RESOLUTION ON SAFE PATIENT CARE

Resolution #1

WHEREAS, multiple studies establish the harm that can come to patients when healthcare facilities and acute care hospitals fail to put enough nurses on duty; and

WHEREAS, there is no current federal or Washington state law that requires healthcare facilities to have a minimum number of nurses working at any given time; and

WHEREAS, there are now established and enforceable minimum nurse staffing levels for acute care hospitals through the nurse staffing committees as passed in 2016; and

WHEREAS, optimal nurse staffing is essential to providing safe patient care and factors that influence staffing needs include: patient complexity, acuity, or stability; number of admissions, discharges, and transfers; professional nursing and other skill level and expertise, physical space and layout of the nursing unit and availability of or proximity to technological support or other resources; and

WHEREAS, legislation would guarantee safe nurse-to-patient ratios on every unit, in every hospital and on every shift; and

WHEREAS, the OPEIU Nurses Council (ONC), OPEIU Local 8, WSNA, UFCW 21, SEIU 1199NW and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, believe that patients, not profits, should come first; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council calls upon Congress and state legislatures to pass safe patient care legislation that would ensure proper nurse staffing that is fundamental to keeping patients safe from infections and other health hazards.

TOWARDS A JUST TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Resolution #6

WHEREAS, the overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate warming trends over the past century are due to human activities, and most of the world’s leading scientific organizations have issued public statements endorsing this position; and

WHEREAS, we are already experiencing the warming of the planet at a dangerously rapid rate, primarily as a result of our reliance on carbon-based fossil fuels, deforestation and other human activities that have caused a dramatic increase in the global level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; and

WHEREAS, according to the Congress of South African Trade Unions, there were already, in 2011, 150 million climate refugees around the world, with more certain to follow because “it is the working class, the poor and developing countries that will be most adversely affected by climate change”; and

WHEREAS, unless we curb the emissions that cause climate change, average temperatures in the United States could be at least 3 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit higher by 2100, with potential consequences including sea-level rise of at least 3 to 6 feet, more powerful hurricanes, more powerful tornadoes, prolonged drought, larger and more frequent wildfires, much more severe winter storms in some areas, reduction to agricultural productivity with resulting food shortages and famine, spread of disease, and plant and animal extinctions that threaten to eliminate up to half of all living species on earth; and

WHEREAS, scientists say that there may still be time to prevent the most catastrophic levels of global warming—if we eliminate the burning of fossil fuels worldwide within the next few years, which is perfectly feasible with existing technology; and

WHEREAS, emergency measures must be taken to prevent catastrophic increases in global warming that will trigger irreversible changes to our biosphere; and

WHEREAS, at the present rate of carbon emission and consequent global warming, we could reach that tipping point by 2050 or sooner; and

WHEREAS, the global movement for climate justice is demanding urgent action by our governments, including an encyclical by Pope Francis that lays out the moral imperative for transforming our economy and social practices; and

WHEREAS, we will solve the climate crisis only when we in the labor movement put our unions at the center of the climate justice movement; and

WHEREAS, there is no good reason why the richest nation in the world cannot fund protection for its workers as we move to minimize reliance on fossil fuels; millions of good jobs can be created by increasing energy efficiency, reliance on renewable energy, and the rebuilding of our infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, there are several bills before Congress to tax carbon pollution, such as the Climate Protection and Justice Act, which would use the funds to provide rebates to households making less than $100,000 per year; and

WHEREAS, the Clean Energy Just Transition Act is an example of legislation that would protect workers whose jobs were lost because of the transition away from fossil fuels; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that this body of the Washington State Labor Council supports a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council will support legislation, administrative rules, or an initiative that enables a just transition for workers and communities directly affected by the transition to a renewable energy economy, providing income, benefit, wage insurance and retraining support for workers in the fossil fuel industries, and creates quality jobs in infrastructure, energy and efficiency, and the clean energy economy.

A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE EXPANSION OF NEW SEASONS MARKET IN WASHINGTON STATE

Resolution #20

WHEREAS, a Portland-based grocery chain called New Seasons Market is seeking to expand into Northwest Washington; and

WHEREAS, New Seasons presents itself as a socially responsible company, on par with community-owned cooperative grocers and local, family-operated grocery stores; and

WHEREAS, New Seasons is majority-owned by private equity investors through Endeavour Capital, a firm with more than $2 billion under management; and

WHEREAS, New Seasons, a non-union employer, provides employees with substandard health and retirement benefits compared to unionized grocery workers in Northwest Washington, and New Seasons employees lack the just cause protections afforded to union grocery workers through their collective bargaining agreements; and

WHEREAS, New Seasons management recently blocked union grocery workers from talking about workplace issues with New Seasons employees at the company’s Mercer Island store; and

WHEREAS, one of the investors in the Endeavour Capital funds which own New Seasons is the Vancouver-based Murdock Charitable Trust, an organization that has contributed millions of dollars to organizations that actively undermine Northwest values of mutual respect, inclusiveness and tolerance;  and

WHEREAS, the Murdock Charitable Trust contributed $240,000 to the Freedom Foundation in 2015, an organization whose staff have explicitly stated that their work is intended to undermine Democratic candidates by defunding public sector unions, and whose staff have called the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage a “threat to personal freedom”; and

WHEREAS, the Murdock Charitable Trust has invested in six funds managed by New Seasons’ majority owner, Endeavour Capital; and

WHEREAS, the Murdock Charitable Trust has contributed $975,000 to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which has been designated an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center; and

WHEREAS, the Murdock-funded ADF provided the model legislation used by numerous states to enact anti-trans “bathroom bills” similar to Initiative 1552, which threatened to repeal critical protections for transgender Washingtonians; and

WHEREAS, the Murdock Charitable Trust, has contributed over $1.3 million to so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” across the Pacific Northwest, which pose as health clinics while providing women with false medical information to discourage abortion; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of New Seasons in Washington would help to generate profits for the Murdock Charitable Trust, which could use those profits to further support anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-worker organizations; and

WHEREAS, those communities targeted by New Seasons have a wide variety of grocery shopping options, including stores where hard-won collective bargaining agreements provide workers with decent wages, affordable quality health care, retirement security, a voice on the job and the right to organize at new stores, including reasonable access to union members and staff; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council opposes the entry of New Seasons Market into Washington while one of the company’s investors, the Murdock Charitable Trust, continues to fund extremist anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-worker groups; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council calls on Endeavour Capital and New Seasons Market to adhere to the National Labor Relations Act by allowing employees to speak up and organize around workplace concerns without management interference or retaliation, and by allowing reasonable access to union members and staff in an environment that fosters open dialogue; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council will continue to educate affiliates about the importance of not only supporting but shopping at union grocery stores; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council will support Washington’s union grocery workers in their fight to defend the economic gains and workplace rights they have won through collective bargaining against the expansion of New Seasons and other employers that fail to respect workers’ legal and human rights; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council, all Washington State Central Labor Councils, and all AFL-CIO bodies in California and Oregon push forward and pass similar resolutions pertaining to the New Seasons grocery store in their markets.

IN SUPPORT OF BORNSTEIN WORKERS AND THEIR FIGHT FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

Resolution #21

WHEREAS, Bornstein Seafood is a seafood processing plant in Bellingham, WA that distributes fish to various areas in the pacific northwest; and

WHEREAS, UFCW21 represents roughly around 100 workers at Bornstein; and

WHEREAS, the majority of the workers at Bornstein are peoples of color have a range of documentation status and thus are more at risk for employer abuse; and

WHEREAS, UFCW21 and Bornstein have been in bargaining the last 10 months with very little movement on critical issues; and

WHEREAS, Bornstein wants to increase health costs for workers, provided minimal wage increases through the life of the contract, and push proposals that would significantly underfund our pension; and

WHEREAS, Bornstein has not paid into the workers’ pension for over a year, ultimately, committing wage theft; and

WHEREAS, Bornstein has refused to accept basic contract provisions that would help protect its own workers from ICE raids; and

WHEREAS, as Unionists, we are committed to the principle that all workers should be able to have living wages, have affordable health insurance benefits, and a pension; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, supports Bornstein workers, their campaign, and their fight for a fair contract; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and its delegates will use whatever leverage they can, including a boycott of Bornstein Seafood should one be called, until workers ratify a fair contract.

RESOLUTION ON IMMIGRATION AND THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Resolution #22

WHEREAS, immigrants and refugees have enriched the fabric of our communities, workforce and labor movement since our nation’s founding; and

WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO’s website further elaborates, “The labor movement is the natural home for new immigrants struggling to achieve economic security and win social justice, and our commitment to building an immigration system that represents the needs and interests of all working people is fierce and unwavering”; and

WHEREAS, Washington is the country’s 8th largest refugee-receiving state and a majority of the estimated 3,000 new arrivals each year are re-settled in Seattle-King County; and

WHEREAS, with the recent election of President Trump, immigrants and refugees are unjustly targeted with policies such as the Muslim ban; and

WHEREAS, on June 29, the House passed two hardline immigration bills that would penalize undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and local jurisdictions that refuse to work with federal authorities to deport them; and

WHEREAS, despite President Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric, immigrants and refugees are essential to economic growth in America and has an overall positive impact on long-run economic growth domestically; and (The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration); and

WHEREAS, the labor movement states its commitment to standing with immigrants and refugees, “Instead of deporting immigrants, we need to ensure that all working people have rights on the job and are able to exercise them without fear of retaliation”; and

WHEREAS, unions such as UFCW21, Teamsters 117, SEIU Local 6, Unite HERE 8, UAW 4121 and many others have already facilitated “Know Your Rights” workshops with workers and plan to continue their support; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, to recognize and uphold the 4th Amendment constitutional rights of immigrants to be protected against unreasonable seizures, the Metropolitan King County Council adopted Ordinance 17886 to clarify that the County will only honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests that are accompanied by a criminal warrant issued by a federal judge or magistrate; and

WHEREAS, Union employees serve all people and provide services accessible to all, regardless of ancestry, race, ethnicity, national origin, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, physical or mental disability, immigration status or religion; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the WSLC will work with affiliated unions to ensure that we have a comprehensive program for our immigrant members, including a plan for rapid response to raids and detentions, know your rights trainings, and best practices for provisions we can bargain into our contracts to help protect workers from ICE raids.

RESOLUTION CALLING UPON THE W.S.L.C. AND ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROTECT WORKER FREEDOM

Resolution #23

WHEREAS, AFL-CIO President Trumka stated, “Right to work is a lie dressed up in a feel-good slogan. It doesn’t give workers freedom—instead, it weakens our right to join together and bargain for better wages and working conditions. Its end goal is to destroy unions. Numbers don’t lie. Workers in states with right to work laws have wages that are 12% lower. That’s because unions raise wages for all workers, not just our members.” and

WHEREAS, as President Trumka stated, “For a woman to earn as much as a man, she has to work a full year, plus an extra 100 days… For women of color, it’s even longer. The pay gap between women and men is one symptom of a much larger problem. Our economy is historically out of balance, tilted steeply against working people and in favor of corporations.” and

WHEREAS, so-called “Right-to-Work” (RTW) policies are thinly veiled as free-speech bills, but actually restrict speech for workers, women and people of color in particular; and

WHEREAS, proponents of RTW hide behind special interest groups like the National Right to Work Committee and ALEC, who have ties to the ultra-conservative Koch brothers, groups like the Freedom Foundation, and out-of-touch corporate CEO’s who have created the precarious conditions facing the working and middle class; and

WHEREAS, RTW is about less freedom, less safety for workers, and dismantling the power of working people, including firefighters, teachers, nurses and police who promote public safety and also limits collective bargaining for safety equipment, staffing needs at hospitals and class sizes in schools; and

WHEREAS, their message of “pay nothing/lose nothing” is designed with the intent to confuse and misinform but their true motive is to further stack the deck against working and middle class families by weakening unions’ ability to advocate for all workers and to stop unions from being a check against corporate greed; and

WHEREAS, America’s workers are struggling, worried, underemployed, barely getting by, and frustrated by a system that is not working; and over the past three decades, as RTW has spread across the country, income inequality has risen to historic levels; and

WHEREAS, 60% of Americans support unions and elected leaders who attack workers through RTW must be held accountable for the impact and for failed promises of economic growth; and

WHEREAS, U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson (SC) and Steve King (NY) have introduced national RTW legislation and Donald Trump signaled his support for RTW during his campaign for the presidency; and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on Janus v. AFSCME, potentially imposing RTW on all public sector unions and an injury to one is an injury to all; and

WHEREAS, engaging workers early and often through member-to-member and worker-to-worker communication is an effective model to inoculate against misleading RTW messaging and strengthening our unions; and

WHEREAS, in states where unions are strongest:

WHEREAS, women are about 48% of all workers in the United States, and 46% of union members, totaling 6.8 million women union members and comprising a majority of unionized workers by 2025; and

WHEREAS, union density nation-wide is higher among African American women than among women of all other racial or ethnic groups at 12.8%; in comparison, 10.6% of working women of all races are union members; and

WHEREAS, unionization has boosted the wages and job security of all workers and particularly of African American, Latino, Indigenous, API and Immigrant workers; and

WHEREAS, women of all major racial and ethnic groups experience a union wage advantage, Hispanic (42%), African American (34%), White (31%) and API (15%); and union women in Washington State earn on average 26% more than their nonunion counterparts; and

WHEREAS, strong, thriving unions have a powerful interest in reducing racial discrimination and animus because racial hostility inhibits worker solidarity and union organizing; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that affiliated unions and organizations commit to engaging in one-on-one conversations with membership with a goal of getting at least 85% to recommit to the union, recognizing that it is our best tool to defeat RTW; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC develop mechanisms to surface rank-and-file leaders from across the state with particular emphasis on the helping professions (nurses, teachers, fire fighters, etc.) to teach workers to share their stories about how RTW will impact them and their families to fight RTW, and to strengthen our unions; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC establish a special committee made up of unions and non-union allies to organize against RTW in Washington State; and be it further

RESOLVED, that President Johnson invite members of allied community organizations to such committee, and create space for these Advocacy Partners to participate fully in the decision making processes and influence the campaigns strategies and culture; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the committee brainstorm an alternative for “RTW” and report back to the WSLC affiliates; and be it further

RESOLVED, that a toolkit be created by January 2018, for unions and community groups to use for education and mobilization around RTW; and be it further

RESOLVED, that affiliated unions and organizations will be asked to commit resources to strengthening ties between communities of color, women, LGBTQ, faith, immigrant/refugee, youth and the environment to share messaging strategies for nonunion workers to talk about the negative impact of RTW on them and their families; and be it further

RESOLVED, that 100 stories are gathered from people most impacted, including women and people of color about the impact of RTW by December 2017 to be published and distributed to all WSLC affiliates; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the labor movement will measure politicians by creating a RTW scorecard on voting history, affiliated companies and/or persons who support the politician, and any campaign donations for politicians that work against working class issues or support RTW, Furthermore, the labor movement will educate its rank and file membership of its measurables and how to implement and/or use such scorecard; and be it further

RESOLVED, this resolution be forwarded to the National AFL-CIO for passage; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the WSLC report back to affiliated unions and organizations on the progress of these re-commitments by July, 2018.

RESOLUTION ON RACE AND THE LABOR MOVEMENT 2.0

Resolution #25

WHEREAS, race and the course of organized labor are inextricably bound and have been since workers made their first appearance on the shores of North America; and

WHEREAS, the arbitrary and artificial division of people into different races historically was made real and concrete through various legal provisions designed to foster whites’ contempt for Blacks and Native Americans and thereby prevent them from making common cause and coming together against the colonial elite; and

WHEREAS, the ability of the laboring populations to rise up in favor of freedom and dignity was undermined by the construction of a system of racial oppression, and historical evidence repeatedly demonstrates that race emerged as the most powerful means by which to divide workers; and

WHEREAS, the labor movement has advanced different and contradictory responses concerning how to respond to the divisions within the working class based on the system of race; and

WHEREAS, the enemies of the labor movement have long recognized that unions could serve as organizations to powerfully advance the social justice demands of communities of color, and thus our enemies have fought vigorously for the passage of Right-to-Work legislation; and

WHEREAS, the racist strategy of divide and conquer is at the heart of Right-to-Work legislation. A huge proponent of Right-to-Work in the 1950s, Texan Vance Muse of the Christian American Association infamously said about unions: “From now on, white women and white men will be forced into organizations with black African apes whom they will have to call ‘brother’ or lose their jobs”; and

WHEREAS, of the 28 states with Right-to-Work laws, 19 put them on the books during the Jim Crow era. In all of the states where Jim Crow once ruled, Right-to-Work laws are in place, with the exception of Maryland and the District of Columbia. The racist origins and legacy of Right-to-Work is indisputable; and

WHEREAS, workers of color serve as the “canaries in the coal mine” when it comes to the harsh impacts on working people of neoliberal globalization, including plant closures and automation. These impacts were felt much earlier by African American, Chicano, and Puerto Rican workers, who watched their jobs and opportunities slowly disappear; and

WHEREAS, right-wing populism encourages white workers to blame losses caused by neoliberal globalization on people of color, immigrants, feminists, and the LGBT community; and

WHEREAS, organized labor needs to develop a robust counter narrative to that offered by right-wing populism and has yet to do so. Organized labor must respond to the anxiety among white workers with an avowedly antiracist agenda that accurately focuses their attention on the true sources of their declining living standards;

WHEREAS, organized labor needs to identify approaches toward combating racial injustice and right-wing populism with the aim of building working-class unity; and

WHEREAS, organized labor needs to perform a comprehensive and exhaustive inventory of its own structural inequities with regard to race, specifically how these structural inequities have manifested in the labor movement’s history and in its present institutions; and

WHEREAS, a forum needs to be built in which principled debate can unfold about the direction of organized labor and its relationship with race and movements for racial justice; and

WHEREAS, unions need to integrate racial justice into every area of their organization (e.g. collective bargaining, organizing, public policy, political campaigns, strategic campaigns, legal, health & safety, research & education, community organization, etc.) to wholeheartedly combat the divide and conquer strategy of our enemies; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the “narrative” document produced by the WSLC, which summarizes the history of race, class, and the development of capitalism in the United States, along with Resolution 12 from 2015 and this resolution, be immediately circulated to all local unions and central labor councils in Washington State, and that, accompanying that “narrative,” there would be a letter from the President and Secretary-Treasurer of the WSLC requesting an opportunity to meet with the executive boards of the respective affiliates in order to secure commitments from affiliates to participate in the racial justice workshops with the goal of enrolling 50 % of their executive boards and staff by the end of 2018; 75% by the end of 2019; and 100% by the end of 2020; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC 2017 Convention goes on record supporting the training of a pool of thirty (30) certified trainer/facilitators who can offer the racial justice education workshop to all labor and community bodies so requesting, with said trainers being twenty (20) in the western part of Washington and ten (10) in Eastern Washington; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC will sponsor at least two (2) more train-the-trainers for the racial justice workshop, one held in the eastern part of the state and one in the western part; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC shall host a Race & Labor Summit in 2018 tasked with engaging at least one hundred (100) labor activists of color—particularly younger activists—in identifying key stress points around race, class, and labor within the Washington State labor movement and further tasked with the creation of a “best practices tool kit” to be made available to affiliates of WSLC that includes: organizing, collective bargaining, union culture, leadership development, community partnership specifically regarding police violence, mass incarceration, discrimination on the job, immigration and economic development; and be it further

RESOLVED, that all central labor councils in Washington State be encouraged to commit to sponsoring a Race & Labor dialogue at their CLC that addresses the relationship of race, class and the tasks of a 21st century labor movement and that they recruit participants for the WSLC Race and Labor Summit; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC and its affiliates commit to the building of a social media campaign that highlights the existence of the racial justice workshop, how it can be utilized in building unity within our movement, and how it can be a vehicle for outreach to the broader community for social and economic justice; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the committee responsible for the creation of the existing racial justice workshop be tasked with developing supplemental modules—that can be used as part of the existing workshop or used independently—on matters of mass incarceration, discrimination on the job, immigration, police violence, and the racial features to wealth inequality in the United States, working with representatives of existing WSLC coalitions where appropriate; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the WSLC and its affiliates shall continue working with community partners on developing rapid response plans that focus on the protection of our members in workplaces and communities who face racist and xenophobic terror in its myriad forms; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the President of the WSLC will work with the racial justice workshop sub-committee and affiliates to develop a plan and budget for fully operationalizing and funding this expanded scope of work.

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD WORKERS AND THEIR FIGHT FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

Resolution #28

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands provides vital healthcare to people in our great state and is under attack by the same right wing forces that are attacking organized labor; and

WHEREAS, UFCW21 represents over 200 people at our Planned Parenthood; and

WHEREAS, the workers at PPGNHI serve a population that is often underserved and make healthcare attainable to those it wouldn’t be otherwise; and

WHEREAS, UFCW21 and PPGNHI have had a contractual relationship for over 30 years that has had the worst right-to-work language of any UFCW Local 21 contract; and

WHEREAS, PPGNI has recently taken away the benefit of Planned Parenthood workers to receive many free clinical care services from their own Planned Parenthood clinics which was a benefit that low wage PPGNHI workers relied upon; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood wants to remove Union members from the bargaining unit and supplant the bargaining unit work with non-represented per diem workers; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood consistently short-staffs the clinics, requiring staff to have to work through breaks, lunches and incur daily unscheduled overtime; and

WHEREAS, Planned Parenthood refuses a forum with employees that guarantees actionable conversation on how to ensure appropriate staffing; and

WHEREAS, as Trade Unionists, we are committed to the principle that all workers should be able to have living wages, have affordable health insurance benefits, work/life balance, the freedom to organize their Union without intimidation; and

WHEREAS, the labor community desires to stand alongside Planned Parenthood as an organization in their fight to provide vital healthcare to our communities, however providing a fair and decent work environment is also part of protecting the health of community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, supports Planned Parenthood workers, their campaign, and their fight for a fair contract, and opposes Right-to-Work policies; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and its delegates take any actions to stand with Planned Parenthood workers, including withholding donations to Planned Parenthood, should such an action be called for in the future, until such time that Planned Parenthood settles a fair contract.