WSLC Monthly Report -- March 2003

WSLC Reports is a monthly summary of labor news and a preview of coming events. It is not intended to be comprehensive. More detail is available on these (and other) items online. If you would like to receive this via fax or mail, Get on the List!
(See previous editions of this newsletter.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 11—The Women in Trades Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion, with an evening social planned from 4 to 9:30 p.m. The fair promotes employer recruitment of women for trades work and outreach efforts to girls and women who may not be familiar with the high-paying jobs available in trades careers. Learn more.

MAY 18-23—Union activists, staff, and local union safety representatives are invited to participate in a unique "Train the Trainer Program" on workplace health and safety at the Laborers’ Training Center in Kingston. The Sunday-through-Friday program will teach the fundamentals of workplace health and safety, plus how to teach or facilitate classes on various subjects for other union members. Registration is limited. For more information, contact WSLC Safety and Education Director Randy Loomans at (360) 943-0608.

MAY 27-30—"Planting Seeds for the Future," the Washington State Labor Council’s Labor Candidate School will be Tuesday to Friday at the Laborers’ Training Facility in Kingston. All union members interested in running for local, state or federal office are encouraged to apply. The registration fee (which includes a dorm room, meals and training materials) will be $150 per person. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending or would like more information, contact WSLC Political Director Diane McDaniel at dmcdaniel@wslc.org or (206) 281-8901.

JUNE 25-29—The Evergreen State College’s Summer School for Union Women is Wednesday through Sunday at the Olympia campus, taking a critical look at labor and community alliances, the right to organize in the workplace, and how the economy looks to different groups of workers. Registration for this residential program is limited to 60, so sign up now. Learn more.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney: "People of good conscience and good faith bring a range of concerns to (the Iraq) war. Expressing those concerns should not be grounds for challenges to one’s patriotism. The AFL-CIO has maintained that the best way to disarm Saddam Hussein would be with a broad international coalition sanctioned by the United Nations. Now that a decision has been made, we are unequivocal in our support of our country and America’s men and women on the front lines as well as their families here at home."

WSLC President Rick Bender: "Regardless of whether you support or oppose this war, the armed forces who fight to protect and defend the United States deserve our respect and support for their sacrifice. They are, and have always been, the men and women of America’s working class. Many are Union Brothers and Sisters. We must honor their service."

Anti-government, anti-ergonomics and anti-Sound Transit initiatives all are opposed by WSLC

The Washington State Labor Council Executive Board voted last month to oppose three initiatives, which will be using paid signature gatherers to collect the 200,000 signatures needed by July 3 to appear on this fall’s ballot:

INITIATIVE 807—A Tim Eyman Initiative® that may or may not require a two-thirds legislative majority or voter approval to "raise state revenues." We say may or may not because his initiatives have a poor track record of passing constitutional muster. Despite the pitchman’s iron-clad guarantees, three out of his last four products—including last fall’s I-776—have been tossed out on the same grounds: they covered more than one topic. I-807 appears to do the same. It would also revise requirements on state spending limits and the emergency reserve fund. Labor opposes I-807 because it would exacerbate our state’s current budget crisis, force deeper cutbacks in basic services for our most vulnerable citizens, prevent solutions to our traffic problems, and continue to deny fair wage increases for state employees and home care workers.

INITIATIVE 841—As described last month, this would repeal the state workplace ergonomic safety rule. Financed by the Building Industry Association of Washington, I-841 would not only repeal the rule but prevent the state from promulgating a new one in the future. The labor-supported ergonomics rule is designed to prevent the more than 50,000 musculoskeletal injuries suffered by workers in this state every year, costing the workers’ compensation system some $340 million annually. The BIAW and other business lobbying groups have tried unsuccessfully to kill the rule in the legislature and in the courts. Now, fresh off its successfull ballot initiative to kill last year’s unemployment insurance reform, the BIAW will attempt to sell the public on the idea that workplace safety rules cost jobs.

INITIATIVE 848—Another Tim Eyman Initiative® that sought to prohibit Sound Transit from implementing the Link Light Rail system. This measure has been withdrawn by Eyman, but could reappear in the coming weeks.

The Washington State Labor Council is part of a coalition of labor, health care, education, senior, consumer and church groups educating the public about the local impacts of Gov. Gary Locke’s proposed all-cuts budget. The goal is to generate support for a more balanced approach to solving our state’s $2.6 billion shortfall—one that includes both cuts and new revenue.

The WSLC has already distributed camera-ready fliers encouraging affiliated unions to copy, post and distribute them to rank-and-file members. In addition, the WSLC has activated the Labor Neighbor network of volunteers that was so successful last election in distributing information from members to members. A phone bank has been set up at the WSLC’s Seattle office to contact members and encourage them to call their legislators in opposition to an all-cuts budget.

Volunteers are urgently needed for these phone banks! They run Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please RSVP to WSLC Political Director Diane McDaniel at dmcdaniel@wslc.org or (206) 281-8901, and let us know which day(s) you are available to help. Thank you.

A number of petitions were filed this month by WSLC affiliates for union elections, including some 1,100 workers at the Department of Ecology (with the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28) and 1,150 nurses and technologists at Spokane’s Valley Hospital and Deaconess Medical Center (with Service Employees International Union District 1199NW). The WSLC applauds these unions for working to grow the labor movement. Working families in our state have demonstrated time and again—even in the face of aggressive (often illegal) anti-union campaigns by management—that they want to form unions so they can have a voice on the job to improve their lives, their families and their communities.

The WSLC offers its services to all affiliated union organizations to help them promote and publicize their union organizing activities, and generate support from allied community organizations and elected officials for the efforts. Please contact us at (206) 281-8901 or wslc@wslc.org if you would like such assistance.

Since the Boeing Co. began laying off employees in its commercial airplanes group following the Sept. 11 attacks, 31,460 workers have left the company’s payroll. The company says it plans to eliminate 5,000 more jobs this year. It is unclear if the war with Iraq will alter those projections.

As these pink slips continue to flow, Boeing announced this month that some 400 positions at its Frederickson and Auburn plants also will be eliminated in an unrelated effort to outsource more parts work and focus on large-scale assembly. Boeing’s two biggest unions—the International Association Of Machinists District 751 and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, IFPTE 2001—have responded angrily for the company’s failure to consult with employees on the decision.

IAM 751 President Mark Blondin recently challenged his union’s members to get involved. He points out that decisions are being made right now about "where the new 7E7 will be built, how much of Boeing airplanes will be built by our members, the future of the Auburn and Renton facilities, and how our state attempts to create a more ‘business friendly’ environment that attracts companies rather than drives them out."

"I would hope that every member will choose to participate (in the union) and strengthen our fight on these critical issues," Blondin said. "We can watch from the sidelines and simply accept what happens, or we can get involved and push for what we believe is right."

An unprecedented series of activities highlighting the plight of 41 million Americans who lack health insurance were conducted across the nation March 10-16 as part of Cover the Uninsured Week. The effort, funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, sought to sensitize the public and opinion leaders to the problem.

A town hall meeting, health fair and other activities were held in Western Washington. WSLC President Rick Bender was a panelist for a business-labor CityClub discussion entitled "Employer-Paid Health Care: Triage, Diagnosis, Prognosis." WSLC Secretary-Treasurer Al Link signed a proclamation at a news conference committing the state’s largest labor organization to working toward a solution to the problem and promoting universal health coverage.

While the urgent need for jobs and health care goes unaddressed, the Bush administration instead is focusing on tough new financial reporting rules. Is this Bush’s response to the corporate accounting scandals that have rocked Wall Street, shattered investor confidence and cost millions of Americans their retirement security?

Absurdly burdensome regulations are the new priority at the U.S. Department of Labor. The new rules would require unions to track massive amounts of information and publish these general ledgers on the Web for all union enemies to see. Many believe the effort is pure politics, designed to soak up union resources so the administration’s corporate, anti-worker agenda can move forward.

So why is the Bush administration—which is rolling back health and safety standards, overtime regulations and the Family and Medical Leave Act—opposed to regulations except when they cover working people? It’s a question many working people posed during the "public comment" period that expired March 27. An AFL-CIO campaign to publicize the proposed rules generated a massive number of faxes to the Labor Dept. Whether public opposition will affect this attack on unions remains to be seen.