"A gross overreaction;" Boeing fought to block vote; state workers decry all-cuts budget; and more‏

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Email investigation a "gross overreaction"

Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender said today that it was a "gross over-reaction" for legislative leaders to refer an internal email between labor leaders to the Washington State Patrol for a criminal investigation. The WSP today announced that it "quickly" determined no laws had been broken. Read more.

► From AP -- State Patrol says labor email tying bill to campaign money wasn't illegal -- The weekend before the labor e-mail was sent, Gregoire administration officials were circulating an e-mail from Boeing lobbyists that pressured Gregoire to help halt the bill. In that e-mail, Boeing lobbyist Trent House told Gregoire aviation adviser Bill McSherry: "This bill must not come up for a vote or it will pass with a large margin and compel the Senate to act as well."

► In today's Everett Herald -- WSP finds no crime in labor email about worker rights bill -- Says WSLC President Rick Bender: "An honest mistake occurred in copying this e-mail to some legislators who already supported our legislation, so to characterize this internal e-mail as some kind of threat to legislative leaders -- or a possible crime -- is absurd."

► At Publicola -- Rep. Mike Sells says Democratic leadership should be investigated -- He says his leadership’s reaction was more like “something you’d expect from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation... Now there should be an investigation into how this decision (by the leadership to turn over the WSLC email to the state patrol) was made. Was it a ploy to get rid of the bill?”

► At HorsesAss.org -- PDC denies requesting labor email info -- Contrary to what the WSP reported yesterday) it seems the PDC wants no part of the flimsy faux-controversy “email-gate.”

Legislative news:

► At Spokesman.com -- State workers decry "all-cuts" plan -- In a scene replicated throughout the state, a group of state workers held a rally on the muddy capitol lawn today, calling on lawmakers to look at raising taxes to offset some deep budget cuts.

► In today's Olympian -- State workers rally at Capitol against possible cuts -- The WFSE held gatherings at the Capitol Campus and in state offices statewide Tuesday, hoping to build opposition to closing a massive state budget gap without more tax money.

► In today's SeattleTimes.com -- Closure of McNeil Island prison on the table -- Sen. Hargrove says the Senate is weighing closure of the country's last island prison.

► In today's Seattle Times -- Gregoire seeks higher ed surcharge -- Gregoire, who pledged not to raise taxes or fees this session, proposes that students pay a temporary surcharge during the next two years.

Local news:

► In today's Seattle Times -- Hunt for work harder as state unemployment rate skyrockets -- The state jobless rate shot up to 8.4% in February. That's six-tenths of a percentage point higher than January's rate, and above the 8.1% national unemployment rate.

► See regional coverage in The (Everett) Herald, The Kitsap Sun, The Olympian, The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, The (Tacoma) News Tribune.

► From AP -- Paccar CEO got $10.5 million in compensation -- His pay rose 27% from the prior year amid the current economic recession. Paccar said it had targeted net profit of $1.1 billion for last year, and profit came in at $1.02 billion. Meanwhile, layoffs at Paccar continue.

National news:

► From AP -- Labor infighting undermines political clout -- A vicious civil war over the future of UNITE HERE, a textile, restaurant and hotel employees union, has gotten so nasty that Democrats privately warn the battle could unintentionally derail labor's biggest agenda item, legislation making it easier for workers to organize. The dispute is affecting others in organized labor, with a UNITE HERE faction accusing the SEIU of using heavy-handed tactics to boost its already 2 million-strong roster by trying to raid eight smaller unions. SEIU, which has faced its own internal strife, calls the charges ''blatantly false.'' There's also unrest as rival federations AFL-CIO and Change to Win consider reuniting four years after an ugly split that left deep scars among labor's leaders.

► In today's LA Times -- Labor Secretary Solis pumps up crowd at workers' conference -- At the California Labor Federation event, the former congresswoman from California promises to be an advocate for workers, though she failed to address the EFCA.

► In The Economist -- Unions: In from the cold? -- Capitalism’s crisis gives the American labour movement a chance to revive and reinvent itself.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- On the Hill, Fire Fighters push for bargaining bill -- Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders tell more than 1,000 members of the IAFF that legislation protecting the freedom of firefighters in all states to join unions and bargain for a better life will be approved and signed into law.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- OSHA moves to protect workers from "popcorn lung" -- Reversing years of foot dragging while the agency was controlled by the Bush administration, the agency is moving quickly to protect workers from a serious disease caused by its artificial butter flavoring.