WSLC Monthly Report -- November 2003

WSLC Reports is a monthly summary of labor news and a preview of coming events.
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(See previous editions of this newsletter.)

NOVEMBER 2003
Restore the right to organize!
Multi-year Voice@Work campaign launches locally at Dec. 10 rally

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 -- A Workers’ Rights Board Hearing, where members of Congress and the State Legislature, and religious and community leaders, will hear testimony from workers who have been denied their legal right to join unions. This event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the University Baptist Church, 4554 12th Ave. N.E., in Seattle’s University District. It is being coordinated by Washington State Jobs with Justice. For info, call Maya Baxter at (206) 441-4969. Learn more at www.wsjwj.org/board/wrb_d10hearing.asp

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10—A Workers’ Rights Are Human Rights Rally from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jackson Federal Building, 2nd & Marion in downtown Seattle featuring music, theater and speakers. Dec. 10 is a National Day of Voice@Work Action in cities throughout the U.S., marking the anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption in 1948 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes international labor rights to join unions that are binding in many countries, but not the United States. Learn more.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8—A Voice@Work Training Session on the evidence that Americans would like to join unions, that unions are good for democracy and American society, that workers are being denied the right to join unions, and what we are going to do about it. This inspiring interactive workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hall 1 of the Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave. Space is limited. If you are interested in attending, contact Verlene Wilder of the King County Labor Council at (206) 441-7102. Learn more.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20—The Washington State Labor Council's 2004 Legislative Conference will begin at 9 a.m. at the Red Lion Olympia Hotel. All affiliated unions members are invited to attend and get updates on the status of legislation affecting working families. More details on registration will be available soon.

The law also says you have the right to make that decision free from intimidation, harassment and coercion by your employer.

But those laws are not being enforced in America. The National Labor Relations Board, set up to protect workers’ right to organize unions, is being manipulated to throw obstacles into the paths of those seeking to join together and bargain collectively. Unscrupulous employers and the multi-billion dollar union-avoidance consulting industry break the law with impunity—routinely firing, harassing and intimidating workers who express interest in unions.

So the labor movement is launching the Voice@Work campaign to restore the freedom to join unions. You can get involved by participating in Seattle-area Voice@Work events in coming weeks (listed at right). Your attendance at the Dec. 10 rally in downtown Seattle, kicking off the local Voice@Work campaign, is especially important.

"The importance of the Voice@Work campaign cannot be overstated," said Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. "All union members -- and even non-members -- need to understand that the freedom of association, a basic human right, is being denied to workers in this country. And unless something is done to restore our freedom, the labor movement will die."

In November, historic legislation called the Employee Free Choice Act was unveiled in Congress. This bill is intended to articulate the kind of labor law reform that will ultimately be necessary to level the playing field for American workers.

But the Voice@Work campaign will involve much, much more than seeking new laws. More than just electing politicians who actively support our freedom to form unions. More than asking the government for help. More than just rallies.

Voice@Work will involve Americans taking back their rights on our own—in our communities, in our streets.

Get involved in this historic campaign by marking your calendar to participate in the Dec. 10 rally in Seattle.

Initiative 841, the measure financed by business lobbying groups to repeal our state ergonomic safety rule, passed this month by a 53%-47% margin. The $1.5 million I-841 campaign featured an advertising blitz that threatened job loss, reduced work hours and even lost health care for Washington children. The labor-financed No-on-841 campaign—which was outspent by more than 3-to-1—struggled to debunk the lies and misinformation spread about the rule. But an election-week survey found 49 percent of Washington voters believed the ergonomics rule directly limited the hours spent at hazardous jobs, a misconception deliberately spread by the I-841 campaign.

"Organized labor will not be deterred by this setback on ergonomics," said Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. "We will continue to fight aggressively for healthy workplaces and better enforcement of job safety standards."

WSLC Political Director Diane McDaniel thanked all the union organizations that contributed to the No-on-841 campaign and the many individuals who joined in the grassroots education campaign. "We were outspent," she said, "we were not out-organized."

The Boeing Co. offered up a good news/bad news scenario on Nov. 20. The bad news: Boeing will outsource 65% of the 7E7 airframe structure along with a large chunk of the assembly work. The good news: The 7E7 program headquarters will be in Everett, implying some stability there for engineers but probably not new jobs. Boeing unions’ reaction to the announcements was muted:

Charles Bofferding, executive director of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace/IFPTE 2001, said: "I haven’t yet heard them say what their long-term vision is and how it creates jobs and careers for the people we represent."

Boeing’s announcement on the final-assembly site is expected in December. IAM District 751 President Mark Blondin said, "This union has done everything in its power to land both fabrication and final-assembly work on the 7E7 in Washington. We believe we are a front-runner for the 7E7 final assembly and will continue to push for that."

This month 26,000 state-funded home care workers in Washington overwhelmingly ratified a renegotiated union contract to gain health benefits, workers’ compensation coverage and a 50-cent raise. These workers currently earn $8.43 an hour with no benefits. Last year the Legislature rejected funding for the home care contract, leaving tens of thousands of home care workers with no health insurance or L&I coverage. The new scaled-back contract would cost an estimated $26.9 million—about half the cost of the original contract—and addresses each of the concerns raised last year by state legislators.

Also this month, the state announced it has received $65 million more in revenue than expected, and has a reserve fund of almost $544 million. Union members and other supporters of home care workers, therefore, are urging Governor Locke to include funding for the new union contract in his 2005 budget proposal. Please contact Governor Locke’s office at (360) 902-4111 or online at www.governor.wa.gov/contact/govemail.htm.

Speaking of Governor Locke, his announcement that he will not seek reelection started an early scramble for that office in 2004. The three leading Democratic candidates who are running for governor are state Attorney General Christine Gregoire, King County Executive Ron Sims and former State Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge.

After failing to convince four other potential candidates to run, the Republican Party has convinced State Sen. Dino Rossi (R-Samammish) to enter the race for governor. Though portraying himself as a moderate "compassionate conservative," Rossi’s voting record is consistently partisan and anti-union. He has a lifetime 6% voting record with the Washington State Labor Council, with five "good" labor votes in 77 chances. The only "good" labor votes he took were on issues with which organized labor, the business lobby and the leadership of both parties were in agreement. For example, his one positive vote out of 15 counted for the 2003 session was to approve the 5-cent gas-tax increase.

The affiliated unions that comprise the WSLC will consider making a gubernatorial endorsement -- as well as recommendations for other statewide offices, state legislature and state ballot measures -- at its Committee on Political Education (COPE) Convention on Saturday, May 8 at the SeaTac Hilton Hotel.

Teamsters Local 66 represents some 200 workers in Issaquah and Seattle who have been locked out of their jobs since Aug. 30 by WestFarm Foods, a cooperative of 722 dairy farmers that produces dairy products under the brand name Darigold. The company has hired scab replacement workers. The union has asked consumers to boycott Darigold products. (The WSLC has not formally sanctioned this boycott; IBT 66 is not affiliated with the WSLC.)

At press time for this newsletter, President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress have launched a legislative blitzkrieg against working families. In a mad scramble before the Thanksgiving recess, several major pieces of legislation that would negatively impact workers were being rammed through. Two measures of chief concern to the AFL-CIO were: