Jan-Feb 2011
News
- Vigor Industrial LLC Extends Tender Offer for Shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation
- Thousands Pursue Shipyard Jobs
- Navy Embarks On Replacement For Trident Submarines
- Clarification of Accompaniment to IMEs
- Todd Shipyards Contract for USCGC Polar Star
- Todd Shipyards Corporation Investor Alert - Takeover under Investigation
- Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions
- Administrative Law Judge Issues Oak Harbor Decision
- US Labor Department Resolves Back Wage Case Against Houston-Based CEMEX
- Labor Center Rising and on the Move!
Vigor Industrial LLC Extends Tender Offer for Shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation
SEATTLE AND PORTLAND – January 31, 2011 – TODD SHIPYARDS CORPORATION (NYSE: TOD) ("Todd") and VIGOR INDUSTRIAL LLC ("Vigor") today announced that Vigor's wholly owned subsidiary, Nautical Miles, Inc. ("Purchaser"), has extended the expiration date for its tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Todd at a price of $22.27 per share net to the holder in cash, without interest and less any required withholding and transfer taxes, until 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, February 4, 2011. The offer had been previously scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City time, on January 28, 2011. The tender offer was initiated pursuant to an offer to purchase and related letter of transmittal, each dated December 30, 2010, and a merger agreement dated December 22, 2010 among Todd, Vigor, and Purchaser (the "Merger Agreement").
The offer is being extended because certain conditions of the tender offer were not satisfied or waived prior to the initial expiration of the tender offer, including without limitation the requirement that there be tendered not less than approximately 67% of the issued and outstanding shares of Todd's common stock.
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the depositary for the offer, has indicated that, as of the initial January 28th expiration date, approximately 2,934,298 shares of common stock of Todd had been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the offer, representing approximately 50.7% of the outstanding shares.
Todd and Vigor also announced on January 31, 2011 that they have agreed to waive the requirement in the Merger Agreement that Purchaser extend the expiration of the offer through February 11, 2011 such that Purchaser will not be obligated to extend the offer beyond February 4, 2011.
To the extent the conditions to the offer, including the satisfaction of the minimum tender condition of approximately 67% of the outstanding shares of Todd's common stock, are not satisfied by midnight on February 4, 2011, the parties expect to proceed to hold a meeting of Todd's stockholders to approve a one-step merger transaction as provided in the Merger Agreement and described in the offer to purchase. Approval of the one-step merger requires the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Todd's common stock.
The closing of the tender offer and merger remains subject to certain conditions described in the offer to purchase and letter of transmittal.
About Todd Shipyards Corporation
Todd, a Delaware corporation, through its subsidiaries, performs a substantial amount of repair and maintenance work on commercial and federal government vessels and provides new construction and industrial fabrication services for a wide variety of customers. Its customers include the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Washington State Ferry system, NOAA, the Alaska Marine Highway System, and various other commercial and governmental customers. Todd has operated a shipyard in Seattle, Washington since 1916 and also operates a shipyard and facilities in Everett and Bremerton, Washington.
About Vigor Industrial LLC
Vigor, an Oregon limited liability company, through its subsidiaries, operates businesses providing ship repair and conversion, barge building, industrial coating, machining, industrial real estate, and fabrication services. Vigor performs ship repair work through Vigor Marine LLC and Cascade General, located at the Portland Shipyard in Portland, Oregon, Washington Marine Repair, located at Port Angeles, Washington, and Vigor Marine Tacoma, located in the Port of Tacoma, Washington. The company also performs ship repair work at locations in San Diego, California, Everett, Washington and Bremerton, Washington. US Barge LLC, a wholly owned Vigor Industrial subsidiary, constructs barges at the Portland Shipyard.
Thousands Pursue Shipyard Jobs at Career Fair
Job seekers began showing up at 5:30 in the morning. By the time the doors opened at 9 a.m., a long line snaked into the parking lot.
About 2,000 people entered Kitsap Sun Pavilion in the first three hours, said shipyard spokeswoman Darcy Jenne. They were surrounded by booths from 28 PSNS trades and other opportunities and services.
The shipyard, which employs about 10,300 people, plans to hire about 500 more this year because of a heavy workload for the next couple years and to replace retiring workers, Jenne said. That comes at a time when the Kitsap County unemployment rate is running at 7.3 percent.
Read the Kitasap Sun story here.
Navy Embarks On Replacements For Trident Submarines
BANGOR — On Aug. 12, 1982, the first Ohio-class submarine arrived at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. Suddenly, the ballistic-missile subs are pushing 30, and the Navy is preparing to replace them.
Rear Adm. David Johnson spoke about the changeover Thursday before a luncheon crowd of Navy supporters. Johnson, as Program Executive Officer, Submarines, in Washington, D.C., is responsible for new submarine construction programs.
Fresh out of the Naval Academy, he was assigned to Bangor's Trident Refit Facility in December 1982, coming just as the USS Ohio returned from its first patrol. Much has changed since then. Silverdale was horse pastures and an Elsie's restaurant, he said. There was a Soviet Union, and a Cold War.
Today, stores have overtaken fields, and the USS Ohio doesn't even carry nuclear warheads anymore. It and three sister ships were converted to conventional weapons. Fourteen ballistic-missile subs remain — eight at Bangor and six at Kings Bay, Ga. Over the next three decades, they'll give way to a dozen new ones. The new nuclear fuel cores will last as long as the boats themselves, unlike the Ohios that need a two-year midlife refueling, so the Navy can cover the same ground with fewer subs, Johnson said.
Construction of the first new boat will begin in 2019, be completed by 2026 and it will be patrolling by 2029, Johnson said. The Navy intends to add one per year, through 2040. With a 42-year life span, matching the Ohios, the final boat will remain on duty until 2082, 70 years from now. The first Ohio-class sub will be retired in 2027, followed each of the next 13 years by another.
The Ohio-class boats have 24 tubes for D-5 ballistic missiles. Each missile can carry eight warheads. New subs will keep the D-5 missiles, at least to begin with, but pare down to 16 missile tubes.
"We took a little risk in the number of missile tubes," said Johnson, explaining that the Navy is balancing capabilities with cost so the price doesn't get out of control and threaten other shipbuilding programs. Read the entire story here.
Clarification of Accompaniment to IMEs
The Department of Labor and Industries has recently received questions concerning who can attend IMEs. The Washington Administrative Code (WAC 296-23-362) states workers can bring
an adult friend or family member to the IME to provide comfort and reassurance. That accompanying person may attend the physical examination but may not attend a psychiatric examination.
The worker's attorney or other legal representative, the worker's attending doctor or other treating provider may not accompany the worker to the examination.
Injured workers are sometimes accompanied by a union representative. A union representative may accompany a worker, at the worker's request, to provide comfort and reassurance. While the union representative is likely receiving their salary, he or she is not considered "compensated for attending the examination," and therefore qualifies as an "adult friend."
Todd Shipyards Contract for USCGC Polar Star
Todd Shipyards Corp. announced that the U.S. Coast Guard has awarded to its subsidiary, Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp., a $16,008,228 modification to previously awarded contract HSCG85-09-C-6BX667 in support of USCGC Polar Star's (WAGB-10) reactivation since being in "Caretaker Status" nearly four years.
According to a release, repairs and alterations performed during the planned dry-docking availability of the icebreaker are in the third phase of the cutter's overhaul. The contract modification provides for the alteration and repair of ship's systems, engines and shipboard equipment. The work will be accomplished at Todd Pacific's Seattle shipyard beginning immediately, and is expected to be complete in July 2011.
The planned dry-docking availability for USCGC Polar Star is being performed pursuant to Todd Pacific's five-year Multi-Ship Multi-Option ("MSMO") contract with the Coast Guard for the overhaul and continued maintenance of the two Polar Class Icebreakers stationed at Seattle, Washington. The cost-type contract was awarded to Todd Pacific in February 2009.
Todd Shipyards Corporation Investor Alert - Takeover under Investigation
Investigation for investors in Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) shares over possible breach of fiduciary duties – Todd Shipyards stockholders should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com.
After the board members of Todd Shipyards Corp agreed to a takeover of Todd Shipyards Corp. at $22.27 per share by Vigor Industrial LLC an investigation on behalf of investors in Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) questioning whether the offer to take over Todd Shipyards Corporation and the sale process are unfair to Todd Shipyards investors was announced.
If you purchased shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) prior to the announcement and currently hold those Todd Shipyards shares, you have certain options and you should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554.
The investigation by a law firm concerns whether certain officers and directors at Todd Shipyards Corporation breached their fiduciary duty owed to the shareholders of Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) arising out of their attempt to sell Todd Shipyards Corporation to Vigor Industrial LLC.
On Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010, Seattle based Todd Shipyards Corporation and Vigor Industrial LLC announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Vigor Industrial LLC will acquire the stock of Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) for $22.27 per share, or approximately $130 million. Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) said the offer represents a premium of 31% over the average closing price of Todd's common stock during the three month period ended December 21,2010.
But shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation (TOD) traded on Wednesday at $21 leaving Tod shipyards investors with a meager premium and began trading on Thursday in response to the buyout news at $23.25, thus above the current offer and leaving Todd Shipyards investors with no premium at all but rather giving Vigor Industrial LLC a discount over the open market stock price. In addition Todd Shipyards Corporation has performed well for its shareholders in the past. Todd Shipyards reported year-over-year revenue growth of 68% and $7.8 million in earnings, up from $2.1 million in the same period of 2009. Todd Shipyards Corporation 12month Total Revenue went from $125.49million reported on April 1, 2007 to $180.02million reported on March 28, 2010. Its Net Income for the same time frame went from $3.71million to $7.81million.
Therefore the investigation concerns whether Todd Shipyards Corporation and certain of its officers and directors breached their fiduciary duties owed to Todd Shipyards Corporation (NYSE:TOD) investors by failing to undertake an adequate and fair sales process to obtain fair consideration for all shareholders of Todd Shipyards Corp. (TOD) and by agreeing to an offer that undervalues Todd Shipyards Corp. A potential class action lawsuit would seek to maximize the amount of money and information Todd Shipyards shareholders would receive in a buyout, so the law firm.
Further the investigation focuses on whether the Todd Shipyards Corporation and its board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to Todd Shipyards (NYSE:TOD) shareholder by failing to adequately shop the Company before entering into any transaction.
Those who purchased shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation (Public, NYSE:TOD) prior to the announcement and currently hold those Todd Shipyards shares , have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation.
Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions
The NY Times: Faced with growing budget deficits and restive taxpayers, elected officials from Maine to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, are pushing new legislation to limit the power of labor unions, particularly those representing government workers, in collective bargaining and politics.
State officials from both parties are wrestling with ways to curb the salaries and pensions of government employees, which typically make up a significant percentage of state budgets. On Wednesday, for example, New York's new Democratic governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, is expected to call for a one-year salary freeze for state workers, a move that would save $200 million to $400 million and challenge labor's traditional clout in Albany.
But in some cases — mostly in states with Republican governors and Republican statehouse majorities — officials are seeking more far-reaching, structural changes that would weaken the bargaining power and political influence of unions, including private sector ones. Read more here.
Administrative Law Judge Issues Oak Harbor Decision
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who presided
over the unfair labor practice hearing against Oak Harbor last summer has issued his Decision. The
ALJ concluded that Oak Harbor violated the law when it unilaterally implemented a new health care
plan at the conclusion of the strike in February, 2009. The ALJ also ruled that the Company illegally
fired Jeff Gibson for engaging in lawful, protected activity during the strike. Although there are
aspects of the remedy that have not yet been addressed, the ALJ's Order requires that the company
cease giving effect to its health care plan and restore the status quo. The Company is also required
to offer reinstatement to Jeff Gibson and make him whole for his losses with interest. The amount of
money that the company may have to pay to employees covered by its health care plan or to the
Health & Welfare funds provided for under the expired Collective Bargaining Agreement has not yet
been determined.
On the pension issue, the ALJ excused the company's termination of pension contributions by
finding that language in a form used by the Pension Trust waived Oak Harbor's obligations under the
National Labor Relations Act. The Union strongly disagrees with this portion of the ALJ's Decision
and will review our options to have this portion overturned. Representatives of the affected Local
Unions will be meeting on Friday, January 14, 2011 to do the review and we will get a report out to
you after conclusion of the meeting.
The ALJ's Decision is not a final order. Either party can appeal the Decision to the NLRB in
Washington D.C. in the next 28 days. We will keep you informed of future developments. A copy of
the ALJ's 32-page Decision is available at www.nlrb.gov or you can get a copy from your Local Union (click here).
US Labor Department Resolves Back Wage Case Against Houston-Based CEMEX
Workers in 8 states to recover more than $1.5 million in overtime back wages
HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor announced the filing of a consent judgment in a case against CEMEX Inc. and the recovery of $1,514,449 in overtime back wages for 1,705 current and former ready-mix drivers who worked in eight states.
"Ensuring that workers are paid their full wages is a top priority of this department," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This legal action involving more than $1.5 million in back wages for more than 1,700 employees is intended to ensure that the company complies with federal overtime laws now and in the future. Earning overtime pay is how many Americans make ends meet, even though working long hours often means significant sacrifices for workers and their families."
CEMEX is the United States' largest supplier of cement and ready-mix concrete, as well as an important producer of aggregates, concrete blocks and other building materials. Based on 2008 company information, CEMEX is comprised of 18 cement plants either wholly or partially owned, 536 ready-mix plants, 102 aggregates quarries, 43 land distribution centers and 11 marine terminals.
The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division began a local investigation in Tampa, Fla., which disclosed systemic overtime violations resulting from the employer's failure to compensate "pay-per-load" employees with premium pay for hours that they worked more than 40 in a workweek. The investigation was then expanded to cover affected CEMEX employees in Arizona, California, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. After conducting employee interviews and reviewing time and payroll records, the department's Dallas regional solicitor of labor filed a complaint with the court Sept. 11, 2008.
The parties have now reached an agreement to settle allegations that CEMEX failed to properly pay overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The agreement was filed with the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division Dec. 20, 2010. In addition to requiring that CEMEX pay the back wages it owes its employees, the court's consent order requires CEMEX to comply with the requirements of the FLSA in the future or risk being found in contempt of the order.
The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rate of pay, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.
For more information about the FLSA and other federal wage laws, call the Wage and Hour Division's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or the division's district office in Houston at 713-339-5500. Information is also available on the internet at http://www.dol.gov/whd.
Labor Center Rising and on the Move!
Please attend the Labor Center's official opening at the South Seattle Community College! Friday February 11th, from 5-7 pm, in the B Building of the Georgetown Campus, 6737 Corson Ave S, Seattle 98108. This will be a celebration of the Center's new home - an opportunity to meet the Labor Center staff, check out the Center's resources, learn about Center programs, and share some food & drink. Brief remarks will be offered by Sarah Laslett, Director of the Center; Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council; and Gary Oertli, President of the South Seattle Community College. There will also be a live musical performance by the Seattle Labor Chorus. Read more about the Labor Center here.
- Report: House budget plan would kill 700k jobs
- Pro-Union, Pro-Walker Rallies Compete in Olympia
- A Win for Boeing, for Washington, for America, and for Unions!
- Obama Sits Out State Fights
- Wisconsin Assembly Passes Bill Stripping Union Rights From Public Workers
- Setting the Record Straight: Public Employees Make Less Than Private Sector
- Sparring Unions Now Working as One
- The Mighty Mighty Teamsters Lend Support
- Separate but unequal: Charts show growing rich-poor gap
- Walker's Attack on Middle Class Could Hurt State's $20 Billion Forestry Industry
- Indiana Deputy Attorney General Fired
- Wisconsin Unions Call For General Strike
- Support Washington Ferry Workers
- Indiana Senate won't resurrect right-to-work bill
- Fox Lies on Workers' Right Poll
- Thousands March on State Capitols as Union Fight Spreads
- Kucinich, Locals Rally for Union Rights
- Hoffa Praises Wisconsin Demonstrators
- Large Bi-partisan Majorities in Congress Agree: Community Standards Matter in the U.S. Construction Industry
- Unions and Budget Deficits
- Solidarity Rally for Wisconsin Public Employees in Olympia
- Richard R. Solberg Passes
- Vigor Industrial LLC Announces 88% Tender in Offer for Shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation; Tender Offer Expires
- President Obama's Plan to Win the Future by Making American Businesses More Energy Efficient
- AFL-CIO Position Reiterates the Need for Adherence to Project Labor Agreement Policies
- A Tax Break the WSLC Supports: Washington Film Works
- They're Ba-ack: Workers' Comp, Private Liquor
- A Measure of Temporary Relief for Unemployed
- Transportation for Washington unveils blueprint for more transit and smart transportation investments across state
- In Memory of Officer Jayme Lee Biendl
- Vigor acquisition nearing a close
- Company Settles Case in Firing Tied to Facebook
- Jayme Lee Biendl Benevolent Fund
- Unions Can Bargain on Behalf of Airport Security
- AFGE Seeking to Represent Seattle TSA Employees
- Baby, It's Cold Inside!
- Teamsters Mourn Slain Washington State Corrections Officer Jayme Lee Biendl
- Gov. Gregoire proposes workers comp, unemployment changes
Report: House budget plan would kill 700k jobs
POLITICO
Republicans' efforts to cut billions of dollars from the federal budget between now and October could cost the country as many as 700,000 jobs by the end of next year, a nonpartisan economic analysis released Monday found.
House Republicans said last week that they want to cut spending by $2 billion a week for the rest of the fiscal year, adding up to a total of $61 billion in cuts during the next seven months. But that plan could come with the very real cost of jobs, Moody's Analytics said in a report released Monday, buoying Democrats who argue that the GOP is pushing too many cuts too quickly.
Moody's chief economist, Mark Zandi, projected that the House proposal would cut real GDP growth by 0.5 percent in 2011 and 0.2 percent in 2012. That, in turn, would lead to 400,000 fewer jobs being created than expected by the end of this year and a total of 700,000 fewer jobs by the end of 2012.
Pro-Union, Pro-Walker Rallies Compete in Olympia
Daily Olympian
From unionized firefighters to tea party supporters, two raucous competing rallies over the union fight in Wisconsin drew more than 2,000 people to Washington state's capital despite freezing temperatures Saturday.
The pro-union rally was the bigger of the two, with more than half a dozen unions sending members. They sang songs and held signs that said "Solidarity With Wisconsin" and "Unions Make Us Strong."
Organizers of the counter rally estimated a few hundred members of tea party and conservative groups at their event, which was held on the steps of the Capitol and included a speech from state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane. One of their signs read, "Collective Bargaining is not a Right."
[...] At one point, several hundred union protesters broke from the main demonstration to stand across the flag circle separating them from the tea party rally. Both sides traded chants, but stayed peaceful. Read the source story.
A Win for Boeing, for Washington, for America, and for Unions!
WSLC
Boeing has won the U.S. Air Force's long-awaited $35 billion contract to build 179 aerial refueling tankers, Pentagon officials announced Thursday. Says Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council: "(This) appropriately rewards the fact that we have the most highly skilled aerospace machinists and engineers in the world. This is a critical win for Washington state, and the 11,000 desperately needed jobs it will create here. And this is also an important victory for Washington's labor movement, demonstrating that a unionized workforce with family-wage jobs and decent health and retirement benefits will produce the most efficient and effective product for our armed forces and for the taxpayers of this country." Read reactions for IAM, SPEEA, elected officials and others.
► Coverage in today's (Everett) Herald, News Tribune, Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, Spokesman-Review, and the AP.
► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Benefits go beyond Boeing -- Experts estimate the 767-based tanker contract could mean as much as $693 million to the regional economy every year. "This means huge economic gains for us in the Puget Sound," said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Obama Sits Out State Fights
The Wall Street Journal
President Barack Obama, after initially lending his support to organized labor, has stepped back from the fights spreading in state capitals from Wisconsin to Tennessee, leaving union officials divided about his tactics.
Democratic officials said that with Mr. Obama heading into battles over the federal budget, a plunge into the fray over public-sector collective bargaining could weaken his position as a deal-maker in Washington.
Mr. Obama is eager to occupy the political center, Democratic officials said, to help him forge a bipartisan deal on the nation's long-term finances that could strengthen his position heading into the 2012 election. Mr. Obama has already tacked to the center on taxes, on trade and by working to forge stronger ties with business leaders.
For their part, many union leaders worry that White House involvement could harm their case that the protests and political actions in the capitals of Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana are grassroots, organic movements.
"I don't think the president's involvement in making this a Republican and Democrat issue would be particularly helpful at this point," said Andy Stern, a former president of the Service Employees International Union.
Wisconsin Assembly Passes Bill Stripping Union Rights From Public Workers
Huffington Post
Posted February 25, 2011
The Wisconsin Assembly early Friday passed a bill that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights – the first significant action on the new Republican governor's plan.
While Senate Democrats fled to prevent a vote, Assembly Democrats had been filibustering.
[...] After more than 60 hours in which Democrats threw out dozens of amendments and delivered rambling speeches, Republicans halted debate early Friday. In a matter of seconds, they had approved the bill. Only a few Democrats realized what was going on and managed to vote before the roll was closed.
The Democrats rose from their seats and rushed at the Republicans shouting, "Shame!" as the Republicans exited the chamber.
Setting the Record Straight: Public Employees Make Less Than Private Sector
AFL-CIO Now Blog
The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is setting the record straight and exposing the falsehoods behind the extremist rhetoric about public employees from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his ilk.
In a new report, CBPP looks at the facts about public employees and here’s what the data show: Public employees are paid 4 percent to 11 percent less than private-sector workers with similar education, job tenure, and other characteristics. This wage disadvantage is greatest for higher-wage public workers.
Public employees also earn less than their private-sector counterparts when you count both their wages and benefits such as pensions and health insurance. Benefits are more generous and secure for public employees than for most private-sector workers. But even after factoring in the value of these benefits it does not eliminate the gap between public employees and their counterparts in the private sector.
Check out the full CBPP report here.
Sparring Unions Now Working as One
The Wall Street Journal
Leaders of major public and private sector unions have agreed to set aside longstanding divisions and turf battles and coordinate in a campaign to counter challenges to their political and contract-bargaining power in a growing number of states.
The plan requires each union to commit a certain amount of money to fund a $30 million campaign. Funds will be dedicated to paid media, lobbying, work-site leaflets, and a range of other campaign items, including opposition research into groups that unions believe could be funding state efforts to restrict union rights, such as the Koch Brothers, and the Scaife and Walton Foundations. Read more here.
The Mighty Mighty Teamsters Lend Support
PR Watch
On the first day protesters occupied the
Wisconsin Capitol building a young man held a sign, "Where is Jimmy Hoffa when you need him?" Well, International Brotherhood of the Teamsters President James Hoffa rolled into town today with a group of Wisconsin Teamster members to lend support to the Capitol protesters. Three members I spoke to were UPS drivers, private sector workers lending support to public sector nurses and teachers.
I asked Hoffa about the news this morning that Governor Scott Walker had been caught on tape with a blogger who he thought was David Koch, of Koch Industries, specifically about Walker's comments that he would "crank up" pressure on the workers with layoff notices. "We'll announce Thursday, they'll go out early next week and we'll probably get five to six thousand state workers will get at-risk notices for layoffs. We might ratchet that up a little bit too," says Walker on the call.
Hoffa's reaction? "It's despicable. That a politician like Walker would tamper with the lives of public employees, real people with real families, in order break the unions show's that he will stop at nothing. It makes it clear that his goal is really destroying collective bargaining. He just wants to get his way. He doesn't have to do that. He doesn't have to do that. The budget here is not in desperate straits. Plus, AFSCME has put a good offer on the table, they are willing to make concessions, but when he days 'I don't give a damn' it proves that he isn't as interested in balancing the budget as destroying the union. It's ruthless."
When asked who caused the economic problems of U.S. states, Hoffa replied, "We know who did it! Wall Street did it! They are trying to rewrite history now, where budget problems are caused by teachers and day care workers. But we remember who sent our jobs overseas. We know what a derivative is, who bought them and sold them and all about options and puts. We know about the bailouts of the big banks and whose idea it was. It was Hank Paulson's idea (U.S. Treasury Secretary under George Bush). Now they are going to blame teachers and nurses for all that? Shame on them."
Janesville resident and retired Teamster Dave Selk accompanied Hoffa with many other Teamsters from Southeast Wisconsin. Selk spent 35 years loading and unloading new cars onto trains a the JATCO company in Janesville. "The Janesville auto plant made Tahoes and Suburbans and we loaded them onto trucks then onto trains and shipped them all over the United States and the world," Selk explained. Selk is the oldest of nine children and he explained how his close knit family was broken apart when the Janesville auto plant closed. Two brothers had to move to Texas and Illinois to find new work. "I remember when America used to be the world's market place." said Selk sadly.
Separate but Unequal: Growing Rich-Poor Gap
Yahoo! News
The Great Recession and the slump that followed have triggered a jobs crisis that's been making headlines since before President Obama was in office, and that will likely be with us for years. But the American economy is also plagued by a less-noted, but just as serious, problem: Simply put, over the last 30 years, the gap between rich and poor has widened into a chasm.
Gradual developments like this don't typically lend themselves to news coverage. But Mother Jones magazine has crunched the data on inequality, and put together a group of stunning new charts. Taken together, they offer a dramatic visual illustration of who's doing well and who's doing badly in modern America.
What the charts show:
- The poorest 90 percent of Americans make an average of $31,244 a year, while the top 1 percent make over $1.1 million
- Most income groups have barely grown richer since 1979, but the top 1 percent has seen its income nearly quadruple
- Most Americans have little idea of just how unequal income distribution is, but they'd like things to be divvied up a lot more equitably
Walker's Attack on Middle Class Could Hurt State's $20 Billion Forestry Industry
AFL-CIO Now Blog
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's crusade to attack the middle class to pay back the politicians who supported him in the election could jeopardize the state's $20.5 billion forest products industry, three key state legislators said this week.
When asked who caused the economic problems of U.S. states, Hoffa replied, "We know who did it! Wall Street did it! They are trying to rewrite history now, where budget problems are caused by teachers and day care workers. But we remember who sent our jobs overseas. We know what a derivative is, who bought them and sold them and all about options and puts. We know about the bailouts of the big banks and whose idea it was. It was Hank Paulson's idea (U.S. Treasury Secretary under George Bush). Now they are going to blame teachers and nurses for all that? Shame on them."
Janesville resident and retired Teamster Dave Selk accompanied Hoffa with many other Teamsters from Southeast Wisconsin. Selk spent 35 years loading and unloading new cars onto trains a the JATCO company in Janesville. "The Janesville auto plant made Tahoes and Suburbans and we loaded them onto trucks then onto trains and shipped them all over the United States and the world," Selk explained. Selk is the oldest of nine children and he explained how his close knit family was broken apart when the Janesville auto plant closed. Two brothers had to move to Texas and Illinois to find new work. "I remember when America used to be the world's market place." said Selk sadly.
In a press release, three members of the state Assembly Committee on Forestry, said Wisconsin's forests and forest sector companies support more than 300,000 jobs. Thousands of those jobs are in pulp and paper companies certified as sustainable managers by the Forest Stewardship Council and other similar groups. Without the competitive edge provided by certification, they said, Wisconsin's high-grade paper industry would have been much more severely impacted during the recession of 2008-2009. Read the source story here.
Indiana Deputy Attorney General Fired
Political Wire
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller (R) dismissed his deputy for posting on Twitter that police should "use live ammunition" against the Wisconsin protesters, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Jeff Cox also messaged back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs," adding "You're darned right I advocate deadly force." Read the source story here.
Wisconsin Unions Call For General StrikeBusiness Insider
The South Central Federation of Labor, an umbrella organization representing more than 45,000 workers in Wisconsin, voted last night to endorse a general strike if the state legislature passes Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
About 100 delegates of the 97-union federation voted unanimously in favor of the strike, and called for the group to start educating its members and affiliates on the "organization and function of a general strike." There were no details available about how the strike would work or how many workers would take part. Read the source story here.
Support Washington Ferry Workers
At the February 16th meeting of the M.L. King County Labor Council, the following resolution was adopted. We hope that you will join us in our support of workers employed by the Washington State Ferry system and let your legislators know that we do not appreciate their attacks on our union brothers and sisters.
Resolution in Support of Washington State Ferry Workers Unions
February 16, 2011
The M.L. King County Labor Council (MLKCLC) stands in support of the Washington State Ferry unions: Whereas the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific, the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, the Puget Sound Metal Trades, and the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8 represent over 1600 workers employed by the Washington State Ferry System; and
Whereas these unions were the first to step up and defer their negotiated wage increases for the current biennium to bridge the state budget gap, resulting in an $18.3 million savings; and
Whereas the Washington State Ferry unions have reopened their contracts to negotiate further cost saving ideas for the 2011-2013 biennium; and
Whereas the 2011 legislative session has once again targeted the ferry worker unions by drafting SB 5405, SB 5406, HB 1511 and HB 1512 as measures that gut existing contractual agreements between labor and the employer, as well as an outright assault on the collective bargaining process as a whole; therefore be it
Resolved that the MLKCLC goes on record supporting the maritime trade unions' bargaining rights; and be it further
Resolved that the MLKCLC goes on record opposing the State's legislative process as a means to undermine labor's right to bargain fairly, and be it finally
Resolved that the MLKCLC goes on record opposing SB 5405, SB5406, HB 1511 and HB 1512 and asks that the Washington State Labor Council go on record in opposition to these bills and urges delegates and members to lobby against these bills by calling the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.
Indiana Senate won't resurrect right-to-work bill
The Louisville Courier-Journal
The leader of the Indiana Senate said Wednesday that controversial right-to-work legislation that died this week in the House won't be resurrected in the Senate — and should not have been introduced this year at all.
"It was a mistake," said Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne.
Long said he advised House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, against pursuing the legislation "because of the chance it would blow up the session and we would have exactly the reaction we have out there." Read the source story here.
Fox Lies on Workers' Right Poll
AFL-CIO Now Blog
There were some burning trousers at Fox News this morning.
In a segment of "Fox & Friends," the faux news network apparently didn't like the results of a USA Today/Gallup poll that showed that 61 percent of Americans oppose measures like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) that eliminate the right of public workers to bargaining for good jobs. The poll found just 31 percent agreed with Walker.
But, as Think Progress' Zaid Jilani points out today, Fox, "with incredible brazenness" simply reversed the numbers. Read more here.
Thousands March on State Capitols as Union Fight Spreads
The New York Times
First Wisconsin. Now Ohio and Indiana. Battles with public employees' unions spread on Tuesday, with Republican-dominated Legislatures pressing bills that would weaken collective bargaining and thousands of pro-union protesters marching on Capitol buildings in Columbus and Indianapolis.
After a week of upheaval in Madison, Wis., where the thumping din of protesters has turned almost celebratory, the battle moved to Ohio, where the Legislature held hearings on a bill that would effectively end collective bargaining for state workers and drastically reduce it for local government employees like police officers and firefighters.
Several thousand pro-union protesters filled a main hall of the statehouse in Columbus and gathered in a large crowd outside, chanting "Kill the bill," waving signs and playing drums and bagpipes. There were no official estimates, but the numbers appeared to be smaller than those in Madison last week. One Democratic state legislator put the figure at 15,000; local papers reported crowds of about 5,000. Read more here.
Kucinich, Locals Rally for Union Rights
Tacoma News Tribune
Union members, students, parents and even former presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich rallied in Olympia on Monday, taking advantage of the holiday to lobby against budget cuts and to show solidarity with Wisconsin's embattled union for state employees. Hundreds of Washington state employees chanted, sang songs and waved signs in the Capitol Rotunda in a rally supporting unions and state employees in Wisconsin. Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich addressed the group wearing a union T-shirt from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Last week, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker targeted public employees in a budget-cut proposal, calling for cuts to their benefits and limiting their ability to collectively bargain on wage issues. Walker said his proposal is about cutting state and local spending for years to come, but acknowledges that if approved, it could cripple unions.
Hoffa Praises Wisconsin Demonstrators
(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa saluted the tens of thousands of people streaming into Wisconsin's capital this week to protest Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal.
"It's inspiring to see middle-class workers coming together to say they've had enough of this one-sided class war," Hoffa said. "Government workers didn't cause Wisconsin's budget problems and they don't deserve to be punished for them. Gov. Walker's proposal is a vindictive attack on people he views as his political enemies. He should be bringing people together to create good jobs in Wisconsin, not tearing the state apart in a crass attempt at political payback."
Democratic senators left the Statehouse today so that Republicans couldn't vote on the bill, which was filed six days ago, without a quorum. Hoffa praised the Democrats as courageous.
"Governor Walker is trying to make an end run around democracy," Hoffa said. "Democratic senators took a stand for Wisconsin workers who won't be denied a voice in the process. They stood up in the face of injustice."
"This union-busting budget proposal is the worst form of political payback," Hoffa said. "Gov. Walker should be listening to middle-class workers in Wisconsin instead of shortsighted billionaires who don't care about the long-term health of the state's economy. The big corporations and the CEOs already have a big say about what goes on in Madison. Stripping government workers of their collective bargaining rights will silence their voices in the legislature and give even more power to the big corporate interests." Hoffa noted that Walker's political campaign received a $43,000 donation from Koch Industries, the oil conglomerate owned by Charles and David Koch, longtime union foes. Walker also received $5 million from the Republican Governors Association, which is funded by billionaire Rupert Murdoch and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"Wisconsin's economy was strong when people worked together and there was balance between management and labor," Hoffa said. "That balance has already been undermined, and now Gov. Walker wants to destroy it.
"No economy ever grew by arbitrarily driving down the living standards of working families," Hoffa said.
Hoffa pointed to a study by the Institute for Wisconsin's Future that showed Walker's budget proposal would cost the state $1.1 billion in economic activity and 9,000 private sector jobs.
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information.
Large Bi-partisan Majorities in Congress Agree: Community Standards Matter in the U.S. Construction Industry
In early morning hours of February 19, as the U.S. House of Representatives engaged in a marathon session to enact FY 2011 appropriations legislation that would keep the federal government operating this year, America's Building Trades Unions secured two tremendous victories. Two separate amendments, one designed to repeal the Davis-Bacon Act and the other designed to deny funds for any federal PLA projects, were defeated with significant bipartisan support.
The Davis-Bacon repeal amendment, offered by Congressman Steve King (R-IA), was defeated in resounding fashion by a vote of 189-233. 48 Republican members joined with 185 Democrats in opposing the King Amendment. This, on the heels of a strong bi-partisan vote in support of the Davis Bacon Act in the United States Senate just two weeks ago.
The anti-PLA amendment was sponsored by Representative Frank Guinta (R-NH), and it was defeated on a tie vote of 210-210; with 26 Republicans joining 184 Democrats to send this amendment to its rightful defeat. It is clear that the U.S. House of Representatives supports the option of Federal agencies entering into project labor agreements as a way to promote workforce development, safety and efficiencies on construction projects.
What is significant about these two votes is that even as the 112th Congress is defined at the most fiscally conservative and budget-cutting Congress in decades, large bipartisan majorities recognize that the fundamental, underlying principles that define both prevailing wage laws and project labor agreements are, indeed, mainstream American values. Further, these votes represent a stinging rebuke to the "race to the bottom" business model championed by the Associated Builders and Contractors.
It is our hope that opponents of common sense public policy will once and for all see these vote totals as indisputable evidence that politicians must finally decide to put politically motivated attacks aside and choose to respond to voters' demands by focusing their efforts entirely on creating jobs and turning this economy around. Politics do not pay a mortgage or put food on anyone's table. We hope that this significant demonstration of support for mainstream values will help propel the 112th Congress into seeking similar solutions that will place our nation on secure economic footing.
Once again have demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, that America's Building Trades Unions will work with and support anyone who promotes common sense solutions and defends high road community standards in the construction industry, regardless of political party affiliation. We now possess clear evidence that we have broad support and that advocating fiscally conservative policies aimed at our nation's budget deficits does not have to be at the expense of standards that only strengthen the U.S. construction industry. We look forward to working with the 112th Congress to put politics aside and create jobs.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVE VOTED
Unions and Budget Deficits
Source: Yglesias @ Think Progress.org
Do high unionization levels lead to state budget deficits, as some claim? John Sides shows that the answer is no:
Looking at this chart, what I think you would see is that unionization levels have a strong relationship to progressive taxation. New York, Hawaii, and Washington are all high-tax states, especially on rich people, while the non-union south has generally low levels of taxation and regressive tax structures. The conservative movement is financed by rich people whose primary interest in life is lower taxes. And on an intellectual level, the main wellspring of conservative economic policy ideas comes from people who believe that progressive income taxes are very economically damaging. A secondary intellectual inspiration is people like Greg Mankiw who believe that such taxes are an immoral imposition on a genetic elite. A key problem with this agenda is that higher taxes on rich people are a politically popular way to solve budget deficits. The solution is to create a dynamic in which political parties are entirely reliant on rich businessmen for their financing. Reducing labor unions to a state of political impotence will get the job done.
Solidarity Rally for Wisconsin Public Employees in Olympia
You have heard about the thousands of workers taking over the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin and how a handful of brave State Senators have left Wisconsin in support.
Wisconsin State Legislators have been invited to "hide" in Olympia, WA on Monday.
When: 12pm - 1pm, Monday, February 21, 2011
Where: Capitol Steps in Olympia
Driving directions and parking information: http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/direction-park.htm
Please show your support and solidarity with all Public Union Workers. A public rally on the steps with other Washington State Labor Council Union Members begins at noon. For more about what is happening in Wisconsin: http://www.teamsterslocaI200.com/
Richard Solberg Passes
The Joint Council was notified that Richard R. Solberg passed away Friday, February 11, 2011. Brother Solberg's funeral was held on Thursday, February 17, 2011. He is survived by his wife of 56 years Delores; sons Jeff and Steve (Kim) Solberg; daughter Kathy Simon and three grandchildren.
Brother Solberg became a Business Representative for Local 582 in 1981, Secretary-Treasurer in 1987 and retired in 1996.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, please send them to:
Mrs. Richard Solberg
N. 1819 Glenbrook
Greenacres, WA 99016
Vigor Industrial LLC Announces 88% Tender in Offer for Shares of Todd Shipyards Corporation; Tender Offer Expires
Seattle and Portland – February 14, 2011 – TODD SHIPYARDS CORPORATION (NYSE: TOD) ("Todd") and VIGOR INDUSTRIAL LLC ("Vigor") today announced that the tender offer by Vigor's wholly owned subsidiary, Nautical Miles, Inc. ("Purchaser") for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Todd at a price of $22.27 per share net to the holder in cash, without interest and less any required withholding and transfer taxes, expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, February 11, 2011.
The tender offer was initiated pursuant to an offer to purchase and related letter of transmittal, each dated December 30, 2010, and a merger agreement dated December 22, 2010 among Todd, Vigor, and Purchaser (the "Merger Agreement"). American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the depositary for the offer, has indicated that, as of the February 11th expiration date, approximately 5,121,073 shares of common stock of Todd had been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the offer, representing approximately 88.4% of the outstanding shares.
This satisfies the minimum tender condition of the Merger Agreement which required the tender of approximately 67% of the outstanding shares as a condition to the closing of the offer. Vigor intends to consummate the closing of the tender offer, top-up option and short-form merger on February 15, 2011.
President Obama's Plan to Win the Future by Making American Businesses More Energy Efficient
On February 3rd, President Obama announced a new "Better Buildings" Initiative to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings across the country.
Today, the President is releasing his Budget which outlines in more detail the policy components of this new initiative, which are designed to help leverage private sector investment in the commercial building sector and help achieve the President's goal of making commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade. In addition, the President's Budget includes funding for his proposed "HOMESTAR" legislation to encourage American families to make energy saving upgrades in their homes.
The President's Budget includes a series of new initiatives to make American businesses more energy efficient:
- New tax incentives for building efficiency: The President is calling on Congress to redesign the current tax deduction for commercial building upgrades, transforming the current deduction to a credit that is more generous and that will encourage building owners and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to retrofit their properties. These changes will provide about one $1 billion of incentives in FY12, a roughly ten-fold over the current annual up-take. (see details below).
- More financing opportunities for commercial retrofits: Access to financing is an important barrier to increased retrofit investment in some market segments. To address these gaps, the Small Business Administration is working to encourage existing lenders to take advantage of recently increased loan size limits to promote new energy efficiency retrofit loans for small businesses. The President's Budget will also propose a new pilot program – the "Better Buildings Pilot Initiative for Universities, Schools, and Hospitals," which will guarantee loans to support energy efficient retrofits.
- "Race to Green" for state and municipal governments that streamline regulations and attract private investment for retrofit projects: Much of the authority to alter codes, regulations, and performance standards relating to commercial energy efficiency lies in the jurisdiction of states and localities. The President's Budget includes $100 million for new competitive grants to state and local governments to implement innovative approaches to building codes, regulations, and performance standards; make efficient building the norm in communities across the country; and attract private sector investment.
- The Better Buildings Challenge: The President is challenging CEOs and University money and improve productivity. Partners will commit to a series of actions to make their facilities more efficient. They will in turn become eligible for benefits including public recognition, technical assistance, and best-practices sharing through a network of peers. The President has asked President Clinton, who has been a champion for this kind of energy innovation, to co-lead this effort with Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric and the new head of the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
- Training the next generation of commercial building technology workers: Using existing authorities, the Administration is currently working to implement a number of reforms, including improving transparency around energy efficiency performance, launching a Building Construction Technology Extension Partnership modeled on the successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Commerce, and providing more workforce training in areas such as energy auditing and building operations.
- Passing the "HOMESTAR" program for residential retrofits: Last year, the President's Budget asked Congress to pass a package of incentives to encourage Americans to make their homes more energy efficient. We remain committed to the passage of the "HOMESTAR" program and this year the President's Budget contains $6 billion for this program.
AFL-CIO Position Reiterates the Need for Adherence to Project Labor Agreement Policies
February 14, 2011
Presidents, Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers
All State and Local Building and Construction Trades
Councils In the United States
Dear Council Leaders:
I am writing to you today to bring to your attention some recent events that once again highlight the need for Building and Construction Trades Councils to adhere to the Department's policies regarding the content and approval of Project Labor Agreements. What you negotiate in your area impacts every other Council in the country. If you deviate from the Department's policies, it is used against the Department and the Building Trades everywhere else. Let me give you some recent examples.
The Washington, DC Building and Construction Trades Council has been involved in negotiations for three General Service Administration (GSA) projects. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters had negotiated its own "PLA" with the general contractors and at first the Building Trades Council was told that if the affiliates of the Council wanted to work on the project they and their contractors needed to sign the Carpenters' agreement. The Department got involved and eventually the general contractors agreed to negotiate with the DC Council.
During the course of the negotiations, as many of you have experienced, the Carpenters took the position that they would not agree to the Plan for the Settlement of Jurisdictional Disputes. I called President McCarron to ask him to intervene with the Regional Council. President McCarron had promised soon after the Obama Executive Order was issued that the Carpenters would not block PLAs because of the Plan on federal projects under the Executive Order. During the course of the conversation, President McCarron pointed out the existence of a PLA on a GSA project in San Francisco that didn't require the Carpenters to abide by the Plan and a PLA for the University of Massachusetts that didn't have the Plan language. The attorney for the general contractors on the DC GSA projects made the same comments the next day during negotiations.
The Department approved the San Francisco PLA because it had the Plan language in it. Subsequent to that approval, the Building Trades Council accepted a side letter exempting the Carpenters from the Plan. The side letter was not submitted to the Department but the attorney for the general contractor on the DC GSA projects had a copy. The Massachusetts PLA was never submitted to the Department. While I understand the great pressure these Councils and their affiliated Local Unions were under to obtain work for their members, needless to say, their failure to follow the Department's policies on PLAs has and will continue to cause great damage to our efforts to obtain PLAs and to protect the affiliates' jurisdiction.
In Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council has been successfully negotiating PLAs for many years. These PLAs all have the Plan language and the Carpenters are signed to them. Nevertheless, at a recent meeting of the Clark County Commission regarding whether to use a PLA on a county jail project and the possibility of additional PLAs for other county work, a Carpenters' representative testified against the use of a PLA because the Carpenters wouldn't work under a PLA with the Plan language. Reference was made to the San Francisco and Massachusetts PLAs and the statement was also made that the PLAs for the DC GSA projects did not contain the Plan, which is not true. As you can see, capitulating to the demands of the Carpenters is not only contrary to the policies of the Department but is now being used against Building and Construction Trades Councils in other parts of the country that are trying to obtain PLAs. Do not think that you are operating in a vacuum.
Over and over, we have seen that when the trades stick together the Carpenters have signed PLAs with all of the Department's required language, including the Plan. This is what happened in DC. A revised PLA was negotiated for the GSA projects that included all the trades and the Plan language. A week after all the other trades signed the agreement the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters signed the Building Trades PLA. Similarly, despite their harsh testimony before the Clark County Commission, the Carpenters have now signed the most recent Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council's PLAs.
I know these are extremely difficult times for our members and that your Locals are under enormous pressure to get their members back to work. Nevertheless, it is not in the best interest of our members to allow the Carpenters to dictate the terms of a Building Trades PLA or to allow them the ability to steal other trades' work. You may have a good relationship with the Carpenters in your area that may lull you into a belief that a deviation from the Plan language will not be harmful. The above examples in DC and Las Vegas, and there are many more, including Carpenters publicly testifying against the use of PLAs in California and Missouri, should convince you that such actions are detrimental to every other Building Trades Council in the country and, if not already, eventually to your Council.
With kind personal regards, I am
Sincerely and fraternally,
Sean McGarvey
Secretary-Treasurer
A Tax Break the WSLC Supports: Washington Film Works
It surprises some to hear that the WSLC and other labor organizations are joining the business community and legislators of both parties in supporting a tax break. The Washington Film Works program, a tax incentive to bring film and television production projects to the state, is supported by AFTRA-Seattle and IATSE, and delegates to the WSLC 2010 Convention endorsed a resolution in strong support of it.
Unlike many other tax breaks the WSLC would like to see suspended during this budget crisis, Washington Film Works has demonstrably attracted numerous projects to the state. Those projects have provided thousands of hours of well-paid, private-sector employment for the state's actors, technical support workers, and production support businesses. This is what tax breaks should demonstrably do, not simply go to existing state -- and out-of-state! -- industries and businesses with a questionable or undetermined effect on creating or maintaining jobs here in Washington.
The $7 million Washington Film Works program is set to expire in July and legislators heard testimony this week that the film industry will all but disappear without it. Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (D-Seattle) and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles have introduced HB 1554 and SB 5539 to extend it. The WSLC supports that effort. As with all tax breaks, the WSLC also supports adding reporting requirements to make the use and effectiveness of tax breaks more transparent.
They're ba-ack: Workers' comp, private liquorMany legislators have treated the failure of revenue-generating ballot measures last fall with solemn finality: "The voters have spoken: no new taxes." But the failure of privatization ballot measures has generated a totally different response in Olympia: "Voters want this, but they just didn't like this one aspect of the initiative. So let's try again!"
Last week, we saw evidence of that attitude regarding both liquor store privatization and workers' compensation reform.
LIQUOR PRIVATIZATION -- HB 1116, sponsored by Rep. Gary Alexander (R-Olympia), requires that at least 20 state liquor stores be converted to private contract stores. The bill says contract stores are "more efficient and cost-effective for the state" and "it is in the best interests of the state to consider how to implement a full contract liquor store system."
Helloo-oo, McFly. We just had an election where voters decided... twice... that it was NOT in the state's "best interests" to achieve the efficiency associated with replacing family-wage state clerk jobs with low-wage private retail jobs. Nor was it in the best interests of their families' safety.
HB 1116 isn't the only attempt to revisit liquor privatization. There's also SB 5111 by Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Potlatch) and another bill expected to be filed this week, which will be pushed by Costco, the sponsor of the failed Initiative 1100.
Once again, organized labor is opposed. A measure of temporary relief for unemployed
After weeks of debate and negotiation, the Washington State Legislature approved legislation last week addressing both taxes and benefits in our Unemployment Insurance system. In addition to granting businesses permanently lower U.I. tax rates, it provides federal extended benefits, plus provides enhancements to the existing training benefit program and a temporary $25 boost in weekly benefits for all new claimants.
"Any time you put additional dollars on the kitchen table for struggling unemployed workers and their families, it is a good thing," said Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council. "But the greatest disappointment, and missed opportunity, of these bills is that they do not allow those currently unemployed to receive the additional $25 a week. These workers are the long-term unemployed, whose resources have been stretched beyond all reasonable limits."
The United for Washington Families coalition of labor and community groups had sought to couple permanent tax cuts for businesses with a permanent $15/per child benefit increase, which qualifies our state for $98 million in federal U.I. modernization funds. But the governor and a majority of State Senators preferred improving training benefits.
After the Senate approved SB 5135, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), a temporary one-year tax cut and extension of federal benefits in time for imminent deadlines for both, it appeared that could be all the State Legislature would accomplish on U.I. in 2011. But House Democratic leaders didn't want to let the moment pass. As the Governor's Tuesday deadline to pass the tax cut came and went, talks continued between leaders of both houses and the business and labor communities on what could be done to balance tax cuts with help for struggling families.
In the end, SB 5135 was coupled with a second bill, HB 1091, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett), that:
- Makes the tax cuts permanent by capping the social cost factor that would have caused rates to jump an average 36% in 2011. The lower rates, which will cost the system $300 million from 2011 to 2017, will stop any tax increase for 90% of businesses next year and decrease taxes for about half of them.
- Makes an administrative change allowing to people who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits to continue to receive extended federal benefits approved by Congress.
- Boosts weekly benefits by $25 for all new claimants effective March 6, 2011. The $25 boost will expire when a total of $68 million has been paid out.
- Makes it easier for laid-off workers to receive benefits while enrolled in training programs, a change that qualifies the state for $98 million in federal modernization funds.
This compromise bill unanimously passed the House, 98-0, on Wednesday; was approved by the Senate, 41-4, on Friday (with only Republican Sens. Jerome Delvin, Doug Erickson, Jim Honeyford and Mark Schoesler voting "no").
In addition to Rep. Sells, Sen. Kohl-Welles and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, special thanks are in order for the House leaders -- Speaker Frank Chopp, Majority Leader Pat Sullivan and Deputy Majority Leader Larry Springer -- who fought to keep the benefits issue alive this session and grant some relief to struggling families.
Transportation for Washington unveils blueprint for more transit and smart transportation investments across state
Campaign also introduces new local transit funding legislation
Olympia – A coalition of environmentalists, transit advocates, labor groups and businesses today unveiled a new vision for Washington state's transportation future. Called Transportation for Washington, the campaign is a blueprint with new policies and a set of principles for how to get Washington moving forward with investments to repair aging transportation infrastructure and funding for more transit.
"We have a transportation crisis in our state, unsafe bridges, slashed transit services, bumper to bumper traffic congestion," said April Putney, Co-Director of Futurewise. "To get Washington ready for economic growth and create jobs in a way that protects our environment, it's time for us to have a new vision for transportation in our state. Transportation for Washington is that vision."
Transportation for Washington is a multi-year campaign to clean our air and water, invest in transit options that save people money, and build great, healthy communities to work live and play. The campaign is based on three main principles:
- More transit. Washington needs new investments in transit to increase transportation choices while reducing congestion, improve freight mobility, connect our rural communities and decrease pollution.
- Fix it first; Save lives. The state's crumbling bridges and roads must be repaired first, and then ensure that new investments do not cause more sprawl, pollution and increased costs to taxpayers.
- Build healthy, sustainable communities. Washington needs a more efficient transportation system that supports affordable and healthy neighborhoods that connect people to jobs, their community and each other.
The potential tax sources available would be:
- Progressive Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
- Vehicle License Fee based on annual mileage
- Fuel Efficiency-based Tax that rewards clean and efficient vehicles
- Local sales tax on gasoline
With transit agencies currently relying on the regressive sales tax, Liias is especially interested in solving the growing divide between increased transit use, and the decline of sales tax revenue in a recession.
"Communities are strengthened by the availability of quality transportation choices and reliable infrastructure," Liias said. "With local transit agencies staring at devastating reductions in service, this legislation will allow voters to decide for themselves whether to keep the quality of life high in their communities."
For more information visit: www.t4washington.org
In Memory of Officer Jayme Lee Biendl
The American system of justice places a heavy responsibility on thousands of women and men who
choose the field of corrections as a career. The risk to personal safety is high in a challenging work
environment, where the monetary rewards for ensuring public protection are often undervalued.
Jayme Lee Biendl understood the significance of her job as a state correctional officer. She
approached each day with a determined attitude to be the best, which is why in 2008, Biendl was
selected as the officer of the year at the Monroe Corrections facility.
Tragic events sometimes result in solutions by governmental entities, but such remedies cannot
adequately address the loss of life. Neither can words within a strategic plan that claim to place a
priority on employee safety within prisons, when budget determinations drive staffing and leave
officers as prey to those incarcerated, because they have been judged to be threats to the population
at large.
The safety of the public demands that dedicated correctional officers, who place themselves at risk
on a daily basis, are not the targets of attacks from within or outside of prison. Elected and
appointed officials should pledge to maximize prison safety for public employees by allocating and
effectively managing resources at all correctional facilities. Moreover, given the critical nature of
the work that must be performed on behalf of the public, correctional officers must be afforded pay
and benefits commensurate with their high-risk profession.
Let the sorrow associated with Officer Biendl's loss be transformed into a collective resolve by all
citizens to vigorously pursue changes needed in Washington and all correctional systems
throughout the United States.
Vigor acquisition nearing a close
Vigor Industrial LLC on Monday said its proposed $130 million acquisition of Todd Shipyards Corp. is likely to close Feb. 16.
The Swan Island-based ship building and repair company’s plan to buy Todd (NYSE: TOD), a Seattle-based rival, for $22.27 per share hit a snag last week when shareholders tendered just 50.7 percent of all outstanding shares by the Jan. 28 deadline. That fell short of the 67 percent required under terms of the deal.
The companies extended the deadline to Feb. 4 and on Monday said they surpassed the goal, having received about 77 percent of outstanding shares.
Even so, the tender offering’s expiration date was extended another five days to this Friday to satisfy various closing conditions, including preparing for payment of the tendered shares.
Alan Sprott, vice president of Vigor Industrial, expressed confidence that all remaining details will be wrapped in time to close the deal on or around Feb. 16. REad more on this story here.
Company Settles Case in Firing Tied to Facebook
An ambulance company that fired an employee after she criticized her supervisor on Facebook agreed on Monday to settle a case brought by the National Labor Relations Board.
The plan resolves an Oct. 27 complaint against American Medical Response of Connecticut that said the employee, Dawnmarie Souza, had been illegally fired and denied union representation.
Among the issues was whether a worker has the right to criticize a supervisor on a site like Facebook if co-workers add comments. The case was the first by the National Labor Relations Board to assert that employers break the law by disciplining workers who post criticisms on social-networking Web sites.
"There's a strong argument that social networks are like a public forum, an invitation to conversation," said Marshall B. Babson, a lawyer who served on the labor board during the Reagan administration.
Under the settlement, American Medical will revise its "overly broad rules" to ensure that they do not improperly restrict employees from discussing wages, hours and working conditions with co-workers and others while not at work, and that they would not discipline or discharge employees for engaging in such discussions, the labor board said in a statement.
The company promised that employee requests for union representation when meeting with managers would not be denied, and that employees would not be threatened with discipline for requesting union representation, according to the agency.
The original complaint by the labor board said that in November 2009, Ms. Souza was denied the right to seek union help before she responded to a supervisor's questions about a customer complaint. She had posted disparaging remarks about a supervisor on her Facebook page from a home computer, according to the case. American Medical Response said in November that the statements she had made did not qualify as protected activity.
Jayme Lee Biendl Benevolent Fund
The officers, staff and members of Teamsters Local 117 are stricken by the tragic death of Jayme Lee Biendl, the Correctional Officer who was brutally murdered in the chapel of the Monroe Correctional Complex on Jan. 29.
Officer Biendl was an exceptional professional who died needlessly in the line of duty. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and fellow Correctional Employees at MCC and across the state.
In honor of our fallen Sister, Teamsters Local 117 has established the Jayme Biendl Benevolent Fund. Proceeds from the fund will offset funeral expenses and go to Officer Biendl's family.
You may donate at any Bank of America branch location. You may also send your donations in care of Teamsters Local 117 to
Jayme Biendl Benevolent Fund
c/o Teamsters Local 117
14675 Interurban Ave. S. Suite 307
Tukwila, WA, 98168
Unions Can Bargain on Behalf of Airport Security
Seeking to end a debate that has brewed for nearly a decade, the director of the Transportation Security Administration announced on Friday that a union would be allowed to bargain over working conditions on behalf of the nation's 45,000 airport security officers, although certain issues like pay will not be subject to negotiation.
The question of whether unions can negotiate on behalf of airport security workers has been a repeated topic of partisan debate on Capitol Hill, at times threatening to hold up major pieces of legislation or even the Senate confirmation of the agency's director.
John S. Pistole, the former deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who has led the transportation security agency since June, said Friday that he would use the power granted to him by Congress to authorize collective bargaining by airport security personnel on a limited set of topics, including rules governing vacation time and shift assignments, workplace transfers, and recognition for commendable work. The negotiations will take place on a national level, not with state or local union affiliates. Read more here.
AFGE Seeking to Represent Seattle TSA Employees
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, (AFGE) is competing against the National Treasury Employees Union (a non-AFL-CIO union) to represent Transportation Security Administration employees at SeaTac Airport and at airports nationwide. The representation election is scheduled for early- or mid-March. Attached are some talking points on the issue from the AFL-CIO.
AFGE is planning a series of actions at SeaTac and is looking for volunteers to assist with leafleting. If you can help at any of the following actions or want more information, please contact Don Fowler at fowled@afge.org or 253-230-1718.
- Monday, February 14th – leafleting 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m
- Tuesday, February 15th – leafleting 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, February 16th – leafleting 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, February 16th - AFGE National Secretary Treasurer David Cox will be at a "Union Fair Environment" event, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
AFGE also requests that anyone visiting SeaTac Airport on February 14th, 15th and 16th wear their union jackets, hats, t-shirts, etc. as a show of solidarity.
Baby, It's Cold Inside!
Pictures from the Milwaukee YRC dock after a recent snow storm. There are no doors on the warehouse.
Reduction In Staff, Programming At Facilities Has Put Corrections Employees At Risk
Teamsters Mourn Slain Washington State Corrections Officer Jayme Lee Biendl
(Washington, D.C.)—The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is mourning the death of Washington State Corrections Officer Jayme Lee Biendl, who was slain at a prison chapel, allegedly by an inmate.
Officer Biendl, an 8-year veteran of the Department of Corrections and the 2008 Correctional Officer of the Year, had been assigned to monitor the chapel when she was killed on Jan. 29. Officer Biendl was 34 years old and a member of Teamsters Local 117 in Tukwila, Wash.
"No words can express how deeply saddened the Teamster family is over the death of our sister, Jayme Lee Biendl," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "Public safety needs to be our number one priority in every state across the country. It should not take the death of a dedicated corrections officer like Jayme Lee Biendl for government officials to understand the importance of protecting those who serve and protect us."
Officer Biendl had raised security concerns about working alone in the prison chapel and inadequate video surveillance equipment, said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117 in Tukwila, Wash. Within the past several months, Biendl had completed a work order requesting additional cameras in the chapel.
"We are all saddened by this terrible tragedy," Thompson said. "It is outrageous that it took one of our members being murdered for the state to listen to correctional workers' pleas to stop cutting staff and eliminating programs, which puts staff at risk."
Teamster correctional employees across Washington state have been speaking out for months against budget cuts that have reduced staffing levels and programming at prison facilities.
On December 9, 2010, more than 400 correctional employees, their families, and other Teamster members, rallied on the steps of the State Capitol in Olympia in an effort to stop budget cuts that they say are endangering the lives of prison workers and their communities.
"Officer Biendl was an outstanding law enforcement professional, and she was beloved by her family, friends, and her co-workers. Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences go out to her loved ones," Thompson said.
In honor of Officer Biendl, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire ordered that flags fly at half staff on Tuesday. The Governor has ordered an independent investigation by the National Institute of Corrections to review the incident.
Teamsters Local 117 has established the Jayme Biendl Benevolent Fund. Proceeds will offset funeral expenses and go to Officer Biendl's family. Donations can be made at any Bank of America branch. Donations can also be mailed to:
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Jayme Biendl Benevolent Fund
c/o Teamsters Local 117
14675 Interurban Avenue S. Suite 307
Tukwila, Wash. 98168-4652
Gov. Gregoire proposes workers comp, unemployment changes
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire is hoping for support from business and labor on changes to Washington's workers compensation and unemployment insurance programs. Gregoire says some of the changes already have support from the two sides, which often battle over payroll taxes and worker benefits. Other changes are proposals that Gregoire hopes will gain traction when the Legislature starts next week. One major change would cap a portion of unemployment taxes at last year's rate, using a fund balance to cover costs. The Democratic governor says that would save employers about $300 million in 2011. Gregoire also wants to cut the rate of expensive lifetime pensions in the workers compensation system and boost training programs to attract more federal money. Read more here