Snohomish County Labor Council, AFL/CIO

Minutes of the Meeting of March 23, 2005

 

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by President Chapman followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Minutes of the previous meeting were approved as typed and handed out.

CREDENTIALS

 M/S/C to seat the new delegates who were present: Cindy Hallstrom and Randy Kurtz, AFSCME 948; Shawn Unger, IAM 160; IBEW 191, Jason Armstrong; IBT 38, Samantha Kantak; OPEIU 8, Mary Cody; SEIU 6, Joan Bethel; Teamsters 763, Jason Powell; UNITE HERE, Mac Lal

 

GUESTS:

              Dave Gossett, Snohomish County Councilman, spoke on the availability of the County Council prescription drug program. It is available to any Snohomish County resident to help with the discounting on the price of drugs.

              Bob Gorman, AFL/CIO State Director, spoke on Social Security issues and possible AFL/CIO reorganization. He noted that one of the proposals is to regionalize Labor Councils. The May meeting of the SCLC will be given over to the reorganization discussion. Paul Quaintance, UFCW 1105, encouraged members to attend a Social Security rally in Seattle next week.

 

EXECUTIVE BOARD and STAFF REPORT

               Secretary-Treasurer Sells gave a brief report on the Executive Board meeting of March 16th. Delegates received the minutes in their packets. Among items discussed were the Workers Memorial Day on April 27th before the next Labor Council meeting, Paine Field Expansion, the County Council prescription drug program, the AFL/CIO National Day of Action for Retirement Security, CAFTA, problems with unionization at the Everett Public Facilities District, HB 1849, Wal Mart, COPE Interviews and a recommended Social Security resolution. It was M/S/C to recommend the resolution to the full Council.

              M/S/C to concur with the Social Security resolution

 

Resolution Rejecting plans to privatize Social Security

No. 1 – 05

Submitted by the AFL-CIO March 23, 2005

 

 

A Resolution calling on the Congress of the United States to reject plans to privatize Social Security by cutting Social Security’s guaranteed benefits and diverting money out of Social Security into private investment accounts and, further, calling on Congress to commit to repaying to the Social Security Trust Fund the monies it has taken and spent for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Social Security’s income protections – guaranteed, lifelong benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, increased benefits for families, greater income replacement for low-income workers and disability and survivor benefits are the backbone of retirement security and family protection in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Social Security provides crucial, often indispensable income protection for the 47 million individuals – one of every six Americans – receiving benefits; and

WHEREAS, Social Security is the nation’s most successful and most important family income protection program, but it has long-term funding needs we should address; and

WHEREAS, some policymakers propose to address these needs by cutting guaranteed benefits and privatizing Social Security, that is, diverting a third or more of workers’ payroll tax contributions out of the Social Security Trust Fund and into private investment accounts; and

WHEREAS, privatization will worsen Social Security’s funding needs by draining resources from the Trust Fund into private accounts, increasing the federal deficit by $2 trillion over the first decade alone putting us deeper in debt to foreign creditors; and

WHEREAS, some officials and members of Congress have suggested the federal government should not pay back the money it has taken from the Social Security Trust Fund over the past 20 years and used for other things, thereby denying working families the money they paid into Social Security and leading to further cuts; and

WHEREAS, privatizing Social Security will cut guaranteed benefits by 30 percent for young workers, even for those who participate in private accounts, costing them $152,000 over their retirements, denying them benefits they have earned and imperiling their economic security; and

WHEREAS, cutting guaranteed benefits will hurt the elderly because Social Security is the only secure source of retirement income for most Americans, providing at least half the income of nearly two-thirds of older American households and lifting more than 11 million seniors out of poverty; and

WHEREAS, cutting guaranteed benefits will hurt women and people of color, as they are more likely to rely on Social Security for most of their retirement income; and

 

WHEREAS, diverting resources from Social Security to fund private accounts will threaten guaranteed survivor and disability benefits, thus harming working families – as approximately one in five workers dies before retiring and nearly three in ten become too disabled to work before reaching retirement age; and

WHEREAS, privatizing Social Security will burden state and local governments, as cuts in guaranteed benefits will increase demands for public assistance at the very moment growth in the federal deficit due to privatization induces the federal government to shift greater responsibilities onto states and localities; and

WHEREAS, Congress should not rush through drastic and damaging changes in Social Security that undermines its family income protections but instead, should take the time needed to develop careful and thoughtful reforms that address Social Security’s funding needs without cutting benefits or increasing the deficit:

Now, therefore, be it resolved that:

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

Community Services—Suzanne Moreau, Puget Sound Labor Agency Director, gave a report on the Community Services brochure. She thanked Jim Smith, LIUNA 292, for help with raising money through the selling of parking for Everett Events Center events. She noted that the Letter Carriers Food Drive is coming up and that the bags are in the process of development. Helpers for unloading the postal vehicles on the day of food pickup are needed. She is currently working with United Way on the Combined Fund campaign at Boeing with SPEEA and the Machinists. Our contract with United Way has been extended for three years. She requested nominations for the Spirit of Labor Award.

 

Organizing-Paul Quaintance reported on the last meeting. They are discussing organizing targets and local Wal Mart campaigns.

 

Workers Memorial-Allyn Triezenberg reported for Toni Bohan, SEIU 925, that the Workers Memorial would be held April 27th before the regular SCLC meeting. The traditional march will stage from the Labor Temple at 4:45PM and participants will walk to the County Courthouse Plaza at 5:00PM. The focus this year will be on the death of an AWPPW member at Kimberly Clark.

 

COPE

              Dave Gossett announced that he would be having his campaign kickoff for reelection to County Council, Position 4, on Wednesday, March 30th at the Martha Lake Community Club.

             

UNFINISHED BUSINESS-None

 

REPORTS OF UNIONS

Organizing Reports-Leonard Kelley, IBT 38, reported on activity in north county at Pacific Top Soil. He also reported on a meeting dealing with the Arlington Wal Mart tomorrow at 6 PM and a livable wage ordinance they are working on in the area. Paul Quaintance, UFCW 1105, reported on the election of the union for representation of drivers at Larry’s Market in Mill Creek. Vern Huffman, IATSE 15, reported on winning an election for one unit at the Everett Events Center. Jason Powell, IBT 763, reported on organizing in Highline School District. Darrell Chapman, IBEW 191, reported that the General Contractor on the Everett Pacific Hotel renovation was using a lot of non-union subcontractors. It will become a Holiday Inn. They are looking at possible sanctions.

Contract Negotiations-None reported.

Other Local activities-None reported

             

NEW BUSINESS-None

 

GOOD OF THE ORDER

 

              Dave Somers, Candidate for County Council District 5, announced his candidacy. He discussed briefly his concerns with the current occupant of the office.

              Travis Patterson, IBEW 191, gave an update on unemployment issues in Olympia, as did Mike Heins, IBEW 191, who testified on the issue.

              Representative Mike Sells, 38th District, gave a brief update on Labor issues still before the House of Representatives.

              Jim Smith, LIUNA 292, encouraged delegates to tune into the Radio Labor Journal on KSER 90.7 FM.

              President Darrell Chapman reminded delegates that the May meeting would discuss the reorganization. He requested that delegates discuss this topic with their locals.

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Community Services Drawing winner: Pat Connelly, ATU 1576

 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Mike Sells, Secretary-Treasurer

             

COMMUNICATIONS

From Washington State Labor Council, AFL/CIO

From AFL/CIO

                            4/1/2004 Voice @ Work Campaigns

 From Local Unions and Councils

From Officials

From Candidates

 From Organizations

From Individuals

 

ATTENDANCE:

AFSCME 109:

AFSCME 109E:

AFSCME 109S:

AFSCME 113:

AFSCME 1811:

AFSCME 1811C:

AFSCME 1811CA:

AFSCME 1811JPD: Chris Harper

AFSCME 1811JS:

AFSCME 1811PA: David Kurtz

AFSCME 1811S:

AFSCME 881:

AFSCME 948: Cindy Hallstrom, Randy Kurtz

AFSCME 1020:

AFSCME 1355:

AFSCME 2753:

AFSCME 2964:

AFT 772: Kim Mead, Mike Sells

AFT 1873:

AFT 4254:

APWU 484:

ATU 883:

ATU 1576: Dick McManus

GCIU 767M:

IAFF 46: Tom Deckers, Robert Downey

IAFF 1984:

IAFF 2694:

IAM 130:  Shawn Unger, David Volkmann

IAM 751A: Bob Neumann, Don Shove

IAM 751C: Dave Brueher

IAM 751E: Ron Bradley

IAM 751F: Jackie Boschok

IATSE 15:

IBEW 46:

IBEW 77:

IBEW 89: Mike Ferrucci

IBEW 191: Jason Armstrong, Darrell Chapman, Mike Heins, Travis Patterson

IBT 38: Tami Brady, Steven Chandler, Janine Dibble, Samantha Kantak, Leonard Kelley, Rick Olson

IBT 763: Jason Powell

IBU/ ILWU:

IFPTE 17:

ILWU 32:

IUOE 302:

IUPAT DC 5:

IW 86:

IW 506:

LIUNA 292: Rex Martin, Jim Smith,

NALC 791: Bob James

National Writers Union:

OPEIU 8: Mary Cody

OPEIU 277:

Pac NW Newspaper Guild:

SEIU 6: Joan Bethel

SEIU 775:

SEIU 925: Toni Bohan

SEIU 1199NW:  Jackie McGeachy, Steve Moll

SMIU 66:

SPEEA:, Chris Glenn, Joe Lake, Larry Marrell, Mark Moshay, Bob Rommel, Kurt Schuetz, David Simpson

UA 26:

UFCW 44:

UFCW 141, USNU:

UFCW 1001: Charles Primm

UFCW 1105:, Paul Quaintance

UniteHere: Mahesh Lal

Excused Delegates

AFSCME 1811CA: Jay Crockett, Jay Fraser, Patty Goins, Myrsa Montoya

IAM 751F: Judy Neumann

IBEW 191: Jeff Seibert,

IBT 38: Chuck Jewell, Barry Lund

LIUNA 292: Rodolfo Zavala

SEIU 925: Tania Rosario

SPEEA: Steven Bish, Tim Bond

UFCW 1105: Nancy Holland-Young

 

Guests

Bob Gorman, AFL-CIO

Dave Gossett, Snohomish County Councilman

Dave Somers, Candidate for Snohomish County Council

 

 

 

 

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