PAGE 6 | January 20, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
NATIONAL
In late December, Trump Inter-
national Hotel Las Vegas
reached agreement with UNITE
HERE Local 226 on a first con-
tract covering 520 food, bever-
age and housekeeping employ-
ees, a month after the National
Labor Relations Board found
that the hotel had violated fed-
eral labor law and ordered it to
bargain with the union.
Workers at Trump hotels in
New York and Toronto are rep-
resented by unions, but the Ve-
gas hotel had fought unioniza-
tion, paying
more than
$500,000 to a “union avoid-
ance” consultant. The new con-
tract runs through May 2021
and provides for wage in-
creases, company-funded pen-
sion and health benefits, and a
grievance procedure.
Meanwhile, in Washington,
D.C., UNITE HERE Local 25
reached agreement with the
Trump International Hotel at the
Old Post Office Pavilion to re-
main neutral while the hotel’s
130 workers consider whether
to unionize, and to voluntarily
recognize the union if a majority
of the employees sign authori-
zation cards. Trump, sworn in
today as president, is co-owner
of both hotels.
Cantwell and Murray side
with Pharma over public
Washington U.S. Senators
Maria Cantwell and Patty Mur-
ray were among 13 Democrats
to vote against an amendment to
allow Americans to legally im-
port cheaper medicines from
countries like Canada. The
amendment failed 52-46.
Twelve Republicans and all
other Democrats — including
Oregon’s Jeff Merkley and Ron
Wyden — voted for the amend-
ment, which was sponsored by
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Ver-
mont) and Amy Klobuchar (D-
Minnesota).
Washington DC City Council
passes paid family leave
Washington DC’s City Council
has approved the most generous
paid-family-leave law in the
country. The ordinance, passed
in a 9-4 vote, requires private-
sector employers to provide
paid leave to workers at up 90
percent of their wages (capped
at $1,000 a week) — up to eight
weeks for the birth or adoption
of a child, up to six weeks to
tend to sick relatives, and up to
two weeks for personal illness.
The paid leave will be funded
by a city payroll tax of 0.62 per-
cent that will raise an estimated
$246 million a year.
A late-October poll found 80
percent of D.C. voters in favor
of the ordinance, and many
small businesses were support-
ive too.
In 2004, California became
the first state to offer paid family
leave, followed by New Jersey,
Rhode Island, and New York.
The United States is the only in-
dustrialized nation to not offer
paid family leave nationwide.
Photo from the Twitter feed of AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka – @RichardTrumka
Trump hotels in Vegas and DC
reach union agreements
National AFL-CIO endorses
Keith Ellison to lead DNC
The Executive Council of the
AFL-CIO has voted to endorse
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) to
lead the Democratic National
Committee (DNC). Several can-
didates sought the endorsement
of the national labor federation,
meeting personally with mem-
bers of the federation’s Political
Committee, which ultimately
recommended the endorsement.
“Representative Ellison
meets the high standard work-
ing people expect from leaders
of our political parties,” said
AFL-CIO President Richard
Trumka. “He is a proven leader
who will focus on year-round
grassroots organizing to deliver
for working families across
America. Under his leadership,
the Democratic Party will em-
body the values that our mem-
bers stand for every day.”
Ellison said the AFL-CIO
knows the challenges facing
America’s working families and
how to speak to working Amer-
icans of all colors, genders and
backgrounds. “I am proud to be
on their side, and I am even
prouder that the AFL-CIO is on
mine. Workers will be central to
the Democratic Party,” he said.
Many unions affiliated with
the AFL-CIO have leaders as
well as rank-and-file members
on the DNC. However, the
AFL-CIO does not have a direct
affiliation with any political
party, and membership includes
those across the political spec-
trum. The endorsement of DNC
chair is a reflection of the values
of AFL-CIO members and the
vote among their representa-
tives, Trumka said.
President-elect Trump meets with AFL-CIO’s Trumka
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump met with
national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
on Jan. 13. Trumka arrived at Trump Tower at
10:33 a.m. and left at noon. Neither side pub-
licly divulged what was discussed, but Trumka
described it as “a very honest and productive
conversation” in a tweet. Trump didn’t tweet
about it.
Trump transition officials also attended a
meeting the same day with several other union
officials, hosted by International Brotherhood
of Teamsters. Representatives of United Steel-
workers, the International Association of Ma-
chinists, and Communications Workers of
America also reportedly attended.
Trumka and other labor leaders have been
very critical of Trump, but have also pledged
to work with him on issues of agreement, such
as renegotiating NAFTA and other trade deals.
Trump has named a NAFTA critic as his
trade ambassador: Robert Lighthizer, his nom-
inee as the United States Trade Representative
(USTR), was a former deputy USTR under
Ronald Reagan.