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McNerney and Eyman deja vu, TPP on drugs, TeachingCenter…

Thursday, July 30, 2015

 


BOEING

 

deja-vu► In today’s (Everett) Herald —  McNerney says without Ex-Im Bank, Boeing work could move overseas — Boeing Co. Chairman Jim McNerney rattled his saber again Wednesday, suggesting the airplane maker would ship work overseas if Congress does not reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. He said that Boeing is considering moving “key pieces” of the company to countries that offer export credits.

► From the Fiscal Times — Boeing’s largest union calls McNerney job threat ‘unacceptable’ — “This is one more example of how Jim McNerney operated during his years as Boeing’s CEO — threatening the livelihood of his employees and jeopardizing the communities they live in order to get what he wants. Enough is enough. It is time for him to go,” said Jon Holden, president of International Association of Machinists District 751.

► In the PSBJ — Small Washington state exporters ‘kneecapped’ by loss of Ex-Im Bank — At least 82 small businesses in Washington used Ex-Im loan guarantees to win export contracts in the last year, officials say.

► In today’s NY Times — Congress should reauthorize the Export-Import Bank (editorial) — Tea Party lawmakers have blocked legislation, leaving American exporters at a competitive disadvantage.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Apparently, you reap what you sow.

 


LOCAL

 

safety-tesoro► In the Skagit Valley Herald — Tesoro appeal testimony focuses on emergency training in deadly 2010 explosion — Judge Mark Jaffe of the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals is expected to rule by year’s end on Tesoro’s appeal of 39 willful violations, five serious violations and $2.39 million in fines issued in 2010 by L&I as a result of the refinery disaster. The judge overturned all but eight willful violations and three serious violations prior to the start of the hearing.

► In today’s Columbian — Oregon seeks solutions to shipping problems — The recent withdrawal of nearly all container shipping at the Port of Portland has forced businesses throughout Oregon to choose between paying more for exports or risk losing customers overseas. State officials are now asking what they can do to help.

 


STATE GOVERNMENT

 

eyman-thumbs-up► In today’s Seattle Times — Tim Eyman measure to goad Olympia on taxes qualifies for ballot — Tim Eyman’s latest anti-tax initiative, I-1366, would cut state taxes by $8 billion over six years unless the Legislature sends a tax-limiting constitutional amendment to the ballot next year.

EDITOR’S NOTE — The Washington State Labor Council opposes I-1366. As the No1366.org site puts it: “Democrats and Republicans alike agree that we need to be putting more money into education, not less. If Eyman’s I-1366 isn’t stopped, it will either blow a massive hole in the state budget beginning next April, or it will permanently prevent lawmakers from working together to fix our broken tax code, leaving our schools underfunded for years to come.”

► In today’s Seattle Times — Inslee slips in poll, but not much for GOP to cheer about either — Poll numbers released Wednesday show discontent with Gov. Jay Inslee’s leadership of the Legislature. But he still gets a better grade than state lawmakers, and there’s bad news in there for Republicans running for governor.

inslee-jay-gov► In today’s Seattle Times — Five ways to frame Inslee’s climate plan (by Jon Talton) — 1. The carbon driving climate change represents a market failure. 2. Climate change represents an economic cost and it will get worse. 3. The global problem is local. 4. Pricing carbon is an opportunity. 5. The elephant in the room: One of the major causes of CO2 emissions (beyond cars) is jet airplanes. They also happen to be key to the state’s livelihood. How will Inslee finesse this one?

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Keep pressure on Legislature (editorial) — We’re not ready to see the contempt order shelved or the threat of sanctions lifted. The court has never outlined what those sanctions might entail, although some have suggested it might want the Legislature called back to Olympia for a fourth special session to continue its work this year.

► In today’s Seattle Times — Pathetic voter turnout for the Aug. 4 primary (editorial) — Voter turnout for the Aug. 4 primary is woefully low. Voters should use the next few days to send in their ballots.

 


FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

 

► From AFL-CIO Now — It’s past time to stop revolving door between Wall Street, financial regulators — More than 900 former government officials—including 70 former members of Congress—have lobbied for the financial services sector. Frequently new public-service workers come directly from Wall Street in possessions of multimillion-dollar golden parachutes that were given to them because they were taking on decision-making roles in government.

► In today’s Washington Post — Harassment, hostile work environment are major complaints of congressional employees, report says — A new report indicates that congressional employees complain of harassment and hostile work environment far more than any other issue.

 


CAMPAIGN 2016

 

► From Huffington Post — Clinton, Sanders wooing organized labor, but don’t expect endorsement yet — Sanders’ recent surge in the polls has prompted talk that the AFL-CIO would delay a likely endorsement of Clinton, deemed the presumptive Democratic nominee, out of concern over her stance on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But if history is any indication, no candidate should expect the labor federation’s endorsement unless he or she can all but lock up the party’s nomination first.

► In today’s Washington Post — Huckabee is only Republican to attend AFL-CIO endorsement meeting

ventriloquist► At Politico — House Dems plot messaging after election losses — Notably absent from the agenda are the most progressive policies, such as paycheck fairness and wage inequality that Democrats relied on during the 2014 midterm elections. (The messaging memo) cited polls that found moderate voters — a bloc Democrats need to energize if they want recoup the nearly 70 House seats they’ve lost since 2008 —  largely favor candidates who focus on “economic growth” over “income inequality.”

► From Reuters — Harley an awkward ride for ‘union-busting’ Republican Walker — Walker has made the iconic American brand a centerpiece of his campaign kick-off tour this month, but there is another side to Harley that the Republican candidate has been less vocal about — it is a leading example of a successful company that has a strong relationship with labor unions.

 


NATIONAL

 

big-pharma-cash► From Huffington Post — TPP threatens access to affordable medicine for people around the world (by Ralph Neas and Nancy LeaMond) — As leaders in the fight to bring safe and lower-cost medications to Americans and the global community, AARP and GPhA have serious concerns that the draft agreement’s intellectual property provisions threaten to dramatically restrict access to affordable generic drugs and biosimilar medicines by delaying or preventing their entry into the market in various ways. As it stands, TPP runs counter to the dramatic progress that we have made in the United States in making pharmaceuticals more accessible to consumers.

► From NPR — How dim sum cooks in California fought wage theft — and won — Minimum wages are moving up in parts of the country. While that’s celebrated, wage theft remains a big worry for many workers and labor advocates. It’s what makes the successful fight for lost wages at the Yank Sing restaurant in San Francisco a rare case — and one that shows just what it takes for low-wage workers, many of them immigrants, to speak up.

 


TODAY’S MUST-SEE

 

 

► From TPM — Key and Peele sketch raises important question: Why aren’t teachers paid more? — As states discuss education reforms such as merit pay for teachers and tying test scores to teacher evaluations, the issue of teacher salaries has become increasingly relevant…. Teacher salaries in general are 40 percent lower (at $36,141) than other professions that require college degrees

 


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