Monday, June 25, 2018

NO JANUS DECISION TODAY. The next possible day the Supreme Court could release its decision on Janus v. AFSCME is tomorrow (Tuesday). But that will not be the final day of the court’s session, so it could also come later in the week. Stay tuned and get ready!

LOCAL

Freedom Foundation staffers “rallied” in Olympia a couple of years ago to make state employee contract negotiations public.

► In the News Tribune — A missed chance to shine light on public employee contract dealmaking in Washington state (editorial) — Backers of I-1608, which would require state and local governments to make contract negotiating sessions open to the public, have given up on making the November ballot. They won’t collect enough signatures before the July 6 deadline.

► In the Bellingham Herald — Judges cuts Sarbanand Farms’ L&I fine by half — A Whatcom County blueberry farm’s fine assessed by the state Department of Labor & Industries for missed rest breaks and late meals was cut in half by Whatcom County District Judge Pro Tem Dave Cottingham. The fine Sarbanand Farms must now pay to the state and county is $74,825, down from the original penalty of $149,650.

► In today’s Seattle Times — With Seattle’s head tax dead, business lobbyists set sights on City Council elections — The tax was supposed to raise $47 million per year for low-income housing and homeless services. The lobbyists who helped kill the measure want to carry their momentum into next year’s elections.

THAT WASHINGTON

► From HuffPost — Democrats propose overtime pay for farmworkers to rectify racial injustice — Led by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Monday that would extend overtime rights to all agricultural workers, and grant many of those same workers new minimum wage rights as well.

ALSO TODAY at The Stand — Allow farm workers to earn overtime pay

► In today’s Washington Post — Trump’s GOP is looking to deeply cut food stamps — hitting his voters hard — If Republicans succeed in their multi-front campaign to cut back on food stamps, the burden will fall heaviest on the working-class, rural white voters on whom President Trump has staked the future of their party. House Republicans on Thursday passed legislation that would require Americans ages 18 through 59 to either work part time or enroll in 20 hours per week of workforce training to receive food stamps. Opponents of the bill, which included 20 Republicans, argue that the new work requirements will cause hundreds of thousands of low-income adults to lose benefits.

EDITOR’S NOTE — All four Republicans from Washington state voted yes on this bill to cut back on food stamps.

► In today’s NY Times — Skip due process for those who enter illegally, Trump says — In an aggressive attack, President Trump said that those who cross into the U.S. illegally should be sent back immediately without due process or an appearance before a judge.

► From Reuters — U.S. says 2,053 children still separated from families — The U.S. government still has 2,053 children in its custody who were separated from their parents under President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

► From The Hill — Harley-Davidson to move production for some motorcycles out of US after EU tariffs — Harley-Davidson will move the production of motorcycles bound for European countries out of the United States, citing rising costs from European Union tariffs on their products.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Are we winning yet?

► In the Washington Post —A Texas Democrat has one the best ads — and most effective opponent attacks — you’ll see in 2018

► From Vox — Sarah Sanders is upset because a restaurant wouldn’t serve her. She’s okay with it happening to gays. (by Laura McGann) — “Restaurant-gate” is an example of the Trump administration’s unique commitment to courting divisiveness. Donald Trump doesn’t even pretend to speak to or for all Americans. Rhetorically, there hasn’t been a more disrespectful administration in 150 years. But when Sanders wants dinner, the White House is all for mutual respect. Either way, the base laps it up.

NATIONAL

► From the AFL-CIO — Study: Popularity of joining unions surges — After holding steady for decades, the percentage of American workers in all jobs who would say yes to join a union jumped sharply this past year, by 50%, says a new, independent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The evidence is clear: The popularity of the labor movement is surging as more people want to join unions than ever before. Every worker must have the freedom to negotiate in a union over pay, benefits and working conditions.

EDITOR’S NOTE — What are you waiting for? Contact a union organizer today!

► In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch — St. Louis union workers mobilize against Proposition A, with goal of defeating ‘right-to-work’ again — Richard Trumka, president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO, was the featured speaker at the rally. His message: “Right to work” means lower wages, fewer benefits and diminished workplace safety. “Prop A is designed and intended to undermine our collective voice on every issue that is important to working people,” Trumka said. “We are not having any of it.”

► In the USA Today — UPS, Teamsters negotiators agree to higher wages, potential Sunday delivery — UPS reached a tentative five-year contract with the Teamsters union that includes pay increases and could pave the way for Sunday delivery. The Teamsters confirmed negotiators reached an agreement that would raise the minimum wage for part-time workers from $10 to $13 beginning Aug. 1 and to $15.50 by Aug. 1, 2022.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.