THURSDAY, JUNE 26

Two "Turn Around America" video contest winners are named
The contest is part of a larger AFL-CIO Turn Around America initiative featuring major events in battleground states to build grassroots momentum to elect leaders who will fight for health care, good jobs and an economy that works for all. 

Boeing news:
▪  In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing payout to workers looks slim as stock slumps -- Shares took a beating Wednesday, dropping 6.9% after an analyst cut Boeing's rating to "sell" from "neutral." The plummet couldn't come at a worse time for employees, who will receive a stock distribution based on the company's average stock price on Monday. Boeing's Share Value Trust distributes stock awards to most Boeing employees, including its machinists and engineers unions.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- GAO: Boeing had real shot at tanker -- Says 67-page report released Wednesday: "A number of errors in the Air Force's conduct of this procurement, including the failure to evaluate proposals in accordance with the RFP (request for proposals) criteria and requirements to conduct discussions in a fair and equal manner. But for these errors, we believe that Boeing would have had a substantial chance of being selected for award."
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- State leaders talk about tax benefits for Boeing -- Five years after a large package of tax benefits secured the 787 final assembly plant, lawmakers and industry insiders begin crafting the next big pitch, presumably the successor to the 737 line. "You have to pay to play," says consultant. "We did that (for the 787). Now the imperative is, you have to pay to stay."

Local news:
▪  In yesterday's Spokesman-Review -- Washington's taxes slightly below national average -- When taxes are weighed against personal income, Washington came in 28th highest among the states.
▪  In today's Olympian -- Gregoire delays DIS building project, citing $370 million price tag
▪  In today's Tri-City Herald -- House OKs $24 million more for Hanford cleanup -- That could partially make up for the $58 million cut from the current budget proposed by the Bush administration. 
▪  In today's Yakima H-R -- Cherry pickers find solace in tents -- A new labor camp at Reddout Orchards has changed everything for the nearly 100 other seasonal workers and their families.
▪  In the Seattle Weekly -- Ferry workers are hesitant to double as spies -- Dennis Conklin of the Inlandboatmen's Union says that although ferry workers have a constitutional right to work with the Border Patrol, it's not part of their job description, so they shouldn't be doing it while at work.
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- Police union contract wins city panel's OK
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- New pact with Seattle Police Guild boosts service, strengthens oversight (op-ed by City Councilman Tim Burgess) -- This contract will fundamentally alter policing in Seattle by recognizing the training, skills and professional service of our officers; rewarding them fairly; and adjusting their deployment for greater effectiveness.
▪  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Demand is up sharply at local food banks, soup kitchens

Election 2008:
▪  At WashingtonPost.com -- AFL-CIO outlines major election effort -- It has budgeted $53.4 million for the 2008 campaign -- more than the $48 million it spent in 2004 -- and it expects its 56 member unions to spend more than $200 million overall on electing Obama and congressional Democrats. It will deploy 250,000 volunteers to reach a total of 13 million union members and their families.
▪  In today's Washington Post -- Obama leads McCain in four key battleground states 
▪  At Postman on Politics -- More than $1 million in union-funded PAC -- It’s still not clear exactly how Evergreen Progress will spend the money. But it’s looking more likely it will soon be weighing in on the governor’s race on behalf of incumbent Democrat Chris Gregoire.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Democrats to remove "Sopranos" theme from Rossi-BIAW ad after complaint
▪  Today at HorsesAss.org -- Will Italian Club condemn Rossi for his offensive Sopranos reference?

Supreme Court of U.S. Corporations news:
▪  In today's Anchorage Daily News -- Exxon Valdez: "This is it; it's done" -- "I prefer to think of it as five of the justices on the Supreme Court going out of their way to help big business," says plaintiffs' lawyer Brian O'Neill. "This is a huge favor for big business, that's what it is. They don't feel punished at all by this. It isn't even a mosquito bite. They're laughing."
▪  In today's Anchorage Daily News -- Court makes life easier for corporate wrongdoers (editorial) -- The message today to companies that cut corners and risk ruining the lives of thousands of innocent people is this: Go ahead; take the chance. If you gamble and lose, you won't lose that much. We've made sure that whatever you have to pay will be just another cost of doing business.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Supreme Court: A win for big oil (editorial) 

National news:
▪  Today from Reuters -- Hollywood workers set to work without a contract -- SAG has yet to seek a strike authorization vote from its members, but the industry is already in a "de facto" strike, with the studios winding down all but a few film productions by Monday's contract expiration.
▪  In today's NY Times -- Another WTO push for a trade deal -- Its director calls a week-long meeting of ministers next month in Geneva aimed at reaching a breakthrough deal on liberalizing global trade.

Last Throes update: 
▪  Today from AP -- Four more U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq as violence surges
▪  Today from AP -- 20 die in attack on meeting west of Baghdad -- A suicide bomber strikes inside a municipal building, killing at least 20 people at a meeting of tribal sheiks opposed to al-Qaida, police said. The U.S. confirmed American casualties but gave no further details.
▪  Of the 4,110 U.S. troops killed in Iraq; 3,971 of them have died since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" and an end to major combat operations in May 2003; 3,649 have died since the capture of Saddam; and 3,251 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.