DAILY NEWS
GOP’s blockade, IAM=$$$ at Boeing, working-class millennials…
Thursday, March 17, 2016
SUPREME COURT
♣ In today’s NY Times — GOP leaders refuse to budge on nominee — Judge Garland has been praised by members of both parties, but Senate Republicans reiterated that they would not consider him. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared on the Senate floor shortly after the president’s announcement to declare an end to Judge Garland’s nomination, no matter his qualifications. In case there was any doubt, McConnell later called Judge Garland personally to say he would not be receiving him in his Capitol office, nor taking any action on his nomination.
ALSO TODAY at The Stand — ‘Consensus nominee’ faces GOP blockade (editorial)
♣ From TPM — How Obama threw a curveball with the safest SCOTUS pick imaginable — Rather than provoke Republicans to a reactionary position with a bold choice, Obama offered them someone so boring, they’re stuck tying themselves in knots.
BOEING
♣ In the Charlotte Post and Courier — Wage comparisons between Boeing’s non-union and union shops depend on where you’re looking — Boeing’s roughly 3,175 union-eligible production and maintenance workers in North Charleston have seen their paychecks rise to an average of $23 per hour, according to the company. That rate is about 35 percent less than $31.04 an hour that workers represented by the IAM make at Boeing’s other Dreamliner plant in Everett, Wash. Even with Everett’s higher cost of living, workers there are making more money doing similar jobs.
STATE GOVERNMENT
♣ In today’s (Everett) Herald — Loose ends in Olympia: Corrections scandal, state budget — House Democrats say that if the Senate republicans had brought the proposal they released to the press on March 11 to them privately in negotiations three days earlier, a deal might have been reached in time to avert special session. But now, a week later, there’s still no deal.
♣ In today’s Spokesman-Review — Demoted corrections official says he was ‘scapegoated’ — David Dunnington, an information technology manager, said he believes investigators for Gov. Jay Inslee unfairly targeted him.
♣ In today’s Peninsula Daily News — Vacancy coming with state Sen. Jim Hargrove’s retirement prompts political ambitions — Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim): “I’m considering it.” Rep. Steve Tharinger (D-Sequim): “I don’t know what Kevin’s going to do, but he’s the first choice.”
♣ In the Oregonian — Already, Democrats are discussing changes to Oregon’s new minimum wage law — Two Democratic leaders in the Oregon Legislature said they’ll propose changes to the state’s new minimum wage law next year, including lower rates for younger workers and trainees.
LOCAL
♣ In the P.S. Business Journal — Seattle-area Teamsters back off St. Patrick’s Day strike — Teamsters Local 174 has called off a strike apparently planned to disrupt St. Patrick’s Day. Talks between the union, which represents 360 drivers and warehouse workers at Columbia Distributing in Kent, and the company broke down last week because of issues involving health care costs. Teamster leaders said the union decided to “postpone” any strikes after talking with suppliers and retailers.
♣ In the NW Labor Press — Union drive begins at DirecTV — Organizers with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has begun contacting workers in Washington who install and repair satellite TV dishes for DirecTV. They’ll launch a similar effort in Oregon in the coming weeks. Last year, nonunion DirecTV was acquired by AT&T, a heavily unionized company which has neutrality agreements with IBEW and Communications Workers of America.
♣ In today’s Bellingham Herald — Army Corps: No Cherry Point coal terminal decision this month — Montana’s Rep. Ryan Zinke, a supporter of a proposed coal export terminal planned for Cherry Point, expects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will deny a permit for the project, ruling in favor of Lummi Nation.
♣ In today’s Yakima H-R — Yakima wastewater workers want director ousted — A majority of Yakima’s Wastewater Division employees (AFSCME) say they have “no confidence” in the leadership of city Utilities and Engineering Director Debbie Cook.
CAMPAIGN 2016
♣ From Huffington Post — Violence, arrests at Trump rallies are way more common than you may think — More than 50 people, mostly protesters, have been charged in connection with GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign rallies since Feb. 29. During the same period, more than 20 separate physical altercations were reported at Trump events.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
♣ From Think Progress — Lawmakers want to crack down on bosses who steal money from their workers — Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (WA) and Sherrod Brown (OH) with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT) will unveil the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, a bill that would beef up existing protections and add some new provisions to make it less appealing for the country’s bosses to stiff workers on wages by refusing to pay at least the minimum wage, denying overtime pay, making people work off the clock, stealing tips, or illegally misclassifying them.
ALSO TODAY at The Stand — New Murray legislation aims to crack down on wage theft
NATIONAL
TODAY’S MUST-READ
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