June 2004

Seattle’s new Monorail Green Line will stimulate the regional economy in a variety of ways. As one of the largest public works projects in the city’s history, the Monorail will create an average of 2,100 jobs annually in the construction, retail, service, and manufacturing sectors between 2005 and 2009. Many of these will be entry-level jobs and apprenticeships, providing new opportunities for a diversity of people to enter the skilled workforce.

As the Monorail helps to create high-quality jobs, a wide range of local businesses will get a needed boost. Small businesses are expected to see an $80 million increase in income with the rise in family-wage jobs that support the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Green Line. In addition, when the first Monorail trains begin to carry passengers, businesses in close proximity to any of the 19 Monorail stations should benefit as foot traffic increases in many neighborhood commercial districts along the Green Line.

The even bigger economic picture is that the Monorail, like other large-scale transit systems across the country, is expected to increase residential and commercial property values along the Monorail route. The result could be as much as a $235 million boon to state and local government programs that support education, law enforcement, and social services.

Monorail Access and Connectivity: Get the Scoop in Inside Track
Inside Track, the Seattle Monorail Project’s regular printed newsletter, has devoted the June/July issue to access and connectivity issues and how the Monorail will make it easy for everyone to get around.

    • Will the Monorail be quick and easy for me to use?
    • Will I be able to transfer to other transportation?
    • Will it get me where I want to go? Will I be able to take my bike on the train?
    • Will strollers and wheelchairs have easy access?

The June-July issue of Inside Track answers these questions and more by exploring access — how riders will reach and use stations, and connectivity — how the Monorail fits in with the rest of Seattle’s transportation network. Quick, reliable, safe transit that allows you to easily travel to where you want to go is the reason for the Monorail Project. Everyone benefits from a simple, straightforward transportation system, and the Monorail achieves that through access and the ability to connect with other transportation options.

Inside Track can be found at hundreds of businesses along the Green Line route as well as other locations throughout Seattle, including the King County Labor Council office. Stop in at a local bookstore, bakery, or coffee house and read up on the progress of your Monorail. You can also find it on the Seattle Monorail Project Website by clicking here.

Want to help? You can join the team of volunteers who help the Seattle Monorail Project at community festivals and events by sharing news and information about the Monorail. Simply contact Linda at Linda@elevated.org to get started.

Monorail Construction Update
On June 14, 2004, the Seattle City Council voted 8-1 to approve the project’s 14-mile route from Ballard to West Seattle. Councilmember Richard Conlin cast the dissenting vote.

On June 28, 2004, the Council Committee of the Whole voted 9-0 on the project’s Transit Way Agreement (TWA) which outlines the legal agreement between SMP and the City regarding construction in the city right-of-way.

The next milestone for the project is choosing a contracting team to design, build, operate and maintain the Monorail. The Monorail Board will choose the team in September based on “best value” criteria, and begin negotiations on the details of the team’s contract for the project.

The Seattle Monorail Project is assembling a diverse workforce to make the Monorail a reality. To that end, local union leaders worked closely with SMP earlier this year to create and sign the Green Line Project Labor Agreement (PLA). The agreement requires contractors and subcontractors on Green Line construction jobs to pay prevailing wages and benefits with cost-of-living adjustments. The affiliated international unions of the Building & Construction Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) unanimously approved the agreement, which creates new opportunities for inclusion by including equal-opportunity and apprenticeship aspirational goals, provisions to promote opportunities for local residents and businesses, and a Helmets to Hardhats program to bring military veterans into construction jobs.

The Monorail Green Line will be one of the largest public works projects in the city’s history and the PLA will cover the approximately six million project labor hours expected for construction. That means an average of 2,100 jobs per year between late 2004 through 2009, when the new Monorail is scheduled to become fully operational.

The Seattle Monorail Project has set strong aspirational goals of inclusion and apprenticeship to expand and develop our regional workforce and the skills they need. Project leaders hope to have women and people of color perform one-third of total work hours on the Project, and have apprentices perform 20 percent of work. To advance the apprenticeship goal, SMP will invest $300,000 in apprenticeship preparation programs. The Green Line PLA is also the first in Washington and among the first in the nation to be connected with Helmets to Hardhats, a Carlsbad, California-based nonprofit agency that helps military veterans transition into careers in the building and construction trades through union apprenticeships which lead to Journeyman status and wages.

The jobs covered by the PLA will be as diverse as the workforce: bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, truck drivers, cement masons, sheet metal workers, electricians, elevator constructors, iron workers, roofers, laborers, operating engineers, and others.

Grocery contract negotiations update: Federal mediator to intervene
Late last week, the employer group agreed to UFCW’s request that a federal mediator be brought in as part of the union’s effort to protect affordable health care for the workers and their families. The current contract has been extended through July 9th, with the next set of negotiations to take place July 6th and 7th.

“Progress has been very slow and the two sides are far apart, but hopefully bringing in a federal mediator is a sign that the employer is ready to be reasonable in its demands on our health care, pensions and wages,” said Sharon McCann, UFCW Local 1105 President.

The community effort to help the workers continues, with thousands of consumers throughout Puget Sound signing pledge cards over the past week to show support and resolving to shop elsewhere if needed. Even Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels weighed in to show his support, saying “When wages fall and benefits shrink or disappear, employees and their families go from the middle class into the margins, where housing, health care, a decent pension and other needs are increasingly out of reach.”

“Put People First” rally gains momentum
On Saturday, July 17th, the “Put People First” rally will be held at Westlake Park in Seattle starting at 1:30 p.m. The rally is being planned in response to the National Governors Association annual meeting being held in Seattle that week. Turnout for this event is absolutely necessary to send these governors from all 50 states the message that the priorities of the people must come first:
    • Affordable, comprehensive health care for all residents
    • Educational opportunities for present and future generations
    • An end to outsourcing of state jobs at taxpayers’ expense
    • Corporate accountability for tax breaks and subsidies they receive
    • Budget priorities that assist poor & working families, including immigrants and undocumented workers, and provide assistance to the vulnerable in our communities.

Bring your family and wear your union colors! This will be a family-friendly event with street theater and music throughout. Help us show these policy-makers what their priorities need to be! Call Jonathan Lawson at 1-800-562-6002 for more information.

10,000 sign health care petition to Seattle City Council
More than 10,000 signatures have now been gathered on a petition asking the Seattle City Council to place an advisory “Health Care Is Everybody’s Right” measure on the November ballot.

The petition drive, initiated by the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans and endorsed by the King County Labor Council, is expected to go before the Council for action in late July. The proposal would enable the electorate to vote on this proposition: “Every person in the United States should have the right to health care of equal high quality. The Congress should immediately enact legislation to implement this right.”

Announcements
GSEAC/UAW contract ratified: We reported last month that GSEAC/UAW Local 4121, the union representing 4,600 academic student employees at the University of Washington, had reached a tentative agreement with the UW. We are pleased to report that members of the union voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contract.

Key features of the contract include guaranteed wage increases for all academic student employees, improvements to health insurance coverage, strong workload and non-discrimination/harassment protections, and provisions for protections of job rights and contract enforcement through neutral arbitration.

Stagehands union victories: IATSE Local 15, the union representing stagehands, has two significant victories to celebrate. They recently signed a labor agreement with the Everett Events Center. The first-time agreement is for three years, with wage increases of 3% each year, plus 10% health and welfare, 5% pension contribution and an additional 5% annuity contribution. The wages per hour go from $19.50 to $27.00 per hour depending on the classification of work.

Local 15 also reached a tentative agreement with the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham. The three-year agreement calls for wage increases of 9% in the first year then 3% each of the next two years.

1,600 Tyson workers keep union representation: Teamsters Local 556 celebrated a victory earlier this month when the National Labor Relations Board denied a challenge by the Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in Wallula. The company tried to challenge a vote held in April to keep the union in place.

Representatives of Teamsters Local 556, which represents about 1,600 workers at the plant, said they hoped the board decision would help forward negotiations about a new contract to replace a previous agreement that expired last month.

Activists gain victory in court with support from labor: On June 28th the nine Rainforest Action Network (RAN) activists accused of "criminal sabotage" for hanging a banner from the construction crane across from the Seattle Labor Temple entered negotiated guilty pleas to charges of misdemeanor trespass. Under the terms of the agreement, each defendant will be on probation for 364 days, and be required to perform 64 hours of community service. The King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng continues to hold out the possibility of requiring restitution to the contractor involved. However Swinerton, the contractor, has indicated that it doesn't want restitution, and Maleng has indicated that he'll drop the demand upon receipt of formal communication from Swinerton.

The defendants stress that support from the local labor community was key in getting Maleng to back off the exaggerated felony charges of "criminal sabotage," and particularly cite the support from KCLC as having a major impact.

Jennifer Krill, one of the defendants and a long-time activist ally of labor, expressed thanks "from the bottom of my heart for all the support we got from the labor movement in Washington State — it really made a difference for the prosecutor to know that the case was being watched closely. It showed prosecutors that, even in the age of homeland security, they can't get away with stomping on basic rights. If there's anything that RAN can do to help labor in Washington State, please let us know."

New Affiliate: Welcome IFPTE Local 8A, our newest affiliate! Local 8A represents workers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA, including those at the Chittenden Locks in Seattle.

Upcoming Events
July 6th-10th Summer Institute for Union Women
This annual program will be held in Los Angeles this year, bringing together women from all over the western region with a focus on the health care crisis and international solidarity. Contact MyMy Lu at (310) 206-0812 or mymylu@ile.ucla.edu if you’re interested in attending.

Saturday, July 17th, 1:30 p.m. Put People First Rally
The National Governors Association is coming to Seattle for their annual meeting. Join us as we rally and march to tell them that the priorities of the people come first! (See story above.) The event will be held at Westlake Park in Seattle.

Wednesday, July 21st, 6:00 p.m. PSLA Ice Cream Social Fundraiser
Join us for the annual summer fundraiser for the Puget Sound Labor Agency. Your donation of $10 buys all the ice cream you can eat and benefits the Agency’s many community service programs. Just come to Hall one of the Seattle Labor Temple one hour before the July delegates meeting.

July 29th – August 1st 14th Annual Community Strategic Training Initiative
This unique training event for community-based leaders working throughout the West will focus on issues such as civil rights, environmental justice, education, gender justice and labor issues. The event will be held at Reed College in Portland. You can find out more or register online at www.westernstatescenter.org.

Monday, September 6th, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. King County Labor Council Labor Day Celebration
It’s time to celebrate Labor Day! The annual tradition continues at Shelters 1, 2 and 3 of Woodland Park. We’ll have music, food, clowns and games for kids, and plenty of labor solidarity. This is also a great chance to meet campaigning elected officials eager to hear what you have to say and to win your vote!

September 12th-17th Train the Trainer Program on Workplace Health and Safety
This six-day “train the trainer” program is being offered by the George Meany Center for Labor Studies locally in conjunction with the Washington State Labor Council. It’s geared toward union members and will offer invaluable information on the fundamentals of workplace health and safety. Participants will be able to teach or facilitate classes for other union members after completing the program. The cost is only $275, which includes lodging and all meals at the Laborers’ Training Center in Kingston, WA. Space is limited to 20 participants so anyone interested should contact Randy Loomans at (360) 943-0608 or rloomans@wslc.org as soon as possible for more information.