Bender: Labor will support champions of our values
In a guest column published today, Washington State Labor Council President Rick Bender writes, "The labor movement makes no apologies for our mission to help workers find their voice in the workplace. We believe that our fight is even more crucial in the face of the shaky moral compass with which business directs itself today. That is why we will support champions of our values instead of giving in to corporate dominance over a subservient work force."

Washington state's unionized winery is No. 1
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington's only unionized winery and the largest wine producer in the state, has earned a prestigious honor that is bringing renewed acclaim to the Northwest wine industry. Out of 17,000 wines, its Columbia Crest 2005 Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon landed the No. 1 spot on Wine Spectator magazine's top 100 list for 2009. It's the first time that a Washington wine has reached the top of the list of wines from around the world.

Free disaster response training this weekend
Sisters in the Building Trades is hosting free disaster response training for all trades this weekend, Nov. 21-22, at the South Seattle Community College Duwamish Apprenticeship Campus. This training will look good on your r?sum?, making you better qualified for disaster site cleanup work. But most importantly, it will enable you to care for your co-workers, family and community in case of disaster.

Trumka: "We need jobs -- now"
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and other leaders launch a bold new agenda to create new jobs and turn around our economy. Trumka is proposing five steps to help end the nation?s ongoing jobs crisis. In the face of a 10% official unemployment rate and millions more underemployed or struggling with long-term unemployment, immediate action is needed to put people back to work.

Apply for 2010 Union Plus Scholarship
Applications are now available for the 2010 Union Plus Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to union members, their spouses and dependants. Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship program has provided more than $2.8 million to help fulfill educational dreams. In 2009, 133 students were awarded a total of $200,000 in scholarships from the program. The application deadline for the 2010 scholarships is January 30, 2010.

WTO 10th anniversary events set
This month is the 10th anniversary of the historic protests of the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle. A series of events and workshops have been planned for Nov. 27 through Dec. 3 to learn from our collective history in 1999 and to take action on issues affecting us today.

Boise Cascade provokes dispute at Wallula mill
More than 325 employees represented by AWPPW Local 69 at the Boise Cascade pulp and paper mill in Wallula have resoundingly rejected management's latest offer and authorized their contract bargaining team to call a strike. The union says Boise wants to permanently freeze its defined-benefit pension and double the employees' out-of-pocket health insurance costs.

House OKs health reform, 220-215
By a 220-215 vote, the U.S. House has passed a historic health care reform bill that will improve the nation?s health care system, covering millions of uninsured and making insurance work better for those who have it. The 220 members of Congress who showed they?re on the side of working families, not big insurance companies, have earned our thanks for keeping their promises and passing landmark health care reform.

SPEEA: Boeing decision bad for everyone
SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth says Boeing executives' decision to locate a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina "is bad for the company and employees and will ultimately be bad for shareholders." Read his guest column in today's Seattle Times.

Boeing "doubles down on failed 787 strategy"
IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski says Boeing's decision to build a second 787 assembly line in Charleston, S.C. is "an ill-advised, billion-dollar bet on a strategy that?s a proven loser." Read more, plus reactions to Boeing's decision from other labor and government leaders.