Permit No. 327 No. Permit RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED SERVICE RETURN Seattle, Wash. Seattle, PAID Everett, WA 98206-0750 WA Everett, U.S. POSTAGE U.S. P.O. BOX 750 BOX P.O. Non-Profit Org. Non-Profit COUNTY & CITY EMPLOYEE CITY & COUNTY AFSCME AFL-CIO Vol. 15 No. 1http://www.council2.com Winter 2000 NEWSNEWS ININ I-695 fallout BRIEFBRIEF Protecting members’ jobs is first priority ouncil 2 will work hard to protect its November. It will sharply reduce revenue Cmembers from the impact of Initia- SESSION from the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, which tive 695. Protecting their jobs will be the was the state’s fourth biggest tax source International first priority. 2000 after sales tax, business-and-occupation That’s the pledge as the Washington tax, and the state property tax. It funded a State Legislature prepares to meet for its sion is a short one. host of state and local projects, from tran- convention is 2000 session, which starts on Jan. 10. The initiative, which lowers auto tabs Time will be of the essence as the ses- to $30 a year, was approved by voters in See SESSION, Page 4 2000 highlight WTO and Council 2 he major national union event Tfor the year 2000 will be the Read what Council2 Presi- AFSCME International Convention. dent/Executive Director Chris It will be held in Philadelphia Dugovich says on the events from June 26 to 30. surrounding the WTO talks Further details will be mailed to — Page 2 Local presidents and posted on our Web site: www.council2.com. Check out session 1999 was on the Internet record year This year’s short session of the Washington State Legislature prom- ises to be a critical one for mem- for Council 2 bers of Council 2. To keep up with events relating growth to the union, check out our Web site. In addition to watching the site it- Sue Lee, left, of AFSCME’s California office with Laidlaw para- ouncil 2 grew more during 1999 than self, access www.council2.com/re- transit driver Vinnie Watts. Cit has in any other year. ports where you will be able to read About 850 new members were added, regularly updated legislative reports Incredible win says Bill Keenan, Council 2 Organizer. on issues and events that relate di- The largest group were the 300 rectly to Council 2. Laidlaw employees who reaffirmed their commitment to Council 2 in an election 150 attend Northwest Council 2 turns at the end of October (see report on this Regional conference page). About 150 delegates from Washing- narrow victor y ton, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho and COUNCIL 2 Montana attended the AFSCME Northwest Regional Conference into landslide held in Wenatchee Sept. 17 and 18. Workshops were held on com- hen Laidlaw transit work- employees all work in School Dis- municating with membership, orga- ers in Spokane were asked trict 81 in Spokane. Laidlaw is the nizing, trends in collective bargain- Wat the end of October only transit company in the district. ORGANIZING WINS ing, and key legislative and politi- whether they wanted to be repre- Their action marked the first time cal developments at the federal sented by Council 2, their answer was employees from the private sector level. overwhelming. had become members of Council 2, Among the other new additions to the Featured speakers at lunch on Twice as many said “Yes” as said which until then had represented only ranks of Council 2 during 1999 were: Saturday, Sept. 18 were Chris Dug- “No.” those who worked for public bodies. ovich, President/Executive Director What makes the result even more When Council 2 began to bargain • Mid Columbia Library, Pasco of Council 2; Greg Devereux, Ex- stunning is that only a year and a half the contract, Laidlaw adopted vari- —54 members added Feb. 9 ecutive Director of Council 28; Ken ago the same workers had voted in ous stalling tactics to tie down the ne- • City of Mercer Island Allen, Executive Director of Coun- favor of Council 2 by only 3 votes. gotiations. The stalemate continued —15 members added Feb. 17 cil 75; and Vinnie O’Connor, Presi- This time the majority was 68 votes. throughout all of 1997. • Children Center, Clark County dent of ASEA Local 52. The story of how Council 2 “We were down to three issues,” —25 members added June 25 turned a narrow victory into a land- says Council 2 Staff Representative • Columbia River Mental Health, slide is a dramatic and exciting one Bill Keenan. “Everything was agreed Clark County that is testimony to what can happen to except wages, medical benefits and —153 members added July 7 INSIDEINSIDE when officers and workers — with union security.” • Clallam County Mid Managers help from the International — throw In December 1997, Laidlaw as- —41 members added July all they have into a campaign. sisted employees to file an applica- • Kitsap County Correctional Ser- Council 2 members The saga began in 1996 when tion for decertification of the union. geants 2 avert major tragedy Spokane employees of Chicago- The election was held in May —7 members added July based Laidlaw Transit, North 1998. The union won the election to • City of Longview Police Support 3 Full list of 2000 America’s biggest school bus com- defeat the decertification application Staff Legislature pany, voted to join Council 2. Con- by the narrow margin of three votes —15 members added Aug. 13 Arbitrator rules sisting of bus drivers, para-transit van • City of Cheney Managerial and Pro- 4 drivers and school bus attendants, the See LAIDLAW, Page 4 fessional Association against Lakehaven —20 members added Sept. 27. Page 2 COUNTY & CITY EMPLOYEE Winter 2000 Bellingham pipeline explosion WTO events Prompt action by Council 2 members taught us a prevents even worse catastrophe real lesson n explosion on a pipeline put stayed at her post to direct emer- ABellingham City employees Local Council 2 gency personnel. Two hours elapsed Chris Dugovich 114 to one of the biggest challenges before she knew whether her hus- they have faced. members who band, a fireman whom she had dis- n Novem- But their prompt action kept the patched to the scene, was alive. Ober 30, explosion—as bad as it was—from helped AFSCME members throughout somewhere in turning into a city-wide catastrophe. the city rushed to respond to the the neighbor- The drama began when Don These Council 2 members emergency. The explosion nearly hood of 500 Alderson, a Water Department em- assisted in the 1999 destroyed the city’s wastewater AFSCME ployee, called in to report an out- Bellingham pipeline explo- treatment plant, which serves about members from door odor. Whatever the smell was, sion: 70,000 people. Restoring power to Council 75, he told dispatchers, it was coming Dispatchers: Stephanie the plant was necessary to prevent a Council 28 and from Whatcom Creek, near his Haller, Faith Foster and more widespread disaster from ex- Council 2 took house. And it was sending his dog Cindy Sleuys. posure to contaminated water. part in the labor into seizures. Public Works Employ- “At one time, we were down to march protest- Fire Department dispatcher ees: Harvey Berwick, Jay a foot-and-a-half in one of the res- ing the policies Cindy Sleuys issued an evacuation Greenwood, Myron ervoirs,” says Chuck Berlemann, a of the World alert to fire fighters who had by now Hendrickson, Robyn maintenance technician with the Trade Organiza- arrived at the creek. But it was too Arbogast, Keith Smith, Public Works Department. The level tion. In all, more late. Fumes from 277,000 gallons of Myron Carlson, Kip represents about an hour’s supply or than 40,000 trade gasoline that had leaked from the Dunlap, Chuck Berlemann, less. unionists took Letter from ruptured pipeline exploded in a fire- Gary Gilfrilen and Ricky Power was finally restored to the part in a peaceful ball that burned more than a mile of McWilliams. pumps, water pressure was raised march through the president park land. and a localized disaster—as bad as downtown The explosion claimed the lives it was—was kept from turning into Seattle. of a teenage boy and two 10-year- Alderson was unhurt, but his a major catastrophe. The most important message that came old boys who, authorities said, set home was destroyed. (Information for this report was through is that everyone—Union members and off the explosion by playing with a Sleuys, the most senior of six obtained from AFSCME Public Em- non-members—needs to be aware of the current fireplace lighter. dispatchers in the room at the time, ployee.) state of trade throughout the world. That mes- sage is that whole manufacturing sectors of our economy are being transferred overseas where low-paid workers, in sometimes unsafe condi- tions, produce the goods we buy. Four honored in naming of The WTO is the organization that can wipe out even minimal wage and environmental standards and declare them trade barriers. And Council 2 scholarships it’s done in closed sessions. The Council 2 scholarships for 2000 will be named in honor of four people. Details are My thoughts on the event given below. As a native Washingtonian, a number of The Dependant Scholarship Brenda (a member of AFSCME af- who was always there for his fel- thoughts struck me about the total event. will be named for Valarie filiate 109-E) and his son Christo- low worker even through the ad- The total volume of individuals downtown Davis. pher. verse situations that met him due to was something that I never thought I would Davis was a member of Local George Zelko worked for the his heart condition.” witness.