected later this week.

But there is reason to believe the U.S. Senate does not support such anti-union language.  S. 1663 (formerly S. 9) which contains language to restrict union political spending was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) on Feb. 23 as his "campaign finance reform" bill.  It was defeated on a cloture vote of 45-54 on Feb. 26.  Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) voted IN FAVOR of the bill; Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) voted AGAINST it.  The bill is still considered a threat to be revived as an amendment to other legislation.

Legislation and initiatives to establish union dues restrictions have been introduced in at least 26 states, including Washington. Here's an update:

State legislation introduced and still alive — Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Wyoming

State legislation introduced, but now dead — Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia

State legislation introduced, considered likely to die — Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Rhode Island, Tennessee

Ballot initiatives, qualified for ballot — California (vote in June '98)

Ballot Initiatives, possible — Arizona and Colorado (referred by State Legislature), Nevada and Oregon (petitions in circulation)

Representatives of a right-wing extremist organization, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, are travelling the country misleading Congress and State Legislatures into believing that Washington state already has a law that bans use of union dues for politics. We don't. (For more information, click here.)

If we did, we wouldn't be able to support such worthy causes as the REAL Paycheck Protection Act. And if we did, this article and much of the information posted on this web site would be considered illegal.

Such a place wouldn't sound much like America, would it?

Boeing unions to rally Wednesday and protest new medical plan

The Seattle Professional Engineering Employers Association will be joined by AFL-CIO unions representing Boeing workers at a "Working Together for Working People" rally Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Flight at 9404 E. Marginal Way South in Seattle protesting the company's revamped compensation plan for about 100,000 nonunion salaried employees which would require them to pay for a portion of their medical care.

SPEEA, which represents some 26,000 Boeing employees, and the International Association of Machinists District Lodge 751, which represents about 35,000 hourly production workers, agree that their members will likely be asked to take the same benefit cuts next year when contracts expire.  So they want to send a message to Boeing now that this kind of takeaway demand is unacceptable and will cause them problems.

The company says the new plan is fair and is only being implemented to make benefits plans "more consistent" with those workers who recently joined the company when it purchased McDonnell Douglas and the defense division of Rockwell International.   Apparently, the company didn't consider making the benefit plans "more consistent" by raising the health care standards for new employees.

Today local Boeing workers have a no-fee medical program, and union leaders say they fought hard in previous contract negotiations to retain this benefit — in some cases sacrificing potential gains in other areas like wages and pensions — because a no-fee plan is so important to their members.

Other unions that will be represented at Wednesday's rally include the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 17, District 1199NW of the Service Employees International Union, Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8.  Some state and local politicians will also be on hand.

For more information about the rally, call SPEEA at 433-0991.

WSLC Women's Committee seeks donations, scholarship applicants

The Women's Committee of the Washington State Labor Council is looking for donations again this year for its Silent Auction at the WSLC Convention in Spokane this August.   Past support of this event from WSLC affiliates has been tremendous and much appreciated. 

Donated items can be sent or delivered to Randy Loomans at either WSLC office (314 First Ave. West, Seattle, 98119, or 906 S. Columbia #330. Olympia, 98501), or to Gloria Borders at the Snohomish County Labor Council (2812 Lombard Ave., Everett, 98201).   Silent Auction proceeds are used to provide scholarships to rank-and-file union members to attend the Labor Summer School for Union Women at The Evergreen State College.   Which brings us to the second request...

Scholarships are available from the Women's Committee to this year's TESC Summer School for Union Women.  The deadline for rank-and-file members in all WSLC-affiliated locals to apply is May 31; please contact Randy Loomans (360-943-0680) for an application or more information.

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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