NEWS ROUNDUP
Grounded ● Cutoff tomorrow ● Medicare-for-Less ● Come together
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
BOEING
► In today’s Washington Post — Britain bans Boeing 737 Max from its airspace as China, Australia and other nations ground the jets after deadly crashes — When China became the first country on Monday to order all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes grounded in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, its aviation regulator sent an unmistakable signal: the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is no longer the only authority in civil aviation worldwide. After China ordered a dozen carriers to ground their 96 planes — roughly a quarter of all 737 Max in operation globally — authorities in Ethiopia, Singapore, Indonesia, Morocco and Mongolia quickly followed suit, as did carriers in Latin America and South Korea.
BREAKING — Report: Germany and Ireland join the grounding.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Nervous reaction to Ethiopian crash creates uncertainty for Boeing — The FAA and Boeing said Monday they’ll await more information before ordering any action on the 737 MAX.
► From HuffPost — Two senators call for Boeing 737 Max 8 planes to be grounded after deadly crashes — On Monday, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for all Boeing planes of the 737 Max 8 series to be grounded until the aircrafts’ safety could be ensured.
► And THIS — AFA/CWA President Sara Nelson weighs in (see the whole thread.)
I don’t normally address the nonsense that comes from this Twitter account, but this one hits way too close to home. We have the safest transportation system in the world because of the skill & dedication of the certified safety professionals on the front lines of aviation… https://t.co/lnOA64bg2K
— Sara Nelson (@FlyingWithSara) March 12, 2019
THIS WASHINGTON
► From KNKX — Legislative deadline approaches amid high-volume session in Olympia (analysis) — There is a lot of activity in the Legislature right now, as state lawmakers work against a Wednesday deadline to move bills out of their chamber of origin.
ALSO at The Stand — Senate votes to ‘Keep Washington Working’ (WSLC Legislative Update) — Includes status reports on WSLC-supported bills as Wednesday’s cutoff approaches.
ALSO TODAY at The Stand — Tell your legislators to support state contractor transparency, accountability
► From KING 5 — House approves minimum wage parity for disabled workers — A measure heading to the Washington Senate would require physically or mentally disabled workers to be paid the same minimum wage as other workers in the state.
► In the Pacific Inlander — Senate passes HEAL Act to ensure environmental justice, right to ‘healthful environment’ for all — It would create a task force that would make recommendations for how state agencies should improve environmental conditions that can disproportionately contribute to health problems for certain communities.
LOCAL
► In today’s Yakima H-R — While citizenship question remains in court, Census Bureau looking to hire workers — The U.S. Census Bureau is hoping to attract resumes from about 100 people in Yakima County for temporary jobs related to the 2020 census, a spokesman said this week. But in Yakima, a city with large migrant and Hispanic populations, concerns about the census remain — including a controversial question about citizenship.
► From Crosscut — Does public radio in the Northwest have a gender pay gap? — A former Northwest News Network correspondent says a disparity in salaries drove her to quit. Management says it’s an issue of geography, not gender.
► In the Daily News — Longview firefighters race, raise $31,000 for cancer research
► In the Daily Record — 9 of Ellensburg’s own compete in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society firefighter stair climb
► In the Spokesman-Review — Spokane Valley firefighter places high in skyscraper “stair climb” fundraiser with personal meaning
THAT WASHINGTON
► From Reuters — Labor unions wield increased clout in crowded Democratic 2020 race — Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is weighing a 2020 presidential bid, will find a friendly audience on Tuesday when he addresses a meeting of the International Association of Firefighters in Washington, D.C. An early endorsement from the union would give Biden extra momentum in a crowded field of more than a dozen Democrats jockeying for the party’s presidential nomination. It could also be an exception this election cycle.
With so many labor-friendly Democratic candidates in the mix, unions expect to have increased clout. But there will be stiff competition to get their formal backing, and endorsements may come later than in past cycles – or not at all, union leaders said in interviews. “We aren’t rushing in making a decision this time around because we believe the field is so strong and we want to give people an opportunity to answer questions,” said Lee Saunders, the president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents more than 1.6 million public employees.
NATIONAL
EDITOR’S NOTE — Need a raise? Get a union! Get more information about how you can join together with co-workers and negotiate a fair return for your hard work. Or go ahead and contact a union organizer today!
► In today’s Chicago Sun-Times — Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians announce strike as contract talks fail — Stop the music: Musicians of the CSO announced Sunday night that they are on strike.
► In the Albuquerque Journal — Lawmakers vote to ban local ‘right-to-work’ laws — A proposal that would bar New Mexico counties from enforcing local “right-to-work” ordinances is on its way to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
► From Maine Public — Bill would make more Maine workers eligible for overtime pay — Supporters, including labor unions and progressive activists, say the higher threshold is long overdue because the current minimum of $33,000 for certain jobs is too low, while the demands on employees to work longer hours are higher than ever.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Washington state is preparing to update its rules as well.
► In the Seattle Times — Google approved $45 million exit package for executive accused of misconduct — The amount was revealed Monday in a shareholder lawsuit accusing the board of directors of Alphabet, the parent of Google, of shirking their responsibilities by agreeing to pay executives accused of misconduct instead of firing them for cause.
TODAY’S MUST-READ
► From the People’s World — AFL-CIO leaders say unions have a role in saving the country — In speeches and in press releases over the last year, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has pointed out that unions are uniquely qualified by their very nature to lead the country out of what he has called a “dark period,” a time when hateful speech and vitriol emanate from the White House and are found in abundance everywhere else. Unions, he notes, bring together all kinds of people in a fight that is common to the vast majority, a fight for a better life for oneself and for the next generation.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.