The debate x2 | Employees walk

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

LOCAL

► From the Yakima Herald-Republic — Monson Fruit Pays $250,000 to Settle Sex Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit –The lawsuit alleged that a manager sexually harassed a female employee in 2019 and then fired the employee’s husband in retaliation after she reported the manager’s behavior and rejected his requests for sex. The settlement requires Monson to add workplace policies and training to better protect employees from harassment, the news release said, and to remove the manager from supervisory positions. The $250,000 will go to the two former employees, the release said.

► From Geek Wire — Unions finally get a foot in the door at Microsoft… for an AI summit, and possibly more — A two-day AI Labor Summit between AFL-CIO leaders and Microsoft executives this week reflects the tech giant’s renewed approach to unions, including a pledge by the company to incorporate feedback from unions and their members into its artificial intelligence development.

► From the Seattle Times — Seattle City Council Considers 7 ‘Keep Out’ Drug or Prostitution Zones — Final votes by the full nine-person council are scheduled for Sept. 17, and changes could still be made. Opponents asked the committee to shelve the bills Tuesday, arguing that ban zones have been tried before, will not reduce crime, will lead to discriminatory policing and will further marginalize vulnerable people without addressing the root causes of drug addiction, gun violence and sexual exploitation through new investments in social services.

CONTRACT FIGHTS

► From my Northwest — Public service workers strike over staff crisis and wage cuts — The union claims the state’s proposal amounts to a wage cut. They say they’ve lost 20-30% of their purchasing power over the past 25 years due to “pattern negotiation.” According to the Expert Negotiator, pattern negotiation is based on the idea that precedent is a fair and practical standard to use in negotiations.

► From the Washington State Standard — Thousands of Washington State Workers Take Part in Lunchtime Strike — “They know the only way to recruit and retain the best people for public service is to raise wages,” Ava Clarridge, a general member of Local 443. “Why are they still asking us to do more with less?” The state presented its first compensation proposal on July 22. At the time, union negotiators called it “shortsighted and disrespectful.” On Tuesday, Clarridge said the current wage proposals do not account for inflation and could actually lead to pay cuts for many workers.

► From the Tacoma News Tribune — State workers protested at Steilacoom city hall. Here’s what they’re angry about

► From the Seattle Times — State workers strike across Western Australia to demand pay increases

► From the Yakima Herald-Republic — YVC teachers strike in support of state union members

► From the union-busting Colombian — Clark College staff walk out to protest state’s low wage offers

► From Axios — New York Times Tech Workers Union Votes to Authorize Strike — The guild, which was founded in 2022, has yet to secure a contract after more than two years of negotiations. It’s unclear when the guild plans to strike, but with elections approaching, any time in the near future would be problematic for The Times.

TO ORGANIZE

► From KTUU — Anchorage Daily News staff to unionize — Anchorage Daily News news staff and journalists are working to form a union, citing the need for fair wages, greater transparency and a sustainable work environment. According to the news guild, about 80 percent of ADN’s news staff supports joining The NewsGuild-CWA, which represents more than 25,000 media groups, including The Seattle Times and The New York Times.

NATIONAL

► From the AP — WNBA players, union speak out against commissioner after she failed to condemn fan racism — “Here is the answer the commissioner should have given to the very clear question about the racism, misogyny and harassment our players experience: There is absolutely no place in sports — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic slurs and misogynistic attacks our players face on social media,” the statement read (from WNBAPA Executive Director Terri Jackson).

► From The Hollywood Reporter — AFL-CIO, Entertainment Unions Reveal Federal Priorities for Nonprofits, Journalists — The policy, which addresses the concerns of nonprofit workers in 12 unions including Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and more, calls for stronger labor protections as part of federal funding received through the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, securing seats on federal granting boards for working professionals, and updating federal grants in these areas so that funds are not limited to just one production or project.

► From HR Dive — White House calls for stricter labor standards for federal agencies — The federal government considers itself a “model employer,” in the sense that private-sector employers often follow suit when it seeks to change standards. The “Good Jobs Executive Order” calls on agencies to adopt a set of standards around wages, unionization, workforce development and workplace safety.

► From Axios — The gender pay gap has widened for the first time in twenty years — Both men and women saw real gains in earnings last year, but the wage gap between them widened, according to Census income data released Tuesday. The median woman working full time in 2023 earned 83% of what the median man earned.

► From the world of people — Trade unions are the only major social institution whose public respect is growing –Podhorzer noted that since the Great Recession 15 years ago, respect for labor has skyrocketed, to a near-record high this year of 70 percent. The gap between respect and disrespect, though Podhorzer didn’t say, is now a record +47 percentage points.

► From the AP — Spacewalks are the new domain of the rich as billionaire attempts first private spacewalk – First there was space tourism. Now comes an even bigger thrill for the wealthy masses: spacewalks. Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman will jump from the hatch of his SpaceX capsule, two days after blasting off from Florida on a chartered flight that took him and his crew higher than anyone since NASA’s moonwalkers.

Editor’s note: We need to raise the marginal tax rate on these guys immediately.

POLITICS & POLICY

► From PBS — Here’s where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on key issues, from democracy and immigration to tariffs and trade — This year’s presidential election is a true battle of ideas between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, with clear differences over taxes, abortion, immigration, global alliances, climate change and democracy itself.

► From the Washington Post — Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris for President — “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she’s fighting for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend. I think she’s a determined, talented leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we’re led by calm and not chaos. I was so encouraged and impressed by her choice of running mate @timwalz, who has spent decades advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body.”

► From the government leadership — Lawmakers file petition to repeal controversial tax rule that hurts federal retirees — The windfall elimination provision reduces Social Security benefits for retired workers who spent part of their career in the private sector in addition to a federal, state, or local government job where Social Security is not intended to be part of their retirement income, such as the federal government’s Civil Service Retirement System. And the government pension offset reduces Social Security benefits for spouses and survivors in families with retired government workers.

► From the Seattle Times — Ferguson, Reichert clash over public safety, Trump debates Western Australia governor — In response to Reichert’s criticism of the hiring of lawyers, Ferguson said he had expanded his office, growing the criminal justice division and creating a consumer protection division to “take on the largest corporations in the world that are fueling our opioid epidemic,” and that his office was a “revenue generator” for the state, including through settlements. “We’re giving millions of dollars back to the people of Washington,” he said. “The total is literally in the billions in debt relief and dollars back into the pockets of the people of Washington.”

► From the Seattle Times — Election officials warn widespread problems with US postal system could disrupt vote — In a startling letter, the officials said that over the past year, including the just-ended primary season, postage postmarked on time was being received by local election offices days after the deadline for counting. They also noted that properly addressed mail was being returned to them as undeliverable, a problem that could automatically send voters to inactive status through no fault of their own, potentially causing chaos when those voters show up to cast their ballots.

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