LABOR CAUCUS
   Washington State Democrats
July 02, 2009
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Letter to union leaders:

Letter to union leaders:

Unions have a responsibility to their members and founders to protect labor standards.  Many take basic worker rights for granted, but we remember it was previous generations of unionists who fought for and won these rights. Unions are the backbone of the Democratic Party.  Unions have a responsibility to activate membership to participate in the American political system to promote and protect working families rights.

We need to provide methods to ensure that working family issues are part of the discussion.    We can do this by broadening the labor movement base within the Democratic Party at the grass roots level.  It is the surest way to achieve the rest of our goals.

Union leaders and members that support the goals of Labor through the Democratic Party can join with the Washington State Democrats Labor Caucus.  Our voluntary annual dues are $25.00.  You can find out more about joining the Washington State Democrats Labor Caucus to encourage union members to participate in our political system by email at.

In solidarity,

Zach Smith
Washington State Democrats Labor Caucus Chair


What's New
Labor Update - Brad Larssen

Posted On: Mar 11, 2009 (09:18:25)

Labor Update - Brad Larssen

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The WORKER PRIVACY ACT : H B 1528 & S B 5446 - We need you to send as much email support as possible ASAP to BRING THE WORKER PRIVACY ACT TO A VOTE. - Bills must pass out of their house of origin by this Thursday, March 12, or they are dead! - Our message: BRING THE WORKER PRIVACY ACT TO A VOTE NOW and VOTE YES! - Please email your legislators ASAP. And we need you to contact House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown - and URGE them to move this bill to a vote and passage. - This bill ensures that workers maintain their First Amendment Rights at the workplace on issues of individual conscience, - such as religion, politics, charitable giving, & union organizing. - We have 47 Sponsors in the House and 21 in the Senate. That is only a couple of votes short of passage counting Sponsors alone! - We have commitments from many other legislators as well. We have the votes. We need to get this bill to the floor for a vote and pass it! - This is the Wash. State Labor Council's top legislative priority this session. - We cannot let threats from certain business lobbyists kill this bill that has broad majority support!

OTHER BILLS TO WATCH: - HB 1555 / SB 5614 - Addressing the recommendations of the joint legislative task force on the UNDERGROUND ECONOMY - IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. - HB 1554 / SB 5613 - Authorizing the Dept of Labor & Industries to ISSUE STOP WORK ORDERS FOR VIOLATIONS OF - CERTAIN WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROVISIONS. - These bills address sanctions and penalties for employers who do not pay the required state taxes on their employees. - Each year large sums due in Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance taxes go unpaid and uncollected due to - non-compliance by some employers. These taxes need to be paid. These workers need the coverage that the laws require. - And responsible employers should not be underbid by those who don't pay their taxes. - HB 1554 / SB 5613 - Passed the House 96-0 and the Senate 31-17 last week. - HB 1555 / SB 5614 - Passed the House 95-1. Sent to the Senate March 6 for 2nd reading.

UNEMPLOYMENT UPDATE - The Bill for temporary relief passed and was signed into law Feb. 16. These benefit increases will expire in 2010. - SB 5963 / HB 2204 - Gives significant permanent tax cuts to employers, but did not restore the multiplier for calculating - benefits to the traditional level of 4.0. - Labor's Position is: OPPOSE SB 5963 unless it is amended to give workers permanent benefit increases alongside employers - permanent tax cuts.

Go see the pictures in Photo Gallery

Updated On: Apr 29, 2008 (16:11:00)

The Labor Helping Neighbor, Chehalis River Valley Farm Flood Relief project was a great success.  Zach Smith, Chair of the Washington State Democrats Labor Caucus wishes to thank the volunteers representing the many organizations that rolled up their sleeves and pulled on their boots and worked all day, Saturday April 26th 2008.  The over 200 volunteers representing 15 democrat organizations, 25 labor organizations and two churches worked to clean over 150 acres of farm land of woody debris left by the December 2007 Chehalis River Valley flood.  Labor Helping Neighbor contributed over $10,000 in cash and $15,000 in labor to the Boistfort area flood victims.  Organizations represented by volunteers include:

 

20th District Democrats

22nd District Democrats

25th District Democrats

30th District Democrats

41st District Democrats

46th District Democrats

AFSCME Council 28

AFSCME Local 443

AFSCME Local 793

Apprenticeship Local 440

Carpenters Union - Olympia

Committee to Elect Jim Cutler 2008

Construction Industry

Training Council

Democratic National Committee

Democrats Work.ORG

GCIU Local 86

IBEW Local 77

IBEW Local 77 Unit 138 Metro

IFPTE Local 17

ILWU - Olympia

King County Democrats

Klahowya High School

Laborers Local 18821

Laborers Local 242

Laborers Local 252

Mike Rechner for State Rep. 20th LD

New Market Skills Center

North West Laborers Training Trust

Olympia Master Builders

OPEIU Local 8

Peter Goldmark for Lands Commissioner

Pierce County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

Providence Hospital

Retired Public Employees Council

Seattle Vocational Institute – Pre-Apprenticeship Program

Sheet Metal Workers Local 66

Tenino Presbyterian Mission Team

Thurston County Democrats

Thurston, Lewis, Mason Central Labor Council  AFL-CIO

Washington Federation of State Employees

Washington State Democrats

Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO

Young Democrats of Washington

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Working Families Legislative Roster

Updated On: Nov 23, 2007 (19:21:00)
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