WSLC Reports Today -- October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

Oct. 24: "Dino Dollars" shadow Rossi

Oct. 23: Rossi wants to cut UI, WC benefits

Oct. 22: Health care meeting in Wenatchee

WSLC Reports Today
Updated DAILY... Almost Every Day!™ by 9 a.m. Pacific

Links are functional at date of posting, but sometimes expire.
WSLC Reports Today links to stories of interest to organized labor;
some positive, some negative. The intention is to inform.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28

IAM, Boeing reach tentative deal
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced Monday that it reached a tentative agreement with The Boeing Co. on a contract that will provide job security for its members and limit the amount of work outside vendors can perform in the workplace. Ratification will take place in 3-5 days.

Boeing Machinists strike: Day 53
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Tentative deal reached with Boeing -- Sources said that both sides agreed to compromise on the critical issue of job security, plus a 15% wage boost over four years, bonuses that could total at least $8,000 per Machinist over three years, and holding employee medical costs at 2005 levels.
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Pact calls for 15% pay raise over 4 years -- The vote will happen in three to five days and the 27,000 Machinists could be back to work immediately afterward.
▪ Also see coverage in today's Everett Herald, News Tribune, and the Associated Press
▪ In today's News Tribune -- Another Boeing union set for contract talks -- SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth says he has a forboding feeling about the so-called “main table” talks beginning Wednesday with Boeing: “I’ve talked with dozens of workers, and I’ve begun to get a sense that the engineering and technical work force no longer feels it’s a valued part of the company. They’ve told me they feel like they’re treated like they’re vendors, not part of the Boeing team.”
▪ In today's Everett Herald -- Sticking point for SPEEA? Outsourcing -- The company and its engineers and technical workers disagree on the effectiveness of Boeing's of global-partner model.

BuilderGate news:
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Rossi must testify in BIAW case before election -- Republican Dino Rossi must testify under oath before next Tuesday's election about his alleged role in illegal campaign coordination with the Building Industry Association of Washington.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- Rossi must testify this week over campaign funding, judge rules -- Judge rules Rossi must testify about his potentially illegal involvement in BIAW's fundraising activities.
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- BIAW poisons political environment (op-ed by state business leaders) -- As Washington business leaders, our values and principles couldn't be further from the anti-environmental and anti-consumer agenda of the BIAW's leadership. The extremist views of the current BIAW leadership are in no way a reflection of the attitudes of the broader business community... The BIAW's objective is to divide us and reverse the significant progress we have made in protecting our environment and creating a strong business climate... We enthusiastically applaud Gov. Chris Gregoire for her efforts to break down old battle lines, grow our economy, protect our environment and make Washington the best place in the world to live, work and play.

Wassup 2008:

National election news:
▪ In today's NY Times -- Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is guilty over failure to disclose gifts -- The state's dominant political figure for more than four decades, is found guilty of violating federal ethics laws for failing to report tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and services he had received from friends. Stevens remains defiant, urging Alaskans to re-elect him to a seventh full term next week.
▪ In today's NY Times -- The candidates' health plans (editorial) -- Obama and McCain have very different ideas on the best way to make insurance available and affordable for all Americans. McCain’s plan, which relies on reshaping the tax code, is far too risky. Obama has focused primarily on extending coverage to a big chunk of the 45 million uninsured Americans by expanding existing private and public programs. Obama’s plan is a better start than McCain’s.
▪ In today's Wash. Post -- A voting rights disaster? (op-ed) -- On Election Day, imagine if your line to vote wraps around the block and looks to be a four-hour wait, while in other areas lines are nonexistent. This ought to be a crime. It amounts to a "time-tax" on your right to vote, and some of your neighbors will undoubtedly give up and go home... Now is the time for all polling sites to prepare to be overwhelmed, not underused

State election news:
▪ In today's Seattle Times -- Both parties step up efforts to turn out voters -- Hundreds of volunteers and paid staff are blanketing the state to canvass neighborhoods, and phone banks are popping up everywhere to make calls urging support for candidates. (Volunteer for Labor Neighbor!)
▪ In Monday's Everett Herald -- Gregoire says Rossi would create deficit -- Gov. Chris Gregoire says Dino Rossi's tax and transportation proposals would increase the size of the deficit to more than $4 billion. She urges backers to spread the word by phone, at the door and in conversations with voters in the campaign's final week: "For the working families of this state … no regrets."
▪ In today's News Tribune -- I-985 is no solution to traffic congestion (editorial) -- It is billed as the “reduce traffic congestion initiative.” The name it deserves is the “backfire initiative.” Because the closer you look at it, the more I-985 looks likely to increase traffic congestion.

Local news:
▪ In today's Seattle P-I -- County plans to save with 10 extra days of shutdowns -- If union members sign off on the plan, King County government would shut down 10 extra days scattered in 2009 to help close a budget gap, says County Executive Ron Sims. The key to the deal is an agreement reached with the leaders of the county's unionized workers to take unpaid furloughs.
▪ In today's News Tribune -- Pierce Transit to cut workers -- Facing declining sales tax revenues, it is laying off 19 employees and 13 contract workers, and eliminating 32 vacant positions.
▪ In Monday's Olympian -- Dept. of Revenue employees file suit against WPEA -- After unsuccessful attempts to decertify the union, a group of employees is suing WPEA over union dues.
▪ In today's Daily News -- Wal-Mart has big plans for Longview, Woodland -- Company says a new supercenter in Longview won’t interrupt the company’s plans to open a similar one in Woodland.
▪ In today's Spokesman-Review -- 14 workers hurt in bridge collapse near Boise -- Employees from Spokane-based Graham Construction sent to the hospital in collapse of I-84 span in Nampa.

National news:
▪ In today's LA Times -- The end of the road for U.S. automakers? -- The industry's downward spiral has accelerated dramatically in recent weeks. In a desperate bid for solvency, GM is seeking a merger with Chrysler. Chrysler has talked with Renault and Nissan about partnerships. And now Ford, GM and Chrysler -- backed by Michigan lawmakers -- are lobbying Washington to give them cash, implying that failure to provide a bailout could doom the industry to bankruptcy.
▪ In today's Washington Post -- Downturn clobbers public pension funds -- The market downturn is ravaging public pension funds across the United States, with many state and local governments seeing more than 20 percent of their retirement pools swept away in the turmoil.
▪ In today's LA Times -- A revived grocery union aims at Fresh & Easy -- A resurgent United Food and Commercial Workers union is scoring bargaining and organizing gains throughout California. Now it hopes to organize workers at nonunion Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the British operator opening hundreds of small grocery stores in California and the Southwest.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008
IAM, Boeing reach tentative deal
"Each of you... did your part to win this battle," says IAM 751 President Wroblewski

The following announcement was posted at the Machinists District 751 web site -- www.iam751.org -- on Monday:

Machinists in Tentative Deal with Boeing

Click here for a brief synopsis of highlights of the tentative agreement.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced today that it reached a tentative agreement with the Boeing Company on a contract that will provide job security for its members and limit the amount of work outside vendors can perform in the workplace.

The agreement was hammered out over a five-day period with assistance from federal mediators and participation at the bargaining table by IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger and IAM General Vice President Rich Michalski. Additional resources and technical support was provided by various departments at IAM headquarters.

Job security and the use of vendors were key issues in the strike that began on Sept. 6, 2008. Among the other issues resolved in the latest round of bargaining were wage rates, health care benefits for current and future employees, pension improvements and work rule changes designed to improve productivity.

Full details of the 4-year accord will be withheld until they can be compiled and distributed to IAM members in all Boeing locations.

The tentative agreement has the unanimous endorsement of the IAM negotiating committee and will be presented to members for a ratification vote, which will take place in 3-5 days. A simple majority is required to ratify the tentative agreement.

"After 52 days of striking, we have gained important and substantial improvements over the Company's last, best and final offer that was rejected on September 3rd. Your solidarity brought Boeing back to the table and made this Company address your issues," stated District 751 President Tom Wroblewski. "Each of you stood up and did your part to win this battle, which was a fight against more than just Boeing, but against corporate America. Boeing is profitable because of our members' hard work and by standing together our members ensured they receive a bigger share of those profits."

"This tentative agreement is the result of hard work and great sacrifice by many people," said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin. "But no one deserves more credit than the workers at Boeing, who conducted themselves with dignity and determination throughout this ordeal. On behalf of the entire negotiating committee, I want to say it has been our honor to serve as their representatives."

^{Copyright © ^{2008
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^{Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO}}