April 2002

CAMP workers elect union representation from OPEIU Local 8

Workers at the Central Area Motivation Program gained the right to union recognition on April 1st after presenting a show of support from over 80% of the employees. CAMP's board of directors voted unanimously at their March meeting to voluntarily recognize the employees' union.

According to Verlene Wilder, Local 8 president, "OPEIU is committed to working collaboratively with social service agencies in advancing industry standards and we are excited that CAMP workers chose to be represented by Local 8."

OPEIU Local 8 also represents workers at Fremont Public Association, Low Income Housing Institute, SeaMar Community Health Centers, Seattle Housing Authority and other agencies that provide similar services.

Newly announced assistance for Seattle homebuyers

A significant funding initiative for members of Seattle's labor community was announced last month after the City of Seattle awarded $500,000 in down payment and buydown assistance to HomeStreet Bank. These funds will be used to enhance the benefits offered as part of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust's Homeownership Opportunity Initiative. Amounts can vary from $1,000 up to $10,000 per borrower. This should help between 70 and 100 homebuyers who earn up to 80% of the median income, which is $62,320, and who purchase a home in the city of Seattle. The new feature will be called HOI Plus.

For more information on this program or to have a representative from HomeStreet Bank speak at your next membership meeting, call the HomeStreet hotline at (206) 628-0207.

Executive Secretary's Report — Seattle Schools Director Mary Bass sees the forest — others walk into trees
Seattle School District Director Mary Bass focused on the forest instead of the trees last week, and she towered above her colleagues in the eyes of workers in King County. She cast the sole dissenting vote when the Seattle School Board voted to award the student transportation contract to Durham School Services. (Click here for the Seattle P-I's story.) Mary, who was elected last fall, voted no because she said to do otherwise would mean tossing out her entire belief system.

Mary understood that if the school district adopted strict requirements to protect the bus drivers and mechanics — many of whom have driven our children for over 20 years! — it wouldn’t matter who got the contract. Other board members could only see the supposed $1.5 million savings, and were too impatient to work out binding protections for the workers.

Mary spoke eloquently for a strong coalition of supporters including Seattle Education Association President John Dunn and their rank & file, parents, students, community leaders, legislators, and many more. Speaker Frank Chopp saw the situation clearly and worked with us in private lobbying with school board members before the vote. But other board members’ reliance on the worn mantra of "putting students first" as an excuse not to take responsibility as an employer revealed a serious gap in understanding that children don’t learn in a vacuum, they learn in a community.

How can some so clearly see the forest while others walk right into trees?

Betraying workers who have safely bussed our children for decades when a solution was available costs us a piece of our collective soul. And it cost about 400 workers the job guarantees they’ve earned. In addition to Mary’s standing tall, so did Teamsters Local 763 and Machinists Local 289. They fought hard, mobilized quickly, and stayed focused on the big picture. And they will continue their fight to protect the workers who transport our children.

If our children are watching — and they always are — I’m sure they see Mary Bass and others standing tall for their principles. Despite the pain for the workers and students, knowing that some are keeping an eye on the forest provides hope for all. If you would like to thank Mary for standing up for workers' rights, you can e-mail her at mabass@seattleschools.org. — Steve Williamson

Summer School for Union Women
Women who are members of labor unions are invited to participate in The Labor Center at Evergreen State College's 13th Annual Summer School for Union Women, to be held June 26th through 30th at the Evergreen campus in Olympia.

A draft agenda and registration form are available online. Space is limited to 60 participants, and the deadline for registration is June 10th. The $450 residential registration fee includes the training, room and board starting with dinner Wednesday evening (the 26th) through brunch Sunday morning (the 30th). The $350 non-residential fee includes attendance and meals.

The Washington State Labor Council Women's Committee is offering scholarships for the Summer School. The scholarship application is available online (in MS Word format), and is due by May 15.

Other scholarships may be available as well. For more information, contact coordinator Lucilene Whitesell at (360) 867-5038.

Online Resources
The AFL-CIO just announced their new executive pay watch website. The site tracks CEO pay for the S&P Super 1500 Index, analyzes new trends and offers tools for action to hold corporations accountable. Check it out at www.paywatch.org.

The Worker Center, AFL-CIO, is now online at www.wc-kclc.org/index.htm. Visit their site to learn more about the economic and workforce development division of the King County Labor Council.

Dates to remember...
April 17, 2002 at 5:30 p.m. - The KCLC Education Committee will present a training titled 'Globalization and Militarization: How U.S. policy impacts workers here and around the globe' with TransAfrica Director Bill Fletcher. This event is free and open to all interested parties. It will be held in Hall 8 of the Seattle Labor Temple.

April 17, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. - KCLC Delegates Meeting, Seattle Labor Temple, Hall 1.

May 11, 2002 - The National Association of Letter Carriers sponsor their 10th Annual National Food Drive. Leave your non-perishable food items in or beside your mail box to be picked up by your letter carrier to help those in need!
May 18, 2002, noon to 5:00 p.m. - Here We Stand, a free concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of Paul Robeson's 1952 concert, will take place at the Peace Arch Park in Blaine on May 18, 2002. The event will feature musicians, artists and social activists committed to the same ideals as Robeson promoted during his historic concert fifty years ago. Click here to visit the Paul Robeson Memorial Concert site, where you'll find information on the upcoming concert as well as historic details from the 1952 concert.