SEIU 🤝 AFL-CIO | Bus procession Friday | Longshoremen TA

Thursday, January 9, 2025

LOCAL

► From the Seattle Times — Bus caravan to circle downtown Seattle to honor slain driver Shawn Yim — A convoy of 100 buses will roll through downtown Seattle on Friday morning to honor Shawn Yim, the King County Metro Transit operator who was fatally stabbed by a bus rider in the University District last month. The memorial procession starts at 10 a.m., moving from Metro’s bus base in Sodo up Fourth Avenue, then around Seattle Center before returning in the southbound Highway 99 tunnel. A public memorial service will follow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in WAMU Theater, next to Lumen Field.

► From the Seattle Times — WA fire crews head to California to help battle blazes — Everyone on the Washington crews heading to California has their “red card” or is certified to fight wildland fires. They’re accustomed to erratic blazes and have seen more and more encroach on Washington’s wildland urban interface, or the transition zone between wildlands, rich with fuels for fire, and human development, said Brian Kees, lieutenant with Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue and a task force leader for this deployment.

► From the Spokesman Review — Spokane County to receive additional $44 million in federal funding to assist victims of Gray, Oregon Road fires — Sen. Patty Murray, who negotiated the federal legislation that made the funding available, said the dollars will support long-term recovery efforts for one of the most destructive wildfire events in the state. Spokane County is the only recipient in Washington.

► From the Yakima Herald Republic — New exhibit features photos of Valley migrant laborers, their work and their lives — The photos by Nash, an independent Seattle photographer, document migrant labor and life in the Yakima Valley between 1967 and 1976, along with agricultural protest movements in the state. His photos portray everyone from famed labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez to farmworkers to children and teens with their friends. They show daily life and living conditions at the Crewport and Ahtanum labor camps, festive community gatherings, school days, important life events and special treats like ice cream.

CONTRACT FIGHTS

► From the AP — Longshoremen reach tentative agreement with ports, shippers, averting a potential strike — In a joint statement, the two sides said the agreement protects union jobs and allows ports on the East and Gulf coasts to modernize with new technology, “making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.’’ They said they were not releasing details of the agreement publicly to give union members a chance to review and approve the document. The ratification process is likely to take weeks.

► From the American Journal of Transportation — ATDA members vote to ratify national agreement with NCCC — The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) has announced the ratification of a national collective bargaining agreement with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA). The ratified contract, which covers ATDA-represented freight rail employees through Dec. 31, 2029, is the fourth national agreement ratified after NCFO, TCU and BRC members approved their contracts in recent weeks.

ORGANIZING

► From the AP — Service workers union rejoins AFL-CIO after 20 years just ahead of Trump’s inauguration — “We are amassing our forces, building our strength and our power before the inauguration,” Shuler said. “Working people will continue to demand that our voices be heard.” Verrett said the election did not play a role in the choice, even if it affirmed the decision. “We are determined to organize in unprecedented ways — and that requires real power,” she said.

► From the AFL-CIO:

ICYMI: AFL-CIO President @LizShuler and @SEIUPres April Verrett joined Joy Reid to talk about our efforts to build on the labor movement’s momentum and build real worker power. pic.twitter.com/CssN8P74nT

— AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) January 9, 2025

► From People’s World — Federal circuit court tosses added payments to illegally fired Starbucks workers — The case involved two Starbucks baristas In Philadelphia, whom the firm illegally fired for their pro-union activities. A three-judge panel of the appellate court backed the workers, saying Starbucks broke labor law, formally called unfair labor practices. The court ordered Starbucks to rehire Echo Nowakowska and Tristan Bussiere with net back pay, i.e., what they would have earned after being fired, minus earnings they gained while awaiting justice.

NATIONAL

► From the Washington Post — Landlords are accused of colluding to raise rents. See where. — On Tuesday, the Justice Department expanded its suit to sue six large landlords, which it says operate in 43 states and D.C. To assess how widespread use of RealPage’s rent software may be, The Post identified 3.1 million market-rate rental units managed by companies named in the lawsuits. That analysis found 10 counties where more than 1 in 3 multifamily units are managed by a property company allegedly using a rent-setting program from RealPage.

Editor’s note: 25% of apartments in Kennewick-Richland are managed by companies alleged to have used RealPage’s rent software. In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, it’s 23%; in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, 19%; and in Wenatchee, 17%.

POLITICS & POLICY

► From Bloomberg — Musk’s DOGE, Promise of Trump Deportations Prompt Union ‘Rapid Response’ Plans — “Immigrant rights are worker rights, and this is a top priority for the labor movement,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in an interview. The union federation has provided its state and local affiliates with resources to inform immigrant workers of their rights, secure legal assistance and “be ready for the fightback,” Shuler said. “We have a rapid response network on the ground to help workers who are scared and fearful of what’s going to come.”

► From Common Dreams — New Tracker Spotlights Corporate Criminals Trump Could Let Off the Hook –Public Citizen found that of 192 individual corporations currently facing federal probes or cases, a third “have known ties with the Trump administration.” Public Citizen said its new Corporate Enforcement Tracker will serve as “a resource for watchdogging ongoing federal investigations and cases against alleged corporate wrongdoing that are at risk of being dropped, weakened, or otherwise modified by the incoming Trump administration.”

► From Cascade PBS — Poll: WA voters want 2025 Legislature to focus on their pocketbooks — Respondents were asked about five policy ideas likely to be on the table this Legislative session. Each idea garnered strong support from the voters polled: 68% said they’re in favor of limiting the amount landlords can raise the rent; 63% said they support more affordable-housing funding; 74% support more K-12 public education funding; 73% support more money for law enforcement hiring; and 61% support changing state tax structure.

INTERNATIONAL

► From the Financial Post — Air Canada flight attendants could be poised to strike next — One of the primary concerns raised by CUPE’s leadership, including Lesosky, is the issue of unpaid work. Flight attendants are currently compensated only for time spent in the air (known as in-flight credit hours), yet they perform critical tasks before and after flights. These include boarding passengers, assisting those with disabilities, conducting safety checks and managing luggage. The union estimates that flight attendants are working an average of 35 hours per month without compensation for these duties, which are mandated by Transport Canada.

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