Washington Wednesday - Labor News From Around Washington

Southwest Washington Labor Awards Feb. 25 in Vancouver
The following is from the Southwest Washington and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Councils:
VANCOUVER, Wash. (Jan. 18, 2023) — We all know that 2022 was an amazing year for working people in Southwest Washington. We saw headlines about strikes, new organizing, and workers from across the region standing up and standing together to fight for fair treatment in their workplaces.
Behind each of those headlines are people in their community who took risks and volunteered their time and energy to make those stories happen. Far too often those people don’t get recognized for their efforts – but the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council and Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council won’t let that happen.


That’s why these CLCs are honored to present the 2nd Annual Southwest Washington Labor Awards on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Vancouver Hilton (our UNION hotel!) They want to honor the people in their community who dedicated themselves to fighting for working people in the past year. Please fill out this form to nominate the people you feel deserve to be recognized as:

• Union Leader of the Year
  Who was the local union leader who inspired you, fought for you, negotiated a contract and/or encouraged you and members of our community to take action?
  Let us know!
• Union Member of the Year
  Unions are the members, and the members are the union! Which union members stood out this year and served as an example to others?
  Let us know!
• Union Local of the Year
  Which union locals fought hard for their members, and for all working people in our community?
  Let us know!
• CLC Volunteer of the Year
  Which volunteers at the Southwest Washington Central Labor Council and Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Councils brought our community’s labor organizations together to make a better life for working families?
  Let us know!
• Working People’s Ally of the Year
  Who were the political leaders or community members who stood side-by-side with organized labor to make sure working people in our community were safe and treated with dignity and respect?
  Let us know!
• In Solidarity Award Winner
  Who within our movement has taken the word “Solidarity” to a new level? Solidarity, and working together, is what makes the labor movement special. Who within our ranks has reached out to other unions and promoted solidarity?
  Let us know!

Please submit your nominations in no later than Feb. 13, and make plans to attend the awards ceremony on Feb. 25 at the Vancouver Hilton to find out if your nominees take home an award. Doors open for the event at 6 p.m. (See the full schedule/ticketing information.)

• Purchase a table (10 seats)
• Purchase an individual ticket

The Southwest Washington and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Councils are committed to making this a 100% UNION-MADE EVENT. They appreciate your union’s sponsorship to help make that happen. Find out more about sponsorship levels and how you can help:

• Platinum level sponsorship
• Gold level sponsorship
• Silver level sponsorship

In addition to any proceeds from the banquet, the CLCs will be raising money for Labor’s Community Service Agency through a raffle and a silent auction. Everyone is invited and encouraged to contribute to either of these fundraisers. Find out how to donate items.
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=113706

UW Libraries, Press staff to strike on Jan. 25After 15 months of bargaining with the university, they’ll begin strike unless they reach a deal
The following is from SEIU 925:
SEATTLE (Jan. 13, 2023) — Union staff at the University of Washington Libraries and Press have declared their intention to strike beginning Wednesday, Jan. 25 if a full contract agreement with the UW administration is not reached. Members of the bargaining team made the announcement during the public comment period at the UW’s Board of Regents’ quarterly meeting on Thursday.
“Fifteen months without a contract is too long,” said Allee Monheim, a public service librarian who addressed the board. “We’ve been waiting on some proposals for over six months, and we’re tired of dragging this out. We will go on strike if we don’t reach a tentative agreement before the 25th.”

Employees of the University of Washington Libraries and Press formed a union in June 2021 and have been negotiating with the university for a first contract ever since. They engaged in a one-day strike in October 2022 to show frustration at how long the university has been dragging out negotiations. In November, they authorized their union bargaining team to call an open-ended strike if negotiations with the university break down.
Many librarians haven’t seen a wage increase since before the pandemic and feel they have reached a breaking point.
“When librarians are willing to walk off the job, you know something’s really wrong,” said Tricia Schroeder, President of SEIU 925, the union UW Libraries and Press staff have joined. “But they’re willing to do it for a living wage, to be able to retain colleagues and prevent staff shortages, and to have the resources to better serve the UW educational community.”
The last scheduled day of bargaining is Tuesday, Jan. 24.
SEIU 925 unites 17,000 people in Washington who work in education from early learning through university, as well as local government and nonprofits.