Thursday, September 6, 2012

BOEING-SPEEA TALKS

► In today’s Seattle Times — Bitter tone in Boeing talks with engineers — With Boeing and its white-collar engineering union just weeks away from the deadline for a new contract, the labor union’s executive director says the two sides are “in open conflict.” Said Ray Goforth of the Society for Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace/IFPTE 2001: “These are the most offensive and disrespectful negotiations I’ve ever been part of. It appears they don’t have any intention to reach a deal.”

ALSO at The Stand — SPEEA seeks contract recognizing members’ role in Boeing’s success (by SPEEA Negotiations Team)

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Boeing seeks ‘sweet spot’ in SPEEA contract— Staying competitive by keeping costs reasonable is a top priority for Boeing leaders as they negotiate a new labor contract with the union representing 21,000 engineers and technical workers in the Puget Sound region, the company says.

STATE GOVERNMENT

► In today’s Olympian — State labor deal deadline nears— Time is running out on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s labor negotiators as they try to secure a new labor contract with more than two dozen public employee unions by Oct. 1. Negotiators for the Washington Federation of State Employees were back at the table with Gregoire’s labor team Wednesday, and they planned to bargain late into the evening. They were expected to return today. Federation leaders say they aren’t sure they’ll get a deal.

TAKE A STAND!  Click here to send a message to Gov. Chris Gregoire to stand up for middle class state workers with a fair contract that holds the line on health care costs.

STATE ELECTION

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — State schools chief critical of charter schools measure — Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn doesn’t think I-1240 is constitutional. It creates a commission that is endowed with the power to approve the publicly funded charter schools, but will be outside the purview of his office. Such a bypass runs counter to Washington’s constitution which says the superintendent of public instruction “shall have supervision over all matters pertaining to public schools.”

► At PubliCola —  Republican Governors Association hits Inslee with attack ad — The RGA, which has raised $4 million to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna, has released its first ad attacking Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee. It hits Inslee for voting for “a massive tax increase” on small businesses. They are referring to the Affordable Care Act.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Every time you see one of these RGA attack ads doing Rob McKenna’s dirty work, remember that the head of the RNC promised that Rob McKenna would do in Washington state what GOP Gov. Scott Wilson did in Wisconsin.

► AtTheNewsTribune.com — Democrat Lachney gets GOP challenger’s endorsement in 2nd District race — In the newly drawn 2nd Legislative District that overlaps Thurston and Pierce counties, Republican primary loser James Vaughn is crossing party lines in the Senate race to endorse Democrat and fellow military vet Bruce Lachney over GOP incumbent Sen. Randi Becker.

LOCAL

► At PubliCola — Chopp weighs in on Port controversy — The House Speaker writes commissioners about Port CEO Tay Yoshitani’s dual gig at the Port and on the board of shipping logistics company Expediters International: “I believe that this decision needs more transparency and should be reviewed by the Port Commission in an open public meeting, in order to assure the public that no conflict of interest exists in this matter.”

► In today’s Bellingham Herald — Berry farmer, labor contractor admit to violations— A Whatcom County berry grower and a Ferndale labor contractor have agreed to pay fines in connection with alleged violations of federal laws on employment of children and minimum wages.

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Everett teachers paid more when class sizes exceed limit — A new contract approved by Everett teachers last week included a provision giving elementary school teachers additional pay if their class size is larger than limits agreed to in the contract.

► In the (Aberdeen) Daily World — Judges say without more money they’ll close juvenile facility — The Grays Harbor Superior Court judges put the county commissioners on notice that they plan to shut down the Juvenile Detention Center on Nov. 16 unless commissioners provide an extra $225,000 cash infusion.

DNC

► In today’s NY Times — Clinton delivers stirring plea for Obama second term — Former President Bill Clinton and President Obama hugged onstage after Clinton delivered an impassioned plea on behalf of Obama’s re-election, the 42nd president nominating the 44th to a second term with a forceful and spirited argument that Democratic values would restore the promise of the middle class.

ALSO, watch U.S. Sen. Patty Murray’s DNC speech

► At Business Week — Wall Street CEOs strut amid suffering, Warren says — “People feel like the system is rigged against them,” Elizabeth Warren said. “And here’s the painful part: They’re right. The system is rigged. Look around. Oil companies guzzle down billions in profits. Billionaires pay lower tax rates than secretaries.”

Watch Elizabeth Warren’s entire DNC speech

► In today’s Seattle Times — Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal praises Obama’s business side — Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal took a turn in the political spotlight at the DNC, making a business case for re-electing President Obama and saying the incumbent “understands what the private sector needs to succeed.”

► At Huffington Post — Former Bain workers: Romney lacks ‘moral compass’ — “I want to tell you about Mitt Romney’s record of cutting jobs. Mitt Romney once said — quote — ‘I like being able to fire people,'” said one.  “I don’t think Mitt Romney is a bad man… What I fault him for is making money without a moral compass.”

► In today’s Washington Post — Union leaders support Obama despite tensions within Democratic Party — Union leaders are still simmering about the Democratic Party’s choice of a nonunion city to host its national convention, but they are united with the party on one goal: defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

► In today’s NY Times — The better economic question (editorial) — It’s not just whether voters are better off than they were four years ago. They are. Voters should be asking how to ensure financial security.

NATIONAL

► In today’s NY Times — Steel leads revival in Ohio River Valley — There’s evidence of a seminal economic transition that is unfolding in the six-state Ohio River Valley, a region that once encompassed much of what used to be called the Rust Belt. “The coal trade is way down,” said Ray McKinney, who has spent more than 30 years moving bulk cargo on the Ohio River. “But we’re doing a lot more commercial cargo now. We’re seeing more steel, more rock, more concrete. Somebody’s making money.”

TODAY’S MUST-READ

► In the News Tribune — Here’s to no-collar workers: Spoiled millennials making workplace better for everyone (by Emily Matchar) — We could continue to roll our eyes at Gen Y, accuse them of being spoiled and entitled and clueless little brats. We could wish that they’d get taken down a peg by the “school of hard knocks” and learn to accept that this is just the way things are. But if we’re smart, we’ll cheer them on. Be selfish, Gen Y! Be entitled! Demand what you want. Because we want it, too.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 9 a.m.