Snohomish County Labor Council, AFL/CIO

Minutes of the Meeting of June 22, 2005

 

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Secretary-Treasurer Mike Sells. President Darrell Chapman was delayed returning from an organizing meeting in Portland.  Delegates recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Minutes of the previous meeting were approved as typed and handed out.

 

CREDENTIALS

 

  • AFSCME 113: Brian O’Leary, Joyce Peter
  • AFSCME 948: Robin Windhausen
  • ATU 1576: Melinda April, Patty Ceis, Kathleen Custer
  • IBEW 77: John Cunningham, Tim Wiese, Susan Wong
  • Iron Workers 86: Dave Chase
  • OPEIU 8: Patty Bowen

 

M/S/C to seat the new delegates who were present: Chris Dugovich, AFSCME 109, Joyce Peter, AFSCME 113, Robin Windhausen, AFSCME/WFSE 948 were sworn in.

 

GUESTS

 

Jeff Wood with the Affinity Lending Group from Homestreet Bank presented Operation Shortfall with a check for $1000 to be used in two $500 grants to assist with home loans. He also gave the delegates an overview of what the Affinity Lending Group offers union members in regards to home loans; for instance, that the fee structure in securing loans is 1/2 of normal rates. For further information contact Jeff Wood at

 

EXECUTIVE BOARD and STAFF REPORT

 

Secretary-Treasurer Mike Sells gave the Executive Board report and noted that they had met as the COPE Committee and recommendations will be presented under COPE at tonight’s meeting. He also noted the guests attending, and that the correspondence was set out on the tables in the back of the room.

 

COPE

Motions for recommendations for endorsement were presented by the Secretary-Treasurer on behalf of the Executive Board serving as the COPE Committee. They come with an automatic motion and second. The following motions were passed for endorsement by the Snohomish County Labor Council:

 

  • Marian Harrison, Snohomish County Council, Dist. 1, D, (38th District Democratic Chair and member of Public School Employees Union) electmarian@hotmail.com
  • Paul Roberts, Everett City Council, Pos. 1 (currently working as Marysville Planning Director)
  • Mark Olson, Everett City Council, Pos. 2 (incumbent and attorney) Markgo@aol.com
  • Drew Nielsen, Everett City Council, Pos. 5 (appointed incumbent, works at Nielsen & Nielsen, P.S. He has served on the Everett Planning Commission and been active in the Neighborhood Associations.) dnielsen@seanet.com
  • Don Gough, Lynnwood Mayor (currently on Lynnwood City Council and attorney) TheDG1@aol.com
  • Marko Liias, Mukilteo City Council, Pos 2 (part time teacher in Mukiteo and member of MEA, as well as working for Regal Homes in home building) http://www.markoforcouncil.com
  • Liz Loomis, Snohomish City Council, Pos. 6 (incumbent and currently serving as Mayor of Snohomish. She is a Public Affairs Consultant/Small Business Owner) lizloomis@comcast.net
  • Jason Redrup, Snohomish City Council, Pos. 7 (SCLC delegate from Machinists 751 and community activist, as well as the United Way Spirit of Labor Award winner for 2004) jason@greenpaint.com
  • Connie Niva, Everett Port Commission (Currently serving on the WSU Board of Regents and was a Washington State Transportation Board Commissioner, as well as former Everett City Council woman endorsed by Labor.) Conniemn@comcast.net
  • Dave Somers, Snohomish County Council, Pos. 5 (Former County Councilman now works as a policy analyst with the N.W. Indian Fisheries Commission.

In the discussion of the motion, it was M/S to amend the single endorsement to a dual endorsement with Steve Hobbs. During the discussion of the dual endorsement it was M/S/C to invite both candidates to address the delegates. Both Dave Somers and Steve Hobbs addressed the delegates. The resulting vote on the dual endorsement amendment was passed with the necessary 2/3rds vote. The dual endorsement for this position will be voted on at the next meeting.

A second motion was made from the floor:

  • M/S to endorse Dave Gossett for Snohomish County Council, Pos. 4

This motion will also be voted on at the next meeting of the Snohomish County Labor Council, AFL/CIO

The Secretary-Treasurer reminded the delegates that all recommendations must pass by a 2/3 majority vote of the delegates and motions from the floor are discussed and voted on at the next SCLC meeting.

COMMITTEE / AGENCY REPORTS

 

Puget Sound Labor Agency/Community Services Committee reports were combined. Suzanne Moreau reported that the Letter Carriers Food Drive was very successful. The announcement was just received that Snohomish County was #1 in the nation in their category with 389,000 pounds of food collected for local food banks. She announced that the Community Services Committee would be participating in Solidarity Night and requested raffle prizes and assistance. She had raffle tickets available for the PSLA Labor Day event held at the King County Labor Day picnic. She also reminded delegates about the PSLA/WSLC Golf Tournament to be held in Spokane during the WSLC Convention. The Snohomish County United Way Day of Caring was coming up and delegates were asked to make suggestions on possible targets. The announcement was made that the United Way Spirit of Labor award went to Bob Rommel and Mark Moshey for their work.

 

Organizing Committee Paul Quaintance, UFCW 1105, reported on the Wal Mart campaign and gave updates on the fight to keep it out of Smokey Point, Marysville and other areas in the north sound. He noted that the cooperation between UFCW 1001 and 1105 and Teamsters 38 was making an impact in the community. He also talked about the flyer in the packets which outlined the 250 million dollars that have been spent by government agencies to help Wal Mart employees without healthcare.

Leonard Kelley, Teamsters 38, reported on the successful organizing drive at Lynnwood Disposal in the Customer Service Department. He also reported on the overwhelming success at DHL, an independent carrier in Snohomish County, with a 90% yes vote.

 

Contract Negotiations Toni Bohan, SEIU 925, reported on the ongoing frustrations with the Everett School District in regard to the negotiations for custodial maintainence and food service employees. The custodial unit is very small and is requesting to be merged into the food services contract unit. At this point in time the school district will not consider the action. Talks are suspended through the summer and help from the council may be needed in the fall.

Monte Turner, AFSCME 113, reported that his members rejected Everett’s contract proposal 60% to 40%. The problem is the health care proposal and the increased co-pay plan. He will keep the delegates apprised of developments.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Toni Bohan, SEIU 925, presented the following resolution to the delegates. It was M/S/C for passage.

 

Whereas: Working people in America are facing the worst attacks in generations on our jobs, health care, and retirement security.

Whereas: The attacks on working people are a direct result of the decline in the percentage of workers who have a union - from 1 in 3 when the AFL-CIO was founded 50 years ago to 1 in 12 private sector workers today.

Whereas: If we stay on the current course, the crisis can only get worse. The remaining union members are concentrated in industries that are losing employment, while the rapidly growing service sector is almost entirely non union. With 84 percent of union members concentrated in just 12 states, workers have virtually no union protection in whole regions such as the South and Southwest, which in turn drag down standards for the rest of the country.

Whereas: The unions that form this body are affiliated with international unions that have taken a variety of positions in the debate about how best to respond to the crisis facing working people. However as a local labor movement, we are united behind certain principles:

 

Therefore be it resolved that:

1. The greatest priority of this body must be to support the strategies of local unions in our communities to unite more workers with our movement. That is the single most important step the labor movement can take to give working people greater strength at the bargaining table, in politics, and at the workplace. This body will develop and carry out an annual strategic plan for that purpose.

2. Candidates for office shall receive the support of this body only if he or she actively works to support the right of working people to join our movement without employer interference.

3. This body will work with all organizations that share our goals, whether or not they are unions and whether or not they are affiliated nationally with the

AFL-CIO.

4. We support the establishment of standards and timetables to ensure that our movement at all levels reflects the diversity and commitment to change for today’s workforce.

5. The affiliates of this body pledge that we will not divide the strength of workers in a particular industry, employer, or craft and will not make agreements with employers that undercut pay and benefit standards won by members of another union.

 

GOOD OF THE ORDER/ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Suzanne Moreau announced that there were new labor members of the Snohomish County United Way Executive Board. They are Bob Rommel, SPEEA/IFPTE 2001, Ed Triezenberg, Northwest Council of Carpenters, Al Schultz, IAM 751. She also announced that Snohomish County United Way President, Carl Zapora, would be putting together a Labor Roundtable in the near future.

            Snohomish County Councilman Dave Gossett announced that the Snohomish County Prescription Drug Cards were now available and that he had brought packets of them for the delegates to take back to their members.

Charlene Rawson, candidate for Everett City Council, Position 2, introduced herself.

Toni Bohan, SEIU 925, announced the 2nd Annual Camano Island Progressive Democrats Labor Day Picnic. The theme this year is labor history and she said they were looking for any people who would sing labor songs, tell labor history stories or had labor history memorabilia. It will be held in the Oddfellows Park on Camano Island on September 5th.

Travis Patterson, IBEW 191, reported on the efforts to get articles in the local paper. With effort, Local 191, was able to get coverage for Milt Fosters retirement after 18 years as a local labor leader.

Bob James, NALC 751, thanked Suzanne Moreau, the ETBA, Puget Sound Labor Agency and all the unions and members who had worked to make this years Letter Carriers Food Drive so successful. The  390,000 pounds collected was up 20,000 pounds from last year.

 

Community Services Drawing Winner was Randy Kurtz, AFSCME 948.

 

The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Mike Sells, Secretary-Treasurer

           

 

COMMUNICATIONS

 

From the AFL/CIO

            • 6/3/2005 from Mike Cavanaugh, Field Mobilization Director, on Labor in the Pulpits.

            • 6/14/2005 from John Sweeney, President on the United Way

From the Washington State Labor Council

            • 6/7/2005 Brochure and Registration for WSLC Golf Tournament

            • 6/12/2005 Flyers for the campaign to not sign I -912.

From Officials

            • 6/1/2005 Ed Paskovskis, Deputy Director SEPA on Everett Port Marina Redevelopment

From Organizations

            • 6/3/2005 Change to Win re: AFL-CIO Convention

From Individuals

            • A letter from Paul Roberts, Candidate for Everett City Council, Position 1, was read thanking the SCLC for endorsing his candidacy. 

 

 

ATTENDANCE:

 

AFSCME 109: Chris Dugovich, Roger Moller

AFSCME 109E: Robert Mueller

AFSCME 109S:

AFSCME 113: Joyce Peter, Monte Turner

AFSCME 1811:

AFSCME 1811C:

AFSCME 1811CA: Patty Goins

AFSCME 1811JPD:

AFSCME 1811JS:

AFSCME 1811PA: David Kurtz

AFSCME 1811S:

AFSCME 881:

AFSCME 948: Randy Kurtz, Robin Windhausen

AFSCME 1020:

AFSCME 1355:

AFSCME 2753:

AFSCME 2964:

AFT 772: Mike Sells

AFT 1873:

AFT 4254:

APWU 484:

ATU 883:

ATU 1576: Dick McManus

GCIU 767M:

IAFF 46:

IAFF 1984:

IAFF 2694:

IAM 130: Shawn Unger, David Volkmann

IAM 751A: Bob Neumann,  Jason Redrup, Don Shove

IAM 751C: Rod Sigvartson

IAM 751E: Ron Bradley

IAM 751F:Duanne Roope

IATSE 15: John Lammon

IBEW 46:

IBEW 77:

IBEW 89:

IBEW 191: Darrell Chapman, Travis Patterson

IBT 38: Janine Dibble, Samantha Kantak, Leonard Kelley

IBT 174:

IBT 763: Julie Schmitt

IBU/ ILWU:

IFPTE 17:

ILWU 32:

IUOE 302:

IUPAT DC 5:

IW 86:

IW 506:

LIUNA 292: Rodolfo Zavala

NALC 791: Bob James

National Writers Union:

OPEIU 8:

OPEIU 277:

Pac NW Newspaper Guild:

SEIU 6: Joan Bethel

SEIU 775:

SEIU 925: Toni Bohan

SEIU 1199NW:  Steve Moll

SMIU 66:

SPEEA: Chris Glenn, Mark Moshay, Bob Rommel, David Simpson

UA 26:

UFCW 44:

UFCW 141, USNU:

UFCW 1001:

UFCW 1105: Nancy Holland-Young, Paul Quaintance

UniteHere:

 

Excused Delegates

AFT 772: Kim Mead

IAM 751C: Hank Getchman

IAM 751F: Jackie Boschok, Judy Neumann

IBEW 77: Peg Chrisman

IBT 38: Tami Brady, Steven Chandler, Chuck Jewell, Barry Lund

LIUNA 292: Rex Martin, Jim Smith

 

Guests

Dave Gossett, Snohomish County Council Candidate, Dist. 4

Steven Hobbs, Snohomish County Council Candidate, Dist.5

Suzanne Moreau, PSLA

Luis Moscoso, WPEA/UFCW 365

Charlene Rawson, Candidate for Everett City Council, Pos. 2

Julie Sawyer, PSLA

Dave Somers, Snohomish County Council Candidate, Dist.5