Executive Secretary’s Report: Especially In Tough Times… Give Us Bread, But Give Us Roses

The Lawrence, Massachusetts textile workers strike of 1912 succeeded because the immigrant women who led the strike painted a big vision. Their rallying cry “Give Us Bread, But Give Us Roses” inspires us still. They knew that when we honor the dignity inherent in each of us, we are all better off.

The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride (IWFR) is also about a big vision, and I’m proud that it’s been conceived and led by the labor movement. Originated by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, the IWFR is kicking-off in ten cities this Fall, including Seattle. The three objectives are (1) a path to citizenship, including legalization, (2) family reunification, and (3) rights on the job regardless of citizenship status.

But the big objective is really to stand tall for the dignity in each of us. Immigrants come to the U.S. for many reasons. Some are refugees, seeking asylum from repressive native governments. Others can’t provide for their families at home (often due to U.S.-led trade policies). Many are recruited by U.S. corporations because of their special skills and education. Our constitutionally guaranteed rights (for citizens) draw still others.

But most U.S. citizens under-appreciate the contributions of immigrants. We forget that most of the food we eat is harvested and prepared by immigrants. We ignore the inequity of the taxes they pay while being ineligible for most services. But most of all, we fail to recognize how we — excepting Native Americans — are products of previous immigration.

Our vision of immigrants has been pretty limited for some time, but it got much smaller after 9/11. Now, instead of just being marginalized, Muslims, Arabs and Sikhs have been targeted in ways we haven’t seen since the World War II internment of Japanese Americans.

And yet they still come. They come because this nation was founded on a big vision.

The question for us in tough times is whether we can build a community that honors the dignity inherent in each of us so we’ll all be better off. The IWFR is a bold step in answering YES led by the AFL-CIO.

Immigrant rights are an issue of social justice, and it’s a tough issue that is about race, class, foreign policy, and more. Bound up in the complexity is an enormous opportunity to move toward a bigger vision. Let’s join our immigrant sisters and brothers in the struggle for bread and roses for all of us!

Bender Calls For Veto

Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, sent the following letter to Governor Gary Locke last week requesting his veto of certain sections of the measure rammed through the legislature last week that would decimate our state unemployment insurance system. It may not be too late to take action! Visit the WSLC website NOW for more information.

Dear Governor Locke:

This is a very sad day, not only for unions, but for all working families in Washington State. Our unemployment insurance system has been gutted. Whether Boeing builds the 7E7 or not and, if they do, whether they locate the assembly work here or not, all unemployed workers, from minimum wage to skilled building tradesmen, will suffer between a $40 and $100 reduction in their weekly unemployment benefit checks. Furthermore, 70 years of statute, case law, and precedent-setting decisions governing a law meant to protect working families have been sacrificed to the avarice of the business community.

As you are well aware, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, representing the entire labor movement in Washington State, put significant and dramatic proposals on the table regarding workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. Our proposals were designed to help make our businesses more competitive while minimizing the pain and suffering to working families through benefit cuts.

With regard to unemployment insurance, we put forth a proposal that provided equity as well as competitiveness in both the short and long run. Our proposal provided, on average, between $5 and $7 million a year in savings to the Boeing Corporation. This was actually more to Boeing through 2007 than the business proposal offered. And we accomplished this within a tax structure where solvency is not an issue and volatility of tax rates is constrained.

Throughout the legislative session we asked for your leadership and the leadership of the Speaker of the House for our proposal. That leadership was not forthcoming. With the passage of Second Engrossed Senate Bill 6097 the business community has been allowed to put into place a U.I. financing structure where solvency issues remain and severe tax rate volatility for businesses is guaranteed. These features are detrimental to both business and labor.

In addition, the business community has been allowed to structure the benefit cuts that working families will have to suffer, and they (business) were given carte blanche to change the structure of our unemployment insurance system.

I am both shocked and appalled at how the democratic process has been subverted and corrupted to achieve this end. Once again, workers have been victimized to feed corporate greed and arrogance.

So now we have one last chance to set some things right. One last chance to respect our democratic process and the working people who it is supposed to protect. I am asking you to take the leadership that, thus far, no one has been willing to take, and veto those sections of the law that rip asunder the basic integrity of our unemployment insurance system:

Section 1 – Intent

Section 4 – Voluntary Quits

Section 6 – Misconduct

Section 9 – Misconduct

Finally, given the severe and dramatic impact that four-quarter averaging of benefits has on working families, I am also requesting that you veto Section 11 of the bill.

How, during a recession, could we treat workers and their families so disrespectfully? This, I cannot fathom.

Sincerely, Rick S. Bender

KCLC Welcomes New Political Organizer

Last month, Karen Deal joined the King County Labor Council as our new political organizer. Karen’s been a professional political organizer since 1996 and has volunteered her time on various human rights, environmental and public health campaigns since 1984. With the exception of taking some time off to teach English in Spain, Karen has spent the past four years working to elect environmentally responsible candidates to office. The vast majority of these candidates were the same ones our Council was working to elect, which has fueled her enthusiasm for workers’ rights issues.

With Karen’s help, this year’s candidate endorsement process is moving quickly. Several candidates in local races have been endorsed already and more interviews are scheduled for July with endorsements to follow at the July 16th delegates meeting. If you’re interested in participating in the interviews, contact your union.

Union Employer Honored, Offering Discount

Cingular Wireless has been honored by the AFL-CIO with its 2003 Labor-Management Award, which recognizes a company’s commitment to the collective bargaining process and “exemplary labor-management relations.” Cingular Wireless was nominated for the award by CWA for maintaining a neutral posture as more than 17,000 of its workers have opted for union representation via card check.

For current union members who want to patronize this union employer, Union Privilege now offers discounted Cingular Wireless phone service to both new and existing customers. For more information, visit the Union Plus site.

UW Research Techs Ratify Local 925 Contract

By an 81% majority, research techs at the University of Washington voted to ratify their first union contract with SEIU Local 925. The contract provides economic parity with other Local 925 members, including additional pay steps and better vacation accrual.

The research techs started organizing with Local 925 back in 2001. They voted to join the union in 2002, and began contract negotiations in January of this year. During their organizing drive they had to overcome stalling tactics from UW Labor Relations and changes in state employee collective bargaining laws.

Their victory unites more than 5,000 UW employees as members of SEIU Local 925. Thanks to everyone who signed petitions, picketed and e-mailed in support of the research techs. It worked!

Online Resources

The Voter Education Project (VEP) – Washington is now operational. Check out their site here.

The National Employment Law Project has an exciting new website to help unemployed workers. The site was created for jobless workers and interested groups concerned about today’s job market.

Upcoming Events
June 25th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Tax Fairness Coalition and Citizen Action present “Let’s Talk Taxes: Who Pays? Who Benefits?” This is an interactive workshop held at the Washington Association of Churches office, 419 Occidental Ave South, Suite 201, Seattle. For more information, contact Kristin at (206) 204-0404 or kristin@forwashington.org.

July 16^th, 7:00 p.m.