If you are having trouble with your FSA NAVIA card, or having issues with the card balance not prefilling, please contact Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program at 1-800-200-1004. Recently, we were notified that NAVIA is sending employees to the Union to resolve this, but PEBB will be answer questions about the account.     

Nathe Lawver elected to succeed Patty Rose as PCCLC leader
TACOMA (Feb. 10, 2023) — Nathe Lawver was elected Wednesday as Secretary-Treasurer of the Pierce County Central Labor Council (PCCLC), AFL-CIO, a position held for the past 20 years by longtime labor and community leader Patty Rose who is retiring next month. The PCCLC represents the interests of 96 affiliated unions with some 45,000 rank-and-file members in Pierce County.
Lawver has been an advocate for Pierce County’s working families for more than 15 years, having served as Director-level staff for two local unions in both the private retail sector and construction sectors, and securing better wages and working conditions through legislative processes. He also previously served as PCCLC’s Political Director. Last year, he was elected by his peers to be Executive Secretary of the Pierce County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO.
“With the popularity of unions at a historic high, and with many active organizing campaigns happening right now, I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity to serve the hardworking people of Pierce County,” Lawver said. “By joining together, we can continue to improve wages, benefits and working conditions so we can all prosper and live the American dream. Because we all do better when we all do better.”
Rose praised the PCCLC affiliates’ choice of Lawver to lead the council.
“I’m thrilled that Nathe will succeed me as Secretary Treasurer of the Pierce County Central Labor Council,” Rose said. “He will carry on and expand the great work of our labor council. I can retire knowing the PCCLC will thrive under the direction of Nathe and our President Vance Lelli.”
(Stay tuned for an announcement soon about Rose’s retirement celebration.)
Lawver and his wife Alicia, both graduates of Pacific Lutheran University, chose Tacoma as their place to live in 2001. They have raised three children there, along with assorted pets that include flocks of chickens and, currently, three dogs and a cat. He enjoys reading history, cooking and travel.
Lawver serves as Vice Chair of the board of directors for United Way of Pierce County, and on the board of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation.
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=114339

View Flyer Here

The A. Philip Randolph Institute, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and Racial Justice & Diversity Committees of the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO are proud to announce “We Out Here!” A celebration of diverse leadership, in honor of and in solidarity with AFL-CIO Constituency Groups during Black History Month. We Out Here! will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023 starting at 7pm at the Teamsters Hall in Tukwila. We will have food and drinks from around the world, music and a dance floor - an evening filled with joy and justice. RSVP: https://bit.ly/3Xz4cs0 
 
We know that anything that divides our solidarity is a threat to our movement, and to working people’s wellbeing. We’re seeing immense enthusiasm for organized labor, especially among younger workers from increasingly diverse generations. To support current and future union members, to be a welcoming home and an effective movement for building worker power, we must understand that people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution.
 
“We Out Here!” JOIN US on Saturday, February 25, 2023 for a celebration of diverse leadership, in honor of and in solidarity with AFL-CIO Constituency Groups during Black History Month.
 
Please join in solidarity to support the working class struggle of all workers in our communities, learn more in The Stand and RSVP to We Out Here! on 2/25: https://bit.ly/3Xz4cs0 

For the 2023 awards, online applications will be accepted for the UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship from any student who has graduated from high school, will be graduating in the spring of 2023, or has received their GED. This year the application will be available from February 13 through May 14, 2023, and we are proud that the Charity Foundation will award at least eight scholarships worth up to $8,000 each over a four-year period.  You may also visit the UFCW Charity Foundation website at  https://ufcwcharityfoundation.org/scholarship/

IAM 751 applauds Boeing plan to add 737 MAX line in Everett
​EVERETT, Wash. (Jan. 31, 2023) — The Boeing Co. announced on Monday that, due to strong product demand, it will add a fourth 737 MAX production line for its single-aisle family to existing factory space in Everett, Wash. According to the company, the new line is expected to increase 737 MAX production capacity by 25 percent and will be operational in 2024.
“This is a great opportunity to utilize the space available in Everett,” said IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden. “Our members can make a real impact in meeting the production needs for the 737.”
In an interview with KIRO News, Holden called the news a win-win situation for more than just future Boeing workers.
“We can own homes. We can save for our families to get a higher education or go into trade school. We can do a lot in our community with these jobs,” Holden said.
Most of the team that will open and work on this fourth line, being called The North Line, will be current Everett employees transitioning from areas where work is winding down. The current 737 lines are staying in Renton.
The North Line is a way for the Boeing Co. to address customer demand, especially as the -7 and -10 work towards certification. At this point, the company has a backlog of nearly 4,300 737s in the years ahead. Work on preparing the facility is already under way.

In a memo to employees sent Monday, Stan Deal, President & CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes wrote:
“To be clear, we are not taking the 737 out of Renton – just adding capacity to capture customer demand, especially for the newer models like the -8200 and 737-10. Everett is a great fit with the availability of highly-skilled workers and factory space.
“In addition to preparing the facility, we have begun the process of notifying and preparing our suppliers, customers, unions and employees as we take the necessary steps to create a new line. We are methodically working through all of our checks and balances keeping safety and quality top of mind.
“We greatly appreciate the support of the Washington delegation in Congress, especially Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Smith and Larsen, who represent our Renton and Everett sites respectively, as well as legislative leaders in Olympia, the Mayors of Everett and Renton, and the Snohomish County Executive.
 “We also thank the IAM for working closely with us to support the safe certification of the MAX-7 and MAX-10. This announcement underscores our commitment to the state and to Washington workers.”
IAM District 751, which represents more than 30,000 members at the Boeing Co. in Washington state and Oregon, will continue to bring its members new information on the North Line as it becomes available, including how staffing will occur.
Learn more at IAM751.org.
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=114065

Labor Center’s Intro to Workplace Representation will be in March

SEATTLE (Jan. 27, 2023) — Are you a union member looking for ways to address and solve problems at your workplace? Or a new or experienced shop steward looking for a fresh take on supporting your coworkers?

Join the Washington Labor Education and Research Center for Building Workplace Power: An Introduction to Workplace Representation. This four-week training will cover the basic laws, principles and skills of contract enforcement, with an emphasis on the organizing skills we need to build unity and power at work. Hybrid classes (in-person and online) will take place each Tuesday in March from 6 to 8 p.m. Registration is now open!
Each Tuesday’s class is part of the series and participants completing all four sessions will receive a certificate of completion.
“I recommend this 4-part series to staff who work with stewards and stewards who are passionate about learning the fundamentals of how organizing, contract enforcement, and representational work overlap,” said Anjulie Bashira Knowles, Member Resource Center Representative for SEIU Local 925. “All are essential to building stronger union engagement. Our discussions were educational, the teaching techniques were highly interactive, and through this opportunity I was able to develop my skills and immediately put them into practice in my day-to-day work!”
“I attended the Introduction to Workplace Representation training,” said Patrice Robinson, Seattle Association of Educational Office Professionals. “The trainers explained concepts and answered questions thoroughly. I would recommend this training to anyone who is involved in union work.”
In-person participants will meet at the Georgetown Apprenticeship and Education Center, 6737 Corson Ave. S. in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. The Labor Center has free parking and is accessible by Metro.
The full series costs $40 per person and participants are encouraged to ask their union to pay the cost. No one turned away for lack of funds. Childcare support and language interpretation available with advance registration. Please bring a copy of your union contract to each session.
Get more information or go ahead and register today!
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=113945

After review of all submissions, the WPEA Scholarship Committee is excited to celebrate and proudly share the news that Caitlin Dulin and Azaria Evans are each winners of the WPEA $1,000 scholarship.  The Executive Board of the WPEA hopes that this award will be of great assistance to them in achieving their educational goals.

Due to a technical glitch, this article did not post yesterday.
Strike averted at University of Washington Libraries, Press
The following is from SEIU Local 925:
SEATTLE (Jan. 25, 2023) — With three hours left until workers were scheduled to show up at strike lines, union staff at the University of Washington Libraries and Press reached a tentative agreement with the university administration early this morning. Librarians and UW Press staff will not go on strike, and will report to work today as usual.
After a marathon bargaining session that lasted about 21 hours straight, the union and employer bargaining teams reached a deal around 5:30 a.m.

“It took 38 bargaining sessions over 16 months, but we finally reached an agreement,” said Tricia Schroeder, President of SEIU 925, the union representing UW Libraries and Press staff. “Nobody wanted to go on strike, but they were willing to do it to prove they know what they’re worth.”

Ratification details have yet to be ironed out; the team will first work on preparing drafts of the contract for members to review.
The scheduled noon rally in Red Square will still move forward, though it will be a celebration instead of a strike rally.
Employees of the University of Washington Libraries and Press formed a union in June 2021 and had been in negotiations with the University for a first contract ever since.
​
SEIU 925 unites 17,000 people in Washington who work in education from early learning through university, as well as local government and nonprofits.

Teamsters at Trojan Lithograph in Renton authorize strike
Workers vow to fight concession demands after private equity firm buys Renton paper packaging company

The following is from Teamsters Local 117:
RENTON, Wash. (Jan. 24, 2023) — Things have radically changed at Trojan Lithograph and not for the better.
“We used to be like a family,” recalls Ron Limarzi Jr., an assistant press operator, who has been with the Renton-based company for 22 years. “We looked forward to coming to work, and we were willing to stay over to get the job done.”
Limarzi’s co-worker and lead press operator, Mark Krempl, agrees.
“I came to Trojan Litho because it was better than any other place,” he said. “That’s just not true anymore. We worked really hard to build this company up to where it was. Now they’re trying to tear us down.”
The turnabout came, the two men say, after a private equity firm, Mill Rock Capital, acquired Trojan Litho in 2020 and folded it into Mill Rock Packaging, a conglomerate of what their investors call “growth-oriented” printing and packaging companies.
For the 26 Teamsters who work there, the buyout has been a disaster.
“When the new management came in, they started moving people around and stuff started to fall apart,” Krempl said in frustration. “We used to have regular maintenance schedules and things used to run well. Now the machines are breaking down all the time.”
The new management team has also proven to be aggressively anti-union, demanding a slew of concessions in ongoing contract talks. They want to increase workers’ out-of-pocket medical costs, redefine how overtime is calculated, and weaken retirement and job security.
Limarzi, a Shop Steward who sits at the negotiations table, has witnessed firsthand the concessionary proposals the company is trying to shove down the Union’s throat.
“They want to make it harder for us to retire and to pay more on our medical. A strong contract secures my future, secures my kids’ future. The company wants to take all of that away.”
But Teamsters at Trojan Litho are not backing down without a fight. On Saturday, after an update from their Union bargaining committee, the group voted unanimously to authorize a strike. This escalation represents a major departure from past negotiations, which were settled without a dispute in a climate of mutual respect.
For workers like Limarzi and Krempl, a fair contract means a decent standard of living and security when they retire. It’s not something they’re ready to fold on.
John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117, said the Union stands with the workers 100%.
“A unanimous strike authorization vote should tell the people calling the shots at Trojan Litho that our members are ready to withhold their labor if their hands are forced. These are highly-skilled trades women and men who will be out on the picket line at their Renton facility. This company better be listening,” he said.
“They’re not going to shake us.” Limarzi said defiantly. “They came at us wanting to get rid of everything in our contract. They wanted to knock us off kilter. But that’s not going to happen.”
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=113844