Rewarding the legislative champions of labor interests

A SHIFT in the political strategies of organized labor here in Washington seems to have exposed the reality of The Times editorial board's corporate agenda: dominance over a subservient work force ["Washington state's labor leaders don't get it," editorial, Nov. 15].

The labor movement makes no apologies for our mission to help workers find their voice in the workplace. We will continue to be a leader supporting progressive politics that give rise to better conditions for workers, including a strong minimum wage, defined benefit pensions, quality affordable health care, and safety in the workplace.

We believe that our fight is even more crucial in the face of the shaky moral compass with which business directs itself today. The huge disparity of income rising from the obscene salaries of executives, the collapse of the financial industry, the structure of corporate greed, and the destruction of our middle-class security exposed the business mantra — the end justifies any means, no matter who gets left behind.

Our political involvement is a way to inject fairness into the process. For years the Democratic Party stood beside us in our quest to help workers prevail over corporate interests. But over the past few years the Democratic caucus has watered down its positions on worker rights, and has tossed aside its responsibility to stand strong for the little guy.

We refuse to join them in the race to the bottom. We believe that what we have here in our state is good for workers and good for business and we won't give up our fight to keep it that way.

The Times is out of touch with the reality of the business climate here in Washington state. At the national level, we have consistently been recognized as a great place to do business. But locally, the business community and its lobbyists in Olympia ignore those high rankings and instead want our Legislature to follow South Carolina's lead.

South Carolina's low wages and lack of unionization were the primary lures for Boeing when the company chose to locate its second 787 production line there. If business climate had anything to do with it, the choice would have been different.

In the same Forbes Magazine poll, which ranks Washington as the second-best state in the nation for business, South Carolina was ranked 26th. The unemployment-insurance system in South Carolina — the linchpin of survival for a laid-off worker — is bankrupt. The education system ranks near the bottom of the nation. And when reading about scandals from the offices of South Carolina's governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, it seems the state's political leadership is bankrupt as well.

This is not the path that we at the Washington State Labor Council choose for the workers of our state. That is why we have made a change in our political program — why our affiliates have opted to evaluate our legislators according to how they champion the rights of working people — not merely by the "D" or "R" next to their names.

And that is why we will support champions of our values instead of giving in to corporate dominance over a subservient work force.