King County Labor Council

 

 

Labor's Voice
March 2002

 

Local security officers vote to join SEIU
Local members of the International Security Officers Union voted last week to affiliate with the Service Employees International Union by a 75% margin. The new local, which has yet to be assigned a number, will represent approximately 500 people in the Puget Sound area. Workers in other parts of the country are considering similar actions, potentially bringing in thousands of new members to SEIU and the AFL-CIO.
 
 
Collective bargaining won for state workers
In a huge victory for labor, the State Senate passed a bill last Friday that will allow state workers to directly negotiate for their salaries and benefits. State employees have been seeking collective bargaining rights for more than a decade.
 
Congratulations state workers and your unions! All workers deserve full collective bargaining rights — our entire state is better off as we respect your rights fully.
 
 
Executive Secretary's Report — Academic student employees win big!
In a sweet victory for academic student employees, Governor Gary Locke signed a law on March 14th enabling the University of Washington to recognize its several thousand graduate student teaching assistants, readers, graders, tutors, and researchers. We have steadfastly maintained that the University always had the authority to so recognize its grad student workers, but if enabling legislation makes it easier, we’ll take it!
 
The foundations for this victory were the workers’ commitment, solidarity and relentlessness. They signed cards to prove their majority. They signed them again by larger margins. Then they signed once more by a still bigger majority. They rallied. They struck. They sang creative picket line songs, but most importantly…they never gave up.

We congratulate both GSEAC/UAW and the University of Washington for jointly winning enabling legislation from a very distracted legislature. Next steps include providing appropriate proof of status and formalizing recognition by the University, then on to bargaining for their first contract.

We would like to thank Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Representative Steve Conway and House Speaker Frank Chopp for their leadership in passing this important bill, and to Governor Locke for his support. Thanks also to the legislators who voted for the bill and the elected leaders who endorsed the workers’ right to be recognized over the past year, including Congressman Jay Inslee, King County Councilmen Dwight Pelz and Pete von Reichbauer, and Seattle City Councilmembers Richard Conlin, Jan Drago, Nick Licata, Richard McIver, Judy Nicastro, and Heidi Wills.

Welcome to collective bargaining GSEAC/UAW!! — Steve Williamson

 

Artists' unions affiliate and agitate
Artists are workers too, and there has been a lot of interest in performing artists’ issues as workers. Our two newest affiliates include Actors’ Equity, which represents stage actors, and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), representing the dancers of the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the singers of the Seattle Opera.

 

Get involved in the biggest organizing campaign in years
Participate in the biggest house call blitz in Washington's history! Join SEIU Local 6 March 16th through the 25th as they visit over 20,000 homecare workers statewide in the next stage of building their union. If you can help with this campaign for any amount of time, contact Adair at adairkclc@mindspring.com or (206) 441-3473. Opportunities are available on any day and in any part of the state.

 

Ergonomics delayed for two more years
In a serious setback for efforts to protect Washington's workers from debilitating musculoskeletal injuries, Governor Locke announced last week that Washington State businesses would have two more years to adjust to state ergonomics rules. Rules to limit repetitive injuries at work were adopted two years ago. Locke has ordered regulators to continue implementing the rules, but to delay penalizing non-compliant businesses another two years.

Neither labor nor business groups are happy with the decision, but as companies adjust to the new rules, Locke expects their opposition will ease. Advocates for injured workers are concerned that the extra two years will not be used by business interests to promote education on rule compliance, but instead to continue their efforts to kill the bill.
 
WSLC President Rick Bender says of the decision, "With the announcement that he will postpone enforcement of the Department of Labor & Industries' ergonomics rule, Governor Locke has turned his back on the state's obligation to protect its citizens from unsafe workplaces. Apparently, the safety and health of our state's workers can wait until after the next election."
 
 
Online Resources
The AFL-CIO has a section of their website dedicated to tracking how President Bush is working against workers. Check out these links — you may want to add them to your favorites!
http://www.aflcio.org/bushwatch/index.htm
http://www.aflcio.org/bushwatch/ayearwithbush.htm
 
Click here to visit the Paul Robeson Memorial Concert site, where you'll find information on the upcoming May 18th memorial concert at Peace Arch Park and historical details on the original 1952 concert.
 
 
Dates to remember...
March 20, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. - KCLC Delegates Meeting, Hall One of the Seattle Labor Temple.
March 26, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. - Join Musicians Local 76-493 and others at the Paramount Theater for informational leafletting about the upcoming production of The Music Man, which will use non-union performers.
March 27, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. - The King County Labor Film Series presents The Killing Floor, a documentary film focusing on cultural politics in the union movement. The film will be shown at the Seattle IMC, 1415 Third Avenue. Sponsored by Pride at Work/Out Front Labor Coalition. For more information, e-mail bri@washtech.org.
April 5, 2002 at 2:30 p.m. - Mike Honey of the UW Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies will speak on 'Martin Luther King and the struggles of the working poor, local and global perspectives since 1968' at the UW in Smith Hall 304. This is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail pcls@u.washington.edu or call the Center at (206) 543-7946.
April 17, 2002 at 5:30 p.m. - The KCLC Education Committee presents 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.