M.L. King County Labor Council

Resolution opposing a statewide “Do Not Mail” list – 1/6/10
WHEREAS the November 2009 unemployment rate in the state of Washington was 9.2% and the citizens of Seattle and King County, as well as the entire state of Washington, are experiencing the deepest economic recessions since the Great Depression, and

WHEREAS the state’s projected budget deficit through mid-2011 of at least $8 billion is caused and exacerbated by high unemployment rates, and

WHEREAS approximately 44% of the federal workforce in King County and approximately 1/3 of the federal workforce in the entire state of Washington is made up by the United States Postal Service, and

WHEREAS direct mail employs 72,000 in the state of Washington, and

WHEREAS establishing a “Do Not Mail” registry would be an extremely negative development for the continued employment of union letter carriers, clerks, mailers, and postal patrons alike, and

WHEREAS more than 6,800 small businesses use direct mail to stay in touch with their customers, and

WHEREAS other unions and union sisters and brothers have jobs that rely on the United States Postal Service, and

WHEREAS direct (advertising and non-profit) mail accounts for more than 50% of mail delivered by the postal service, and

WHEREAS more than $14 billion is generated annually through direct mail, and

WHEREAS customers have had an effective, user-friendly system to voluntarily stop the receipt of unsolicited commercial direct mail to their property since 1972, and

WHEREAS the City of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington are at the forefront of recycling efforts and shall continue to lead the nation in these efforts, in turn catalyzing new technologies and employment opportunities in the green economy, and

WHEREAS the City of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington understand responsible business practices with respect to jobs and the environment, contributing to the state’s high business-climate rankings, be it therefore

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC goes on record opposing any action of the Seattle City Council to pass a resolution requesting a statewide “Do Not Mail” registry, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will bring its full support and assistance in defeating any such resolution brought forward by the Seattle City Council or the Metropolitan King County Council, whether in committee or by an action of the full body, and be it finally

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC transmits this resolution to the Seattle City Council and all Washington State Senators and Representatives which represent the City of Seattle and King County, as well as to the Washington State Labor Council.

Resolution endorsing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – 1/6/10
WHEREAS the AFL-CIO, WSLC, and MLKCLC have long advocated for equal protections for LGBT workers, and

WHEREAS LGBT workers still suffer discrimination in hiring and advancement, harassment in the workplace, exclusion of their partners from health and other benefits, and on average earn lower wages than their straight counterparts, and

WHEREAS this discrimination is especially pronounced for lesbians, LGBT people of color, and transgender workers, and

WHEREAS federal employees have no statutory protections against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination in the workplace, and

WHEREAS only 12 states currently have statutory protections against both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the workplace, and

WHEREAS federal anti-discrimination laws would benefit even states that now prohibit such discrimination by allowing the federal Justice Department to assist in investigation and prosecution of cases of discrimination, and

WHEREAS the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would add protections for LGBT workers to federal civil rights laws, and

WHEREAS AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, former President John Sweeney, and the AFL-CIO National Executive Council have endorsed ENDA, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC endorses the speedy passage of ENDA legislation including both sexual orientation and gender identity, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will communicate this endorsement to our Congressional delegation representing voters in King County, including Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will urge the WSLC to adopt this resolution and communicate it to the entire state Congressional delegation, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will communicate this endorsement to its affiliates and urge them to take similar action.

Resolution regarding the Washington State Convention and Trade Center Expansion - 1/20/10

WHEREAS the proposed expansion of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center could result in the creation of thousands of jobs in the hotel and hospitality industry in King County, and

WHEREAS thousands of new hotel rooms could be built as a result of the proposed Convention Center expansion, and

WHEREAS the majority of jobs that currently exist in the hospitality industry pay low wages and lack affordable family benefits, and

WHEREAS it is common that hospitality workers have to disproportionately rely on public help for essential services such as health insurance, child care services, housing, food stamps and other assistance, and

WHEREAS hotel workers in Downtown Seattle who are members UNITEHERE Local 8 have access to better wages, affordable quality family medical insurance, and essential protections on the job, and

WHEREAS the investment of public dollars in the hospitality industry should not create more poverty wage employment, but should help lift workers and their communities into the middle class, and

WHEREAS family supporting jobs in the hospitality industry would help directly create economic stimulus for some of King County’s most vulnerable low-income communities, and

WHEREAS public resources need to be used wisely in these difficult economic times,

WHEREAS the investment of public dollars into the hospitality industry creates a tremendous opportunity to positively transform an entire sector of our local economy, be it therefore

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC fully endorses UNITEHERE Local 8’s efforts to ensure that the Washington State Convention and Trade Center expansion benefits all affected workers and their communities while at the same time safeguarding public resources, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC urges decision makers to use all tools available at their disposal to ensure that hospitality jobs created by the Washington State Convention and Trade Center expansion are quality jobs that enable workers to provide for their families without having to rely on public assistance, and be it further

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC urges decision makers to provide low wage hospitality workers with a seat at the table regarding decisions that affect their industry, and be it finally

RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will bring its full support and assistance in advancing legislation on a state, county and municipal level that will improve the lives of workers in the hospitality industry.

Resolution supporting paid sick days for a healthy work force - 4/7/10

WHEREAS in Seattle 190,000 workers, 42%, have no paid sick leave; including 78% of restaurant workers, 55% of retail workers, and 29% of health care workers; and

WHEREAS physicians, public health officials, and the Center for Disease Control recommend people stay home when they are ill to prevent the spread of disease, speed recovery, and lower treatment costs yet without paid sick leave many workers cannot afford to stay home and/or are sanctioned when they do; and

WHEREAS paid sick leave boosts morale, commitment, retention and productivity; when San Francisco passed a sick leave ordinance the city had stronger job growth than surrounding counties the following year; and

WHEREAS at the M. L. King County Labor Council, we recognize the importance of paid sick leave and our own Agreement includes paid sick leave for all faculty resulting in a more productive and healthy workforce; and

WHEREAS as Unionists, we are committed to the principle of paid sick leave for all workers; and

WHEREAS the “Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workplace is working toward a sick leave ordinance in the city of Seattle that will

· Ensure all workers can earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked

· Provide flexibility to employers in providing paid time off policies

· Set a minimum standard of 40 hours accumulated paid sick time in companies with 10 employees or fewer and 72 accumulated hours in larger firms; therefore be it

RESOLVED the MLKCLC supports the principle and practice of paid sick leave and will work with the “Seattle Coalition for A Healthy Workforce” to promote paid sick leave in Seattle and other municipalities; and be it further

RESOLVED the MLKCLC will forward this resolution to the affiliates of the Council for their support as well.

Resolution to recommend opposition to Initiative Measure 1067, an initiative to force the privatization of the Washington State Industrial Insurance (Workers' Compensation) system - 4/21/10
WHEREAS the present workers’ compensation system administered by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is a competently run and low cost system of insurance for the workers of Washington State, and
WHEREAS initiative 1067 (I-1067) from the Building Industries Association of Washington (BIAW), mandates an irrational and irresponsible forgone conclusion that an insurance system established to provide for working men and women when they are injured on the job would be best run by private insurance companies, no matter what the task force may discover in its investigation, and
WHEREAS the initiative is legally questionable and likely in violation of Washington State’s constitution which means that if it passes we will be spending millions of dollars of our tax money to litigate this initiative, and
WHEREAS the initiative is undemocratic as it creates a task force with five representatives from the business community, two from insurance companies and only one from labor, be it therefore
RESOLVED that the Martin Luther King County Council recommends to the Washington State Labor Council that they take a position to oppose the passage into law of initiative 1067 or any other resolution that seeks to privatize the Washington State Industrial Insurance System and seek its defeat.

Resolution condemning Arizona Senate Bill 1070 - 7/7/10
WHEREAS Arizona’s controversial new anti-immigration law (SB 1070) is not only an affront to American values of fairness and respect for our constitution, but also an impractical, unenforceable and wasteful approach to fixing our nation’s broken immigration system; and
WHEREAS Arizona Senate Bill 1070 codifies racial profiling into law by requiring police officers to stop anyone they have “reasonable suspicion” to believe is not authorized to be in the United States, without providing guidelines that define what police can use in determining “reasonable suspicion.” In doing so, the law puts Arizona’s entire Latino population — the great majority of whom are U.S. citizens or legal residents — at risk of arrest; and
WHEREAS singling people out based only on stereotyping isn’t just wrong, it’s also impractical and wasteful policing. Under this law local police officers must now perform the job of federal immigration officials under the ever-present threat of being sued because the law subjects local governments and their employees to potential lawsuits by any citizen who believes the new law is not being enforced strongly enough. This will cost the state of Arizona million of dollars at a time when we just cannot afford to be wasting precious resources or expanding the mandate of already overburdened local police forces; and
WHEREAS as a labor movement, we are particularly concerned about the effects this law will have on workers’ rights. Any employer faced with Latino workers’ complaints—from a picket line to a lawsuit—can now simply call the police and have the workers arrested under the guise of “reasonable suspicion.” The law’s effects on new organizing and labor standards will be devastating; and
WHEREAS the people of Arizona and across the country are rightfully frustrated by the lack of federal action on the issue of immigration reform. For years, politicians in Washington have used immigration to play politics rather than to fix what they know is a broken system, and Arizona SB 1070 is merely a local continuation of this trend; and
WHEREAS the solution for Arizona and the entire country is to solve the immigration problem through a comprehensive solution on the federal level that reflects our nation’s values and works for everyone, not through a state-by-state piecemeal approach; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the M. L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO condemns SB 1070 as a racist, impractical, unenforceable, and wasteful law which will not fix Arizona’s immigration problem; and be it further
RESOLVED that the M. L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO calls on the Secretary of Homeland Security and the US Attorney General to take all necessary steps to prevent racial profiling, including blocking the implementation of SB1070; and be it further
RESOLVED that the M. L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO calls on President Obama and Congress to work together to pass a fair, comprehensive immigration reform bill that will fix our immigration system once and for all in a way consistent with our nation’s most precious values; and be it finally
RESOLVED that the M. L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO will continue to work with allies to promote comprehensive immigration reform based on the principles outlined in the labor movement’s unity framework, which contains five major interconnected pieces:
1. An independent commission to assess and manage future flows, based on labor market shortages that are determined on the basis of actual need;
2. A secure and effective worker authorization mechanism;
3. Rational operation control of the border and appropriate visa enforcement;
4. Fair adjustment of status for the current undocumented population; and
5. Improvement, not expansion, of temporary worker programs like the H1-B and H2-B programs, limited to temporary or seasonal, not permanent, jobs.
(Read for information.)

Resolution in support of short-term disability insurance legislation - 7/21/10
WHEREAS accident or illness forces one in five employees to miss work for at least one year before age 65; and
WHEREAS only 10% of disabling illnesses and accidents are covered by Workers Compensation Insurance; and
WHEREAS 350,000 personal bankruptcies every year are blamed on injuries or unexpected illnesses; and
WHEREAS for decades five states (CA, HI, NJ, NY, RI) and Puerto Rico have successfully administered programs to provide partial wage replacement for employees who are temporarily unable to work due to non-work related illness or injuries, including pregnancy; and
WHEREAS by limiting the spread of disease, reducing the potential of workplace accidents, and boosting employee productivity, morale and commitment, a healthier and more productive workplace will be created; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the M.L. King County Labor Council proposes a program for Washington that would:
• Provide partial wage replacement for working people who are temporarily unable to perform their regular jobs because of an off-the job injury or illness for up to 52 weeks, with medical certification;
• Provide partial wage replacement for working mothers who are temporarily unable to work due to pregnancy or childbirth;
• Travel with workers when they change jobs and cover workers regardless of pre-existing conditions;
• Be 100% employee funded through a contribution based on all employees’ pay;
• Be available to every eligible employee in the workforce who has paid a sufficient amount into the system or worked at least a certain number of hours or quarters before taking leave, consistent with Washington’s standards for unemployment insurance; and
• Be administered by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries; and be it further
RESOLVED that the MLKCLC will forward this resolution to the Washington State Labor Council for their consideration.

Resolution in support of a labor archive at the UW - 7/21/10
WHEREAS the Washington State Labor Council resolved at their 2008 and 2009 conventions to help create and fund a Labor Archive that will preserve the invaluable records of the unions and labor activists of Washington State and that will also teach and promote the importance of our labor heritage and the recognition that working people and their unions built this state and nation; and
WHEREAS the Washington State Labor Council aggressively supports the Harry Bridges Chair for Labor Studies at the University of Washington, created in 1992 by International Longshore and Warehouse Union activists to honor the memory of their great founder and long time president, Harry Bridges, to help carry on his work fighting for the dignity of labor and its place in history; and
WHEREAS in the past year more than $100,000 has been raised by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies towards the goal of $300,000 to fund the Labor Archive for its first three years; and
WHEREAS the Washington Labor Archive will become part of the Special Collections Library at the University of Washington and will combine the dozens of labor collections already housed in the library with new collections that will be added in the years ahead; and
WHEREAS the WLA will be managed by a professional labor archivist who will be employed by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies; and the labor archivist will also work with unions, advising them on records management and arranging for the donation and processing of materials to the Labor Archive and, in addition, the labor archivist will develop educational projects and materials that will be widely accessible to union members, schools, and the general public; and
WHEREAS the Harry Bridges Center has conducted a national search for a labor archivist and is currently negotiating with the top candidate and expects that the Archive will be opening this autumn; and
WHEREAS the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has pledged $50,000 in matching funding for each of the next three years; and
WHEREAS the Washington State Labor Council and the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies have each pledged $10,000 per year for three years; and
WHEREAS the Labor Archive budget of $100,000 per year will only be realized if the labor community digs deep and succeeds in matching the ILWU pledge; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Washington labor community commit to raising the required funding; and be it further
RESOLVED that the M. L. King County Labor Council requests that WSLC convene a committee of key labor leaders to develop a funding campaign that will realize the great opportunity presented: that a permanent labor archives program at the University of Washington not only gives the state a centrally located repository for archival collections but may, one day, facilitate similar efforts throughout the state where appropriate.