Greetings,

This is the Federation Hotline updated Oct. 13.

GA MOTOR POOL WORKERS SAY YES TO WFSE/AFSCME!

Another group of state employees now has contract protections with the Federation.

Non-supervisory workers in the Motor Pool Section of the state Department of General Administration have chosen the Federation as their union.

Nine of the 13 employees signed authorization cards. That was enough to win union representation under "cross-check" rules.

The Public Employment Relations Commission conducted the tally Oct. 8.

DON'T DELAY IN PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE GREEN RIVER VALLEY FLOODING, SWINE FLU OUTBREAK

GREEN RIVER VALLEY: State, local and federal officials are coordinating plans for possible winter flooding in the Green River Valley below the Howard Hanson Dam.

Some 800 WFSE/AFSCME families potentially sit in harm's way in the following zip codes: 98001, 98002, 98055, 98030, 98031, 98057, 98092 and 98188.

Several state offices, including three DSHS CSOs and a Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Office, also sit in the flood zone.

Your agency may have specific flood plans. But a good source of general flood information is on the state Emergency Management Website at http://www.emd.wa.gov/ .

And you can help fund the Federation-inspired relief fund set up through the Washington State Labor Council, the Foundation for Working Families. A portion of profits from the sale of union-produced coffee goes to the Foundation for Working Families. To find out more, go to www.wfse.org and look for the "flash" panel on the home page.

SWINE FLU: Good information on precautions to take is also available on the state Emergency Management Website at http://www.emd.wa.gov/ .

IT'S COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE TO DEFEAT INITIATIVE 1033 AND APPROVE REFERENDUM 71

Absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election are due out Friday. With most counties now voting by absentee ballot, remember that the Federation is recommending a No vote on Initiative 1033, Tim Eyman's latest ballot measure to further choke off funding for the services you provide. Times are tough enough. Let's not make them worse. Go to www.wfse.org for more information on why Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 is a bad idea.

Also don't forget: The Federation is recommending a Yes (Approve) vote on Referendum 71, what the Tacoma News Tribune today says is simply the "completion of the state's incremental march toward a robust domestic partnership law." In endorsing Ref. 71, the TNT said a yes vote is a vote to "affirm lawmakers' work to complete the job they started two years ago." Don't get caught up in the rhetoric. Ref. 71 is about protecting basic civil rights, and civil rights are fundamental workplace, lunchbox issues.

RENTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE KICKS OFF BARGAINING WITH SUPPORT EVENT

Members at Renton Technical College, who bargain under a different law than other Federation members, kicked off their first formal day of bargaining Monday with a lunch-and-learn event and walk around campus showing AFSCME green.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP FOR UNIONISTS OF COLOR NOV. 7

Our workforce and our labor movement are made up of many different faces and we are strongest when we speak with one voice. To rebuild our strength, the labor movement must embrace and reflect the diversity of our workforce and our membership. We must provide our members with the leadership skills to restore opportunity and justice at our workplaces and in society.

To this end, the Diversity Committee of the Washington State Labor Council and the Labor Education and Research Center of The Evergreen State College invite all WSLC-affiliated unions to send rank-and-file and staff members to a Leadership Development Workshop for Unionists of Color to be held Saturday, Nov. 6 at South Seattle Community College's Georgetown Campus, Bldg. C, 6737 Corson Ave. S.

Come learn about the political economy of Washington state, changing workforce demographics, leadership qualities and skills, lessons from state labor history, and more. Registration is $75 per participant, which includes lunch and materials.

Download a flier/registration form at http://www.wslc.org/reports/2009/September/24.htm#Thursday

For more information, contact Juan Jose Bocanegra at 360-918-2726.

SHARED LEAVE REQUESTS:

Finally, five shared leave requests:

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Tina Heenan, a laboratory technician 4 with the Department of Labor and Industries in Olympia and a member of Local 443, is undergoing surgeries and treatment for cancer. She is in dire need of shared leave. To assist Tina with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Candy Peppard at (360) 902-5705.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Kim Raby, a support enforcement officer 2 with the Fife office of the DSHS Division of Child Support and a member of Local 53, is in need of shared leave because of a second back injury. To assist Kim with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact your human resource office.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Liane Calamayan, a support enforcement officer 2 with DSHS Division of Child Support in Kennewick and a member of Local 1253, will be undergoing neurosurgery and could be off work for several months, not including follow-up treatment. To assist Liane with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Kristi Christensen, (509) 374-2035.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Lisa Walsh, an office assistant 3 in the DSHS Division of Child Support in Olympia and a member of Local 443, will soon exhaust all leave because of any ongoing medical issue. To assist Lisa with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Patti Clark, (360) 664-5030 or pclark@dshs.wa.gov.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: M. Kay Kroiss and Sofia Alexander, employees at the Spokane Veterans Home, have been approved for Shared Leave. To assist them with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Sandie Wollan, (509) 344-5777.

That's it for now. Call Oct. 20 for the next message.