That's why they call him BIAW's Boy:
▪  In the Seattle Weekly -- The tear-down -- One more attempt to strip the BIAW of its pro-Rossi war chest. This time, in court, as unhappy BIAW members allege a host of BIAW offenses, including deceptive marketing, violation of the First Amendment, and dereliction of fiduciary duty. Their stated aim: to stop the BIAW from pocketing another $10 million or so in members' workers' compensation refunds this year, thereby depriving the group of its 2009 election bankroll.
▪  This week in the WSU Daily Evergreen --  Rossi needs to tell the truth to voters -- Rossi’s voting record in the Senate hardly exemplify a moderate. According to the Washington State Labor Council's web site (see the 2004 posting), in 2003, Rossi voted to dramatically reduce unemployment benefits. He also voted to freeze minimum wage, and adopt federal standards for hours and compensation. In 2002, Rossi voted against a bill that would have granted collective bargaining rights to UW student academic employees, four-year college faculty and employees of the state. 

SCOTUSC news (Supreme Court of the United States Corporations):
▪  In the Columbian -- Employers have right to challenge unions (Don Brunell column) -- The AWB Boss hopes the U. S. Supreme Court's June 19 decision to strike down California's law restricting employers from using public subsidies to fight unionization is "the final stake in the heart of a similar union-backed proposal here in Washington." Boss Brunell goes on to misrepresent WA's proposed Working Privacy Act -- saying it is no different from CA's law (it is completely different) and it "bans" employers from anti-union communication (it doesn't) -- and suggests even proposing such legislation has discouraged employers from expanding or relocating to Washington.
▪  Today from AP -- Supreme Court slashes judgment in 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster -- The Supreme Court continues it's pro-corporate bent (as predicted), slashing the $2.5 billion punitive damages award in the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster to $500 million. A jury had decided that Exxon should pay $5 billion in punitive damages. A federal appeals court cut that verdict in half in 1994.

Aerospace news:  ▪  Spirit technical workers reaffirm SPEEA bargaining unit (PDF at SPEEA.org) -- "Now we know this decertification nonsense is behind us we can concentrate on the real problems of our members," says SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth. (See Everett Herald coverage.)
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing switches new nonunion hires from pension to 401(k) -- "You have to wonder, why would they put this out as we're going into negotiations," says Tom Wreblowski, president of the IAM's Seattle-based District 751. Machinists went on strike in 2005 in part to protest proposed changes to benefits for newly hired workers.

Local news:
▪  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Fixing health care mess would help all workers (Marilyn Watkins op-ed) -- Health insurance emerges as one of the biggest concerns for people facing unemployment... The Healthy Washington Coalition, representing faith communities, unions, businesses, women's groups and others, is hosting forums to comment on five legislative proposals. (Learn more.)
▪  In the Columbian -- Governor defends boost in firefighter pensions -- “There are some in the Legislature who say you ask for too much, you ask for more than your share,” Gregoire says at the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters convention. She disagrees. Because firefighters put their lives on the line, she said, “the laws and the pensions are what you need and deserve.”
▪  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- BPA's Wright tours mill, meets PUD -- He's “guardedly optimistic” the BPA will remove one of the final obstacles to the sale of the mothballed Cosmopolis Pulp Mill.
▪  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Deaconess nurses vote to dump SEIU 1199NW -- The decertification comes on the eve of Deaconess' likely sale to the largest for-profit hospital company in the United States. "They think they have a white knight coming in," says SEIU's Curt Williams.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- As SEIU protests outside, WaMu shareholders OK $7 billion private infusion

National news:  
▪  In today's NY Times -- NYC CLC chief: Labor needs to improve conditions for nonunion workers -- Ed Ott warns that their wages and living standards will be threatened unless the city’s unions do far more to lift the incomes and living standards of the city’s nonunion working poor, including restaurant workers, supermarket cashiers and taxi drivers.
▪  Today from AP -- A tentative pact is reached for pilots of merging airlines Delta, Northwest 

Election 2008:
▪  From AP -- AFL-CIO poised to endorse Obama -- The nation’s largest labor organization is poised to launch a broad grassroots mobilization in support of the Democratic presidential nominee.
▪  In today's LA Times -- Obama holds 12-point lead over McCain, poll finds -- Obama's lead -- bigger in this poll than in most other national surveys -- appears to stem largely from his positions on domestic issues. Both Democrats and independent voters said Obama would do a better job than McCain at handling the nation's economic problems, the public's top concern. (With Ralph Nader and Bob Barr added to the mix, Obama's lead over McCain grows to a 15-point edge.)

Last Throes update: 
▪  Today from AP -- Three more American soldiers killed near Baghdad -- Meanwhile, an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman suggests that Iraqi officials -- and not the four Americans, including two soldiers, who died in the previous day's bombing -- were the main target. (That's comforting.)
▪  Of the 4,109 U.S. troops killed in Iraq; 3,970 of them have died since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 3,648 have died since the capture of Saddam; and 3,250 have died since the government was handed over to the Iraqis.
▪  The WSLC's affiliated unions have called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.