WSLC Monthly Report -- November/December 2005

The WSLC Roundup is a pretty-much-bimonthly 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) stories online. If you want to receive this via fax or mail, Get on the List! (See previous editions of this newsletter.)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 -- In the days leading up to and including that day, which is International Human Rights Day, working families and their allies in Washington state will participate in a National Mobilization in Support of Workers’ Freedom to Form Unions and bargain collectively. Efforts are planned in King, Pierce and Spokane counties to educate the public about the attack on unions. (See story below.)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 -- The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will host its 2006 Legislative Conference at the Olympia Red Lion Hotel, with a reception at the hotel on Wednesday evening. All union leaders and members are invited to attend. Details to come.

The AFL-CIO and Change to Win Coalition reached an agreement this month on Solidarity Charters that will allow recently disaffiliated CTW locals to rejoin state federations and central labor councils. Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender welcomed the news by immediately encouraging Washington’s CTW unions to rejoin the WSLC.

"I urge all of our Brothers and Sisters at CTW unions to apply for the Solidarity Charters so we can restore and strengthen the WSLC as we head into the important 2006 legislation session and election season," Bender wrote in a memo to the state’s union leaders. "Together we can rebuild and improve the WSLC, making our state federation an even more effective advocate for Washington’s working families."

Under the agreement, chartered CTW union locals would pay the same per capita fees as they did prior to their international union’s disaffiliation from the AFL-CIO, and would maintain the same rights and obligations as other affiliates, including participation in WSLC governance and affairs and eligibility of their members to hold WSLC office.

CTW Chair Anna Burger called the agreement "a step forward for workers." AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said the deal "will enable the labor movement to remain united at the local level where everyone wanted to stick together." He said the federation will begin approving these Solidarity Charters effective immediately. Charter applications are available online at www.aflcio.org/aboutus/unioncities/ or by calling the WSLC at (206) 281-8901.

Karen Keiser, who has served as Communications Director of the Washington State Labor Council since 1981, is retiring from the Council effective the end of the year. Keiser will be focusing on her positions as State Senator representing the 33rd District and as Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee. She has served in the State Legislature since 1996, taking leave from the WSLC during legislative sessions and re-election campaigns.

"Karen has been an important leader in Washington’s labor movement for many years and her talents and experience will be missed at the Council," said WSLC President Rick Bender. "However, we will continue to work closely with Karen in Olympia and I’m confident that in the years to come she will continue to build upon her proud legacy as an effective advocate for Washington’s working families."

Keiser is past president of the Western Labor Communications Association and executive board member of the International Labor Communications Association. Before joining the Council, she worked as a news reporter and producer for KSTW-TV and served as shop steward in the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She first joined AFTRA in 1972 when she worked as a news reporter for KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon.

Nearly 1,000 call center workers at a Cingular Wireless office in Bothell have chosen to organize with WashTech/CWA Local 37083 in Seattle. The American Arbitration Association certified by card check Nov. 4 that a majority of the workers wanted CWA union recognition. Cingular has a policy of neutrality toward union organizing and recognizes card-check elections.

The victory marks a major step for WashTech, which was founded in 1988. The organization has grown into an influential national voice on technology workers’ issues ranging from offshore outsourcing to tech-worker visas. But until now, WashTech has had very few traditional bargaining units and contracts. "We’ve been working tirelessly for eight years," said WashTech President and Co-Founder Marcus Courtney. "It’s huge for us."

Cingular workers cited the pace and volume of call processing for their unionization effort, as well as access to the higher quality health care plan available to other unionized Cingular workers.

Negotiating teams for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, IFPTE Local 2001, have reached a tentative contract agreement with Boeing, and the union is strongly recommending member approval. The deal covers about 12,000 engineers and 5,700 technical workers in Washington, California and Oregon. It comes on the heels of a successful 28-day strike by Boeing Machinists which garnered some 18,400 hourly workers a contract with wage increases, pension improvements, and no health care or retiree medical takeaways.

The tentative SPEEA contracts—which members have until Dec. 1 to vote upon—are three-year deals that lock in wage increases, places engineers and technical employees into Boeing’s employee incentive plan and restores full medical coverage. "The relationships we formed allowed us to come through this with a great contract," said Charles Bofferding, SPEEA executive director.

Family child-care providers in Washington voted by a 92 percent majority to join Service Employees International Union Local 925 for a voice to improve access to quality child care. Many providers can’t afford to stay in the industry because they make well below minimum wage and have no access to affordable health care.

The state pays home-based child care providers for part of the cost of caring for low-income and disabled children. But providers say the number of child care centers is falling due to the state’s low rate of reimbursement. By unionizing, the providers hope to gain leverage negotiating with the state. They will be working to build support for legislation that would allow them to negotiate a contract with the state.

For the second time this year, nurses, hospital technicians and other employees at Swedish Medical Center have voted to reject proposed cutbacks to employee retirement and health care benefits. The Swedish employees who are members of Service Employees International Union District 1199NW voted by 80 percent to reject the proposed cutbacks. The union is now urging Swedish management to return to the federal mediation process and work to reach a fair agreement.

"Swedish has tried confrontation. Swedish employees have rejected that approach. It’s time for Swedish to try compromise and flexibility," said Diane Sosne, RN, president of SEIU 1199NW.

Initiative 912, the measure repealing the gas-tax increase, was rejected 54.5% to 45.5%. Voters chose to preserve an $8.5 billion transportation investment in state highways, bridges and ferries. Given the success of anti-tax initiatives in recent years, many pundits were stunned by the outcome.

"Overall, it was a very successful election. But in particular, the defeat of I-912 is a watershed vote for good jobs and keeping our economy moving in Washington," said WSLC President Rick Bender. "Thanks and congratulations are due to all the unions, businesses, environmental groups and individuals that made this a priority election issue."

Also rejected by a 13-point margin was Initiative 330, a draconian initiative capping medical malpractice awards and restricting patient rights. Voters saw through a deceptive, negative and expensive campaign waged by the insurance industry and the Washington State Medical Association, which demonized nurses’ unions for daring to oppose I-330.

The WSLC-endorsed Initiative 901, which bans indoor smoking in public places and the workplace, passed 63-37 finally protecting all workers from toxic secondhand smoke.

In the one special legislative race, labor-endorsed Rep. Dean Takko (D-19th) easily retained his seat.

California voters strongly rejected Proposition 75, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s brazenly partisan attempt to create hurdles for public-employee unions to have a political voice. Three other labor-opposed initiatives backed by Schwarzenegger were also rejected, in what was widely seen to be a tremendous setback not just to his right-wing agenda, but to his entire political career.