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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2006)
Several Change to Win locals sign Education Association partners with AFL-CIO Since last summer, the AFL-CIO SAN DIEGO — The national economy that works for all Ameri- ‘Solidarity Charters’ with WSLC has issued 852 Solidarity Charters to AFL-CIO signed an historic agree- cans.” SEATTLE — A number of local unions that are part of the Change to Win labor federation have signed AFL- CIO Solidarity Charters with the Wash- ington State Labor Council. Among the returning unions are Washington Public Employees Associa- tion/United Food and Commercial Workers Local 365; UFCW Locals 21, 81 and 44; UNITE HERE Local 8; Ser- vice Employees Local 925; and Team- sters Locals 117 and 252. “I urge other CTW unions to apply for charters so that together we can re- build and improve the Washington State Labor Council, making our state federa- tion an even more effective advocate for Washington’s working families,” said WSLC President Rick Bender. Chartered Change to Win locals pay the same per-capita fees as they did prior to their international union’s disaffilia- tion from the AFL-CIO, and maintain the same rights and obligations as other affiliates, including participation in WSLC governance and affairs, and eli- gibility of their members to hold WSLC office. Solidarity Charters are effective for one year. Carpenters benefit golf tourney July 27 The Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters is looking for sponsors and players for its fifth annual Schol- arship Endowment Golf Tournament. This year’s event is slated for July 27 at Trophy Lake Golf and Casting Club in Port Orchard, Wash. The nonprofit scholarship fund helps Carpenters’ children and grand- children attend college. Entry fee for the four-person scramble is $150. Sponsorships range from $250 to $5,000 for a Title Spon- sorship. For more information, call Dee Chilenski at 800-573-8333, ext. 8847. ment with the 2.8 million-member National Education Association Feb. 27 and it approved two new Solidar- ity Charters for the independent United Transportation Union and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. Under the terms of the AFL- CIO/NEA Labor Solidarity Partner- ship, announced at the AFL-CIO Ex- ecutive Council’s winter meetings, NEA affiliates can join the AFL-CIO at the local and state levels. Edward McElroy, general presi- dent of the American Federation of Teachers, a member of the AFL-CIO for 90 years, welcomed the action. “The American Federation of Teachers and NEA have become part- ners on many education endeavors,” he said. “Having the support of NEA affiliates inside the AFL-CIO’s local and state labor bodies will give educa- tors an even stronger voice inside the labor movement and will help our unions become more powerful advo- cates for quality education and for an In approving national charters for the two independent unions, the na- tional AFL-CIO will add 65,000 members from the United Trans- portation Union and 10,000 members from the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. 516 local unions of the national unions that disaffiliated from the federation last year. Solidarity Charters allow lo- cals of disaffiliated unions to remain united with AFL-CIO at the local and state levels, with full representation and voting rights. Senate sidetracks asbestos bill WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) — By a 58-41 vote, the Senate on Feb. 14 sidetracked a controversial asbestos trust fund bill being opposed by labor. Though most senators backed S. 852 —including Oregon Republican Gor- don Smith — it needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster by senators who, citing studies, said the $140 billion trust fund for asbestos victims would run out of money, forcing future funding from the U.S. Treasury. The strongest proponents of the leg- islation are large corporations like Hal- liburton and Honeywell, which have billions of dollars in asbestos liabilities. Companies with asbestos liability would be shielded from all asbestos lawsuits by paying into the govern- ment-administered trust fund. Asbestos-harmed workers and their families would be barred from suing for damages in court. Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma and asbestosis — forms of cancer — and other diseases. Labor unions and victims’ groups have lobbied against the bill, claiming it’s not enough money to cover sick workers and because it exempts too many others who have been exposed. Everyday Heroes Winter storms don’t watch the clock. Or the calendar. So you can’t count on them to roll in on schedule, weekdays between 9 and 5. Storms slice through when they feel like it, uprooting trees, flinging ice or dumping buckets of rain. It might be just past midnight. It might be on a weekend. Or even on a hard-earned holiday. That’s when we go to work. Plans are put on hold. Meals are kept waiting. And family is asked to understand. This winter has seen a parade of nasty storms. They’ve put our line crews to the test, and tested the patience of some customers. PGE would like to thank you, our customers, for your support. We also thank our dedicated line crew members, dispatchers, support staff, and customer service reps who have answered the call and kept the power flowing. We Do This Every Day. MARCH 3, 2006 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 7
