Seattle School District employees address wage theft issues
Click here for full story
-The stand December 15, 2015
Khanh Nguyen receives the check for his final repayment of over $ 10,000.00 in back wages due to misclassification. Brother Nguyen had previously received a payment of over $ 7,000 but the District's Human Resources Department struggled mightily for months over doing the right thing and paying him in full.
Dem-sponsored bill would limit school workers’ bargaining rights
thestand.org/2017/02/dem-sponsored-bill-would-limit-school-workers-bargaining-rights/
David Groves
By DAVID WESTBERG
OLYMPIA (Feb. 7, 2017) — In the latest of the national efforts to demonize public and educational employees, and following on the heels of similar anti-collective bargaining drives in Ohio, Wisconsin and Tennessee, Republicans in the “blue” State of Washington’s Senate have unleashed a number of legislative attacks on workers. They range from a clearly unconstitutional attempt to ban public employee unions from making political contributions to straight-up “Right to Work” (for less).
But amid these Republican assaults against workers are two proposals (SB 5726 and 5727) to remove health benefits from the scope of collective bargaining for local K-12 school employees. Last year, the Republican sponsor of this failed proposal, Sen. Steve Litzow, lost his bid for re-election. But this year several Democrats, including the new prime sponsor Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens), have taken up the mantle of these labor-opposed bills.
These proposals couldn’t come at a worse time.
Thousands of low-income Washingtonians are potentially being cut off from their medical coverage by Congress. Legislators are struggling to comply with a State Supreme Court order in the McCleary case to fully fund public education — and the fines for their failure keep piling up. And in a state with the most regressive tax structure in the nation, the two political parties can’t agree on revenue reform to fix this.
But apparently, a small group of senators can agree to support costly new legislation to limit collective bargaining rights. The 2016 version had an estimated $190 million in fiscal costs to the state. The costs of setting up a new agency to administer state-controlled benefits are not funds that can be considered as (McCleary) “basic education.”
This idea has been around for 25 years and was included in proposed biennial budget in 2012 at the insistence of the legislative “Roadkill Caucus” of conservative Democrats. These were the Democrats who frequently sided with then-minority Republicans to seize control of that body and pare back unemployment, workers’ compensation and other benefits for workers.
SB 5726 and 5727, introduced on Feb. 3, would prohibit agreements on health benefits from local collective bargaining. Instead, school employees would be given token representatives on a statewide board that would purchase and provide benefits, and dictate point-of-service cost-sharing levels and premium costs for districts and employees.
Workers and their unions would have virtually no say in this. This board would be heavily weighted toward administration. School districts would be at financial risk for variations in enrollment, and most administrative services would remain the responsibility of individual school districts, including customer service, payments to carriers, audits and verifications. Plus it would mandate a significant increase in reporting requirements to the state Health Care Authority — with no funding for this work.
Today, education workers in certain high cost-of-living areas like Seattle have done a good job of negotiating for comprehensive health benefit plans in order to attract and retain qualified staff. But in other parts of the state, often the more rural areas, there are fewer offerings in the much-smaller market. Employees there may choose to negotiate for higher wages to compensate for higher out-of-pocket health costs.
Taking the power to decide how to prioritize health benefits out of the hands of workers and giving it to a school district administration-dominated board is unfair and against what labor stands for.
Plus, there are significant costs to this proposal. Although official estimates are not yet available, previous incarnations of this proposal included an additional $20 million to “start up” the system and another $25 million per year in additional costs to be paid by education employees through “cost sharing” and higher premiums.
But the highest cost will be paid by thousands of part-time educational employees who could lose health coverage all together because they can’t afford the mandatory premium cost-sharing. The plan proposes no compensation for low-wage employees who have bargained historically to trade away wage increases for decent insurance coverage. Now this may be taken from them. They may have no other option than to migrate to Medicaid to get benefits — shifting another cost to the state.
Dubbed the “Wisconsin Plan” for its similarities to the plan put in place by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the Washington proposal looks to bring higher costs, poor customer service and bigger government to school employees and has been opposed by AFL-CIO educational employee affiliates: Local 609 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFT Washington, the Teamsters union, Washington Education Association, and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
We urge that SB 5726 and 5727 be summarily rejected. Again.
David Westberg is the Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 609, representing classified school employees across Washington state. For more information, visit www.iuoelocal609.org.
thestand.org/2017/02/dem-sponsored-bill-would-limit-school-workers-bargaining-rights/
David Groves
By DAVID WESTBERG
OLYMPIA (Feb. 7, 2017) — In the latest of the national efforts to demonize public and educational employees, and following on the heels of similar anti-collective bargaining drives in Ohio, Wisconsin and Tennessee, Republicans in the “blue” State of Washington’s Senate have unleashed a number of legislative attacks on workers. They range from a clearly unconstitutional attempt to ban public employee unions from making political contributions to straight-up “Right to Work” (for less).
But amid these Republican assaults against workers are two proposals (SB 5726 and 5727) to remove health benefits from the scope of collective bargaining for local K-12 school employees. Last year, the Republican sponsor of this failed proposal, Sen. Steve Litzow, lost his bid for re-election. But this year several Democrats, including the new prime sponsor Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens), have taken up the mantle of these labor-opposed bills.
These proposals couldn’t come at a worse time.
Thousands of low-income Washingtonians are potentially being cut off from their medical coverage by Congress. Legislators are struggling to comply with a State Supreme Court order in the McCleary case to fully fund public education — and the fines for their failure keep piling up. And in a state with the most regressive tax structure in the nation, the two political parties can’t agree on revenue reform to fix this.
But apparently, a small group of senators can agree to support costly new legislation to limit collective bargaining rights. The 2016 version had an estimated $190 million in fiscal costs to the state. The costs of setting up a new agency to administer state-controlled benefits are not funds that can be considered as (McCleary) “basic education.”
This idea has been around for 25 years and was included in proposed biennial budget in 2012 at the insistence of the legislative “Roadkill Caucus” of conservative Democrats. These were the Democrats who frequently sided with then-minority Republicans to seize control of that body and pare back unemployment, workers’ compensation and other benefits for workers.
SB 5726 and 5727, introduced on Feb. 3, would prohibit agreements on health benefits from local collective bargaining. Instead, school employees would be given token representatives on a statewide board that would purchase and provide benefits, and dictate point-of-service cost-sharing levels and premium costs for districts and employees.
Workers and their unions would have virtually no say in this. This board would be heavily weighted toward administration. School districts would be at financial risk for variations in enrollment, and most administrative services would remain the responsibility of individual school districts, including customer service, payments to carriers, audits and verifications. Plus it would mandate a significant increase in reporting requirements to the state Health Care Authority — with no funding for this work.
Today, education workers in certain high cost-of-living areas like Seattle have done a good job of negotiating for comprehensive health benefit plans in order to attract and retain qualified staff. But in other parts of the state, often the more rural areas, there are fewer offerings in the much-smaller market. Employees there may choose to negotiate for higher wages to compensate for higher out-of-pocket health costs.
Taking the power to decide how to prioritize health benefits out of the hands of workers and giving it to a school district administration-dominated board is unfair and against what labor stands for.
Plus, there are significant costs to this proposal. Although official estimates are not yet available, previous incarnations of this proposal included an additional $20 million to “start up” the system and another $25 million per year in additional costs to be paid by education employees through “cost sharing” and higher premiums.
But the highest cost will be paid by thousands of part-time educational employees who could lose health coverage all together because they can’t afford the mandatory premium cost-sharing. The plan proposes no compensation for low-wage employees who have bargained historically to trade away wage increases for decent insurance coverage. Now this may be taken from them. They may have no other option than to migrate to Medicaid to get benefits — shifting another cost to the state.
Dubbed the “Wisconsin Plan” for its similarities to the plan put in place by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the Washington proposal looks to bring higher costs, poor customer service and bigger government to school employees and has been opposed by AFL-CIO educational employee affiliates: Local 609 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFT Washington, the Teamsters union, Washington Education Association, and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
We urge that SB 5726 and 5727 be summarily rejected. Again.
David Westberg is the Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 609, representing classified school employees across Washington state. For more information, visit www.iuoelocal609.org.
Local 609's Website Archive Page
(Scroll Down Page to Find the Story or Item You Are Looking For)
(Last meeting was officiated by our outgoing Local 609 President, Duwayne Young Sr. December 12, 2015. Rachel Buck (Grounds) is new President and Jennifer Francis (Nutrition Services) is a new trustee.
Last meeting officiated by our outgoing Local 609 President, Duwayne Young Sr. December 12, 2015. We wish him good health and happiness in his retirement. Job well done and thanks for many years of service in the district and leadership for the past five years.
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RELEASE: Fed up with unsafe kitchen conditions, Seattle Schools employees pursue grievance
Union demands action over school district's 'unsafe' kitchen
KOMO 4 news ran this story July 14, 2015.
Seattle School District employees who work in the Central Kitchen at the John Stanford Center Educational Excellence (JSCEE) are fed up with unsafe working conditions.
Article in THE STAND click here to read
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We usually try to stay away from partisan politics but ballots are scheduled to go out next week and there are several measures on this year’s ballot that will directly affect our membership that we wanted to remind you of:
-In Seattle, Proposition 1b is the “City” Preschool proposal that would fund the beginnings of a pre-K program here patterned after what we have in our public school buildings such as Van Asselt and dozens of other schools. These public school sites offer the safety and stability of a trained workforce such as we provide (and teachers, etc.) can greatly benefit society and our community. Proposition 1b will provide subsidies for families struggling to make ends meet and increase access to the benefits of preschool. A competing program without funding (“proposition 1a”) primarily benefits private programs in private homes, for-profit and non-profit centers run by a non-AFL-CIO organization seeking to “poach” our work. We support public education and Proposition 1b proposes hundreds of new public classrooms of pre-school students which will expand our membership. Our union and others have endorsed the Quality Pre-School for all measure , as has the King County Labor Council. We have also contributed to the campaign.
Please support Seattle’s Proposition 1b
-Statewide, Initiative 1351 is a “class size” measure that would reduce class size so that students would get more individual education and fund more classrooms. This too would benefit our members so we urge members to please vote yes on State Initiative 1351.
Remember, how you vote is your business but evaluating and advising members on political issues is part of the role of your union representatives.
Of course, while most Seattle Districts are represented by Democrats, we hope that when marking your ballots, you will also remember that it has been the Democrats who have advocated for full funding of education (including COLA’s), closing tax loopholes enjoyed by corporations and reinstituting the estate tax and dedicating its proceeds to funding schools. We hope that voters send strong Democratic majorities to the State Legislature and each of us can help with our votes.
As always, please exercise your right to vote.
RELEASE: Fed up with unsafe kitchen conditions, Seattle Schools employees pursue grievance
Union demands action over school district's 'unsafe' kitchen
KOMO 4 news ran this story July 14, 2015.
Seattle School District employees who work in the Central Kitchen at the John Stanford Center Educational Excellence (JSCEE) are fed up with unsafe working conditions.
Article in THE STAND click here to read
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We usually try to stay away from partisan politics but ballots are scheduled to go out next week and there are several measures on this year’s ballot that will directly affect our membership that we wanted to remind you of:
-In Seattle, Proposition 1b is the “City” Preschool proposal that would fund the beginnings of a pre-K program here patterned after what we have in our public school buildings such as Van Asselt and dozens of other schools. These public school sites offer the safety and stability of a trained workforce such as we provide (and teachers, etc.) can greatly benefit society and our community. Proposition 1b will provide subsidies for families struggling to make ends meet and increase access to the benefits of preschool. A competing program without funding (“proposition 1a”) primarily benefits private programs in private homes, for-profit and non-profit centers run by a non-AFL-CIO organization seeking to “poach” our work. We support public education and Proposition 1b proposes hundreds of new public classrooms of pre-school students which will expand our membership. Our union and others have endorsed the Quality Pre-School for all measure , as has the King County Labor Council. We have also contributed to the campaign.
Please support Seattle’s Proposition 1b
-Statewide, Initiative 1351 is a “class size” measure that would reduce class size so that students would get more individual education and fund more classrooms. This too would benefit our members so we urge members to please vote yes on State Initiative 1351.
Remember, how you vote is your business but evaluating and advising members on political issues is part of the role of your union representatives.
Of course, while most Seattle Districts are represented by Democrats, we hope that when marking your ballots, you will also remember that it has been the Democrats who have advocated for full funding of education (including COLA’s), closing tax loopholes enjoyed by corporations and reinstituting the estate tax and dedicating its proceeds to funding schools. We hope that voters send strong Democratic majorities to the State Legislature and each of us can help with our votes.
As always, please exercise your right to vote.
Over the summer, the 609 Executive Board endorsed several candidates for the legislature and the City of Seattle’s Proposition 1 (on the November ballot) for Quality Preschool (“Pre-K”). Proposition 1 would expand and provide a funding stream for up to 100 classrooms of pre-kindergarten programs in Seattle.
There are currently dozens of such programs operating in SSD buildings utilizing funding from a variety of sources. In that public education is the one constant that society benefits from and schools are the safest environment most children will encounter, it makes sense for these programs to take place in schools with support services provided by the members of Local 609.
That is our goal and we heartily urge all 609 members to support this measure in November. There will also be a competing ballot proposal which would have private programs take this function on and we are not in support of that measure. The King County Labor Council has made a single endorsement of the City’s Proposition # 1 as has our Local union.
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VOTE TO SAVE YOUR METRO ON 22 APRIL 2014
Published on Apr 9, 2014 Seattle bus service is in peril - Vote YES on Prop 1 by April 22nd to save bus service for thousands of our citizens.
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Click on image to learn more
April 22, 2014 is an important day for two reasons - it is an important day to make sure you vote YES on Prop 1 to save "the Metro Lines", and it is also EARTH DAY... Do your part and vote YES on Prop 1 and Mother Earth will thank you for it!
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"Economic Growth Will Continue to Bypass the Majority..." Read More...
"The Parties vs. The People" Mickey Edwards Watch the PBS Newshour interview...
"Whither Moral Courage?"
"...we have become suspicious of those who take a stand against the abuses of power or dogma."
Click this link: "Whither Moral Courage?" (by Salman Rushdie , April 27, 2013) to read the New York Times article on the opinion page
Our friends at AFSCME want to share media content with you - Click this link - AFSCME - for
"Awesomely Fantastic Shareable Content Mailed Electronically"...!
"Awesomely Fantastic Shareable Content Mailed Electronically"...!
CITIZENS UNITED vs. FEC
"...democracy only works when people are in charge." (From the video "The Story of Citizens United V. FEC" presented by the folks at: "The Story of Stuff Project") Watch their video and learn why "Citizens United" is a very bad thing for our democracy...
Here's the link: "The Story of Citizens United V. FEC" "...an exploration of the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy"
Another link to educate yourself on "Fighting the Corporate Takeover of our Democracy"
Here's the link: "The Story of Citizens United V. FEC" "...an exploration of the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy"
Another link to educate yourself on "Fighting the Corporate Takeover of our Democracy"
SB 5856 "is a gratuitous attack on the workforce whose morale is already low"
Greg Devereux (far left) testifies with WSLC
President Jeff Johnson (center) and Randy Parr of the
Washington Education Association
President Jeff Johnson (center) and Randy Parr of the
Washington Education Association
These are the words spoken by Greg Devereux testifying before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday (25 February 2013) along with WSLC President Jeff Johnson, who stated: "We would find it unconscionable if this bill were to pass at a time when workers are struggling to come out of the Great Recession…. It's seen as just another attack on the middle class. This plan is an austerity measure analogous to attempts in Congress to cut Social Security…. And what we need to be focusing on is leveraging job growth and strengthening our safety net."
The current state pension system for employees under the age of 45 is at risk... Read the article via this link: The Stand
After reading the article, call the "HOTLINE" @ 1-800-562-6000
and let your representative know to "do the right thing" and vote NO on this bill...
The current state pension system for employees under the age of 45 is at risk... Read the article via this link: The Stand
After reading the article, call the "HOTLINE" @ 1-800-562-6000
and let your representative know to "do the right thing" and vote NO on this bill...
Julie Rogel, (609 Security Specialist w/Seattle Public Schools) Receives "Good Samaritan" Award...
Sisters and Brothers:
Recently, one of our members was honored as a "Hero" for saving a person's life in a traffic accident at the beginning of last school year. We are very proud of Julie Rogel, wish her the best and know that if any of our lives is "on the line", we appreciate having folks like her around.
Dave, 609 Business Manager
Recently, one of our members was honored as a "Hero" for saving a person's life in a traffic accident at the beginning of last school year. We are very proud of Julie Rogel, wish her the best and know that if any of our lives is "on the line", we appreciate having folks like her around.
Dave, 609 Business Manager
Julie Rogel (left), 609 member and Security Specialist with
Seattle Public Schools, received a "Good Samaritan" award recently for her heroics after being involved in a traffic accident |
Click image to read the details of Julie's award
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Local 609 & MLKCLC supports the "Resolution in support of KCLS Janitors" / Adopted 18 Sept 2013
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 Click the image for an Importantmessage from Brother Freiboth, MLKCLC
SEATAC Prop 1 in Danger!
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Criminalizing Children at School...
"...a larger police presence in schools generally does little to improve safety." This is from an editorial in the New York Times - click this link to read the full editorial:
"Criminalizing Children at School"
"Criminalizing Children at School"
"Don’t let this happen! Contact Your Senate and House Representatives."
© 2013 / AFT of Washington
Are you a part-time public employee...? Are you aware you may be forced into a new federal program under the "Affordable Care Act" called "Washington Health Benefit Exchange"...?
Find out more about this SERIOUS THREAT to YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE if you ARE a part-time public employee...!
Click this link: AFT of WASHINGTON and educate yourself, then CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR @1-800-562-6000 and tell them SB 5905 is UNFAIR and IMMORAL...!
Want to do more than just call your legislator...? Open this PDF, print it out and help gather signatures against this UNFAIR & IMMORAL senate bill 5905!
Find out more about this SERIOUS THREAT to YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE if you ARE a part-time public employee...!
Click this link: AFT of WASHINGTON and educate yourself, then CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR @1-800-562-6000 and tell them SB 5905 is UNFAIR and IMMORAL...!
Want to do more than just call your legislator...? Open this PDF, print it out and help gather signatures against this UNFAIR & IMMORAL senate bill 5905!
Health Care Information - 2013
It may seem "too early" to be thinking about the upcoming "open season" (in the Fall) when it comes to you and your family's health care policy, but now is the time to start planning for any changes you may want to make... Click the "Health Care..." navigation tab, or click this link - Health Care - to educate yourself and be prepared...
"...hands off our healthcare!"
CLICK THE IMAGETO READ ABOUT THISIRRESPONSIBLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION!
ESSB 5905 would strip eligibility for state-funded healthcare for all part-time state, K-12 and higher education employees.
Tell your legislators: “Don’t break the promise of healthcare reform – keep your hands off our healthcare!”
Call the Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000
Write and tell Legislators to keep the promise of healthcare reform
and reject Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5905
Read the letters to: Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray
Tell your legislators: “Don’t break the promise of healthcare reform – keep your hands off our healthcare!”
Call the Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000
Write and tell Legislators to keep the promise of healthcare reform
and reject Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5905
Read the letters to: Senator Cantwell and Senator Murray
Don't let Congress Cut Your Benefits!
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Keep Informed! Read THE STAND
Want to stay informed on issues that affect you and your family when it comes to legislation, both state and federal...? Then make it a point to visit the web site (click this link) "The Stand" and get up-to-date information on political issues that can affect your future at work and in your community...!
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Rally Against Proposed Health Care ChangesClick this link: RALLY to read the full article...
(And click on the image below to see the KOMO news story) 
The battle to close a $500 million budget gap is raging on in Olympia, and on March 20, 2012 hundreds of teachers rallied in Snohomish to protest a proposal they say would affect their health care coverage.
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A Special Message for Sen. Steve Hobbs
Click on image to see "A Special Message for Senator Hobbs"
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Organized Labor OPPOSES SSB-6442
Read the letter from organized labor to the Washington State Senate Members OPPOSING SSB6442 regarding the school health plan consolidation.
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Rumble in the Senate (26 January 2012) In this clip, Dave Westberg, Operating Engineers Local 609 Business Manager and Stationary Engineers Legislative Representative, speaks about why Local 609, the Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers, and WEA all oppose the taking away of collective bargaining rights.
(Note: To view the video clip FULL SCREEN, start the video, then click on the "Full Screen" icon (four arrows pointing outward) in the lower right hand corner of the video screen) |
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Plans 2 & 3 - Your Pension is in Danger...! CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR...!
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Help us make your voices heard in Olympia, the community and beyond. A call to action from the ML King County Labor Council...
In 2012, there will be many political and legislative fights to be waged. The most powerful tools we have to garner support for working families from
politicians and the general public are our stories.
A personal story is the one thing that can cut through the rhetoric and cynicism that too often pervades our political system. We want to hear from
workers. We need your voices to make the case in Olympia during legislative session this year. We need your voices to make sure the media is focusing on worker issues during the 2012 election season, and to help us secure victories for our champions in office this November.
Please click this link: MLKCLC to share your story, or pass this along to other workers who are struggling. Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you!
politicians and the general public are our stories.
A personal story is the one thing that can cut through the rhetoric and cynicism that too often pervades our political system. We want to hear from
workers. We need your voices to make the case in Olympia during legislative session this year. We need your voices to make sure the media is focusing on worker issues during the 2012 election season, and to help us secure victories for our champions in office this November.
Please click this link: MLKCLC to share your story, or pass this along to other workers who are struggling. Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you!
Are You Registered to Vote?
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If you are not registered to vote or still haven't
registered to vote, make sure you click on the "Register to Vote" picture at the left to get registered TODAY...! |
DEADLINES For Registering |
Obesity Rate Falls for New York School ChildrenRead the NY Times article about schools in New York City "emphasizing salads over high-fat foods"... Here's the link: School Children and Nutritious Food
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Schools have been emphasizing salads over high-fat foods. In September, Eric Goldstein, the Education Department's chief executive of School Support Services, showed off a salad bar in the cafeteria of P.S. 20 on the Lower East Side. |
Brothers and Sisters ~ Assistance for Union Families... Click to learn more about
the Puget Sound Labor Agency Please follow this link: A Message to 609 Members from our Business Manager...
Food bank clientele has almost doubled in the last two years – from 19,800 to 37,100 – and over one third of those were union families in need. Now, more than ever, the Puget Sound Labor Agency needs our help. Unemployment continues to hover around 9% in King County, with no improvement in sight. Many other local food banks are not able to keep their doors open due to reduced donations. This will increase the number of people relying on the Puget Sound Labor Agency for help. Help families in need. Make your tax-deductible donation today! Send your check to: Puget Sound Labor Agency 2800 First Ave #126 Seattle, WA 98121 Or donate online with your credit card at: www.pslaonline.org. For more information on the Puget Sound Labor Agency and their programs, please contact PSLA Director Steve Fox at 206-448-9277 or sfox@pslaonline.org. |
Local 609 Members
Brother Smith & Westberg (L-R) (Photo Courtesy of David Groves) |
Leader of the King County Labor
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"Economic growth will continue to bypass the majority..."
© NY Times 2013
"In Nigeria, You're Either Somebody or Nobody"
"In Nigeria, You're Either Somebody or Nobody"
“...every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law.” (Nigerian Constitution, Section 17(2)(a))"
February is "Black History Month" - a time to reflect upon the freedoms we all,
as American Citizens, enjoy today... We are all - in the eyes of the law
and in our collective consciousness - equal and free to persue life and liberty
in a free society... It wasn't always that way, and it took a civil war
to start us on the long road to the freedoms we have today; a
road that is never ending as long as there is injustice and inequality - not
only in the workplace, but in the social fabric of our nation and elsewhere in
the world... In the 21st century, there still exists an ever widening gap between rich and poor - not only in this country, but others as well... This story, in the New York Times, is about such a place: "In Nigeria, You're Either Somebody or Nobody"...
You can read about it via this link: NY Times...
February is "Black History Month" - a time to reflect upon the freedoms we all,
as American Citizens, enjoy today... We are all - in the eyes of the law
and in our collective consciousness - equal and free to persue life and liberty
in a free society... It wasn't always that way, and it took a civil war
to start us on the long road to the freedoms we have today; a
road that is never ending as long as there is injustice and inequality - not
only in the workplace, but in the social fabric of our nation and elsewhere in
the world... In the 21st century, there still exists an ever widening gap between rich and poor - not only in this country, but others as well... This story, in the New York Times, is about such a place: "In Nigeria, You're Either Somebody or Nobody"...
You can read about it via this link: NY Times...
Pension Study - "Early Retirement Reduction Factors"
When it comes to issues regarding our pensions, we all need to understand what is going on in the legislature - to that end, please click this link: SCPP to review what may affect "Early Retirement Reduction Factors" for 609 members.
(L-R) Mike Workman, Kin Lam, and Johnny Saya.
A few of 609's graduates from our first class of Stationary Engineer Apprentices.
We also want to congratulate those not pictured: Phil Harper and Brian Vo.
Through much hard work and dedication these five 609 members completed the four year program in only three years.
A few of 609's graduates from our first class of Stationary Engineer Apprentices.
We also want to congratulate those not pictured: Phil Harper and Brian Vo.
Through much hard work and dedication these five 609 members completed the four year program in only three years.
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