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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2009)
FEB. 6, 2009:NWLP 2/3/09 10:12 AM Page 4 Lots at stake for workers Labor has full plate before Washington Legislature By DON McINTOSH Associate Editor OLYMPIA — State lawmakers as- sembled here Jan. 12 for what will surely be a crisis session of the Wash- ington Legislature. Washington state government’s share of the global re- cession is a projected $5.7 billion rev- enue shortfall in the next two-year budget. Unlike the federal govern- ment, states have to balance their budgets. So unless there’s a full-scale federal bailout of state governments, Washington lawmakers and Gov. Christine Gregoire will be weighing spending cuts and revenue increases. Workers have a big stake in those decisions, and representatives of the state’s labor movement will lobby and testify in the weeks and months lead- ing up to the April 26 close of the leg- islative session. Grappling with the budget won’t be the only topic, though. Organized la- bor also expects the Democratic ma- jority to deliver on reforms — such as extending the right to unionize, setting up a fund to provide paid family leave for workers, and requiring payment of the prevailing wage on mixed public- private construction projects. Most of labor’s political efforts are coordinated through the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) — the statewide body chartered by the na- tional AFL-CIO. In the fourth most unionized state in the nation, WSLC represents most major unions except the Washington Education Associa- tion, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the United Broth- erhood of Carpenters. About 500 local unions are affiliated, with a combined membership of about 400,000. And WSLC sees itself as the advocate for working people in general, not just of union members, said spokesperson David Groves. WSLC is calling on lawmakers to put more money in the hands of unem- ployed workers, which could help stimulate the economy. Washington’s unemployment insurance trust fund has $4 billion in reserves, a much higher level than most states. Gov. Gregoire is proposing to tap the fund to add $45 a week to unemployment insurance benefits. Business groups have vowed to fight the proposal. WSLC supports it, and also wants to see a rule change so that individuals can get unemployment if they quit be- cause they’re relocating to where a spouse has found a new job. Last fall, responding to the budget shortfall, Gov. Gregoire announced a state government hiring freeze. Since then, the budget picture has worsened to the point where state worker layoffs are on the table. But her December budget proposal to the Legislature crossed the line for several unions. The governor didn’t ask lawmakers to fund the modest raises that had just been agreed to in contract bargaining with PAGE 4 several state worker unions. Three public employee unions filed suit for breach of contract — the Washington Federation of State Employees (an af- filiate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employ- ees, which represents most state em- ployees); SEIU Local 775, which rep- resents home health care workers; and health insurance. That means no cuts to the state’s program of health insur- ance for children from low-income families. And it means a decision on how to move forward on a program of comprehensive health care reform. Under Senate Bill 6333, passed last year, a citizen task force hired a con- sultant to account for five major pro- posals to overhaul health care; that gives lawmakers a menu of options to choose from. “We think health care reform is part of eco- nomic recovery” Groves said. “To take the burden off business and working families … frees up money to create jobs and spend money in other areas that help the economy.” The labor council also wants law- makers to stop stalling and make a de- cision on how to fund a paid family leave benefit they approved in 2007. The program would replace up to $250 a week of lost wages for workers who take family leave after the birth or adoption of a child. The benefit would apply only at workplaces with 50 or more employees, the same workers who now have a federal guarantee of unpaid family leave. The problem with unpaid family leave is that workers can’t afford to use it. So the modest benefit would make a difference. Ex- cept Olympia never decided how to fund it: Would it come from a 2 cents per hour payroll tax on workers, or a penny each from workers and employ- ers, or even from unemployment in- surance fund? Whichever, it’s time to get it off the ground, WSLC will ar- gue. Meanwhile, the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council (WSBCTC), which pools the political agendas of the state’s building trades unions, will focus on proposals to expand apprenticeship opportuni- ties; bring unemployment insurance Aside from the economy and the state budget, WSLC’s top reform priority ... is the Worker Privacy Act. SEIU Local 925, which represents childcare workers. The legal dispute had not been resolved as of press time. Basically, the governor’s office is arguing economic necessity, whereas the unions counter that the governor has to ask to renegotiate the raises, and can’t just unilaterally dump the con- tract. And they say the governor’s budget failed to suggest alternatives — like ending corporate tax breaks. Washington has no personal in- come tax, so public services rely on the property tax, sales tax, and a busi- ness gross receipts tax; receipts from the last two have fallen significantly with the drop-off in sales and business activity. Cutting back on corporate tax breaks would be one way to increase revenue without raising taxes. A tax break for producers of bull semen has been the most singled out for ridicule, but all told there are about 600 busi- ness tax exemptions, totaling tens of billions of dollars. WSLC isn’t propos- ing that they be eliminated wholesale, just that they be looked at to see whether they accomplish their pur- poses, and whether those purposes are worth the cost to the treasury at a time when public agency budgets are facing severe cuts. Aside from the economy and the state budget, WSLC’s top reform pri- ority this year is the Worker Privacy Act. Under the bill, workers could not be disciplined for refusing to attend workplace meetings at which issues of individual conscience are to be dis- cussed — including whether to sup- port unionization, but also matters of religion, politics, or charitable giving. WSLC also wants to extend state- administered collective bargaining rights to community college faculty (possibly the last major group of pub- lic workers without that right) and to performing artists at small symphonies and opera companies not covered by the National Labor Relations Act. And WSLC, which is a member of the Healthy Washington Coalition, wants to see more progress toward making sure all Washingtonians have rules into compliance with federal standards; and give the state better tools to make employers comply with workers’ compensation coverage re- quirements. Thanks to previous rounds of legis- lation, most public works projects in Washington require at least some work be done by apprentices — opening up chances for new workers to gain skills. State-certified apprentice numbers have doubled since 1999, and now stand at close to 16,000. This year, WSBCTC hopes to extend the appren- tice utilization requirement to con- struction projects on higher ed cam- puses. “It’s a policy statement,” said WS- BTC Executive Secretary David John- son. “If you’re going to bid on public work, you need to make some com- mitment to training the future work- force.” WSBCTC also will push a bill tar- geting “bid shopping,” in which gen- eral contractors, after getting a con- tract, play subcontractors against each other to see which will do the work most cheaply. The bill would require contractors to name their subcontrac- tors when they get a contract. And WSBCTC will bring back a bill to expand the requirement that workers employed on public construc- tion projects be paid the prevailing wage. One idea would be to require private sector projects to pay prevail- ing wage if they’re given public money in the form of tax incentives or lower-than-market-value public land. Another would have the state begin to collect data on wages paid to out-of- state workers making pre-fabricated parts used in public construction, such as pre-cast concrete forms. For information and regular up- dates, union members can visit the Washington State Labor Council Web page at www.wslc.org. Members who want to get involved in WSLC’s legislative efforts should plan to attend a half-day legislative conference Thursday, Feb. 26 at the Olympia Red Lion Inn. Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland HEMORRHOIDS The Non-Surgical Treatment We specialize in the non-surgical treatment of hemorrhoids. 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