M.L. King County Labor Council

Whereas the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test is an expensive program and used many of our resources in a district with finite financial resources; and

Whereas the MAP test is not connected to or based on teacher’ curricula or on Washington state learning standards; and

Whereas the MAP test has been re-purposed by district administration to form part of a teacher’s evaluation, which is contrary to the purposes it was designed for, as stated by its purveyor; and

Whereas the MAP test has also been re-purposed for student placement in courses and programs, for which it was not designed; and

Whereas the MAP test was purchased during the tenure of a former superintendent while she sat on the Corporate Board of NWEA, the purveyor of the MAP test. This was not disclosed to Seattle teachers or to the School Board. The MAP test was purchased in a no-bid, non-competitive process; and

Whereas the MAP test was and remains unwanted and unneeded and unsolicited by many professional classroom educators, those who work directly with students; and

Whereas the MAP test is not taken seriously by many students since they don’t need the results for graduation, for applications, for course credit, or any other purpose; and

Whereas the MAP test’s reported testing errors at the high school level are greater than students’ expected growth; and

Whereas the MAP test takes away many days of students’ learning time and therefore is detrimental to student learning; and

Whereas the MAP test potentially exacerbates the opportunity gap in our student population by the waste of student classroom time and the diminished faith of students in school culture; and

Whereas the methodology for administering the MAP test has serious flaws district wide; and

Whereas the Seattle Education Association (SEA) has voted on and already has a strong position of opposition to the use of the MAP test in our schools and with our students, and supports the boycott under way by many teachers in the Seattle Education Association; and

Whereas the National Education Association president, Dennis Van Roekel, and American Federation of Teachers president, Randi Weingarten, have both issued statements of support for the boycott and in opposition to excessive testing; therefore be it

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council takes a position of strong support for the SEA and educators at many Seattle Schools who refuse to administer the MAP test on the grounds that the test itself and the time utilized for it is detrimental to student learning; and be it further

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council takes a position advocating Seattle Public Schools take no disciplinary action against these educators, as their actions are consistent with the mission of advancing education opportunity for all students; and be it finally

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council supports ending the contract for the MAP test and that Seattle Public Schools develop measures of student growth in collaboration with Seattle Educators and Parents that are aligned to our State Standards and Seattle Schools curriculum and are more respectful of students as unique learners.

Resolution in Support of the Global Hyatt Boycott – 2/6/13

Whereas Hyatt has singled itself out as the worst hotel employer in America—abusing workers, replacing career housekeepers with minimum wage temporary workers, and imposing dangerous workloads on those who remain; and

Whereas Hyatt has refused the request by workers in several cities including Seattle, Indianapolis, San Antonio, Santa Clara, Scottsdale, San Francisco and Long Beach for a fair process to select a union. The Grand Hyatt San Antonio settled a NLRB complaint which alleged that workers had been intimidated and retaliated against for participating in legally protected union activities; and

Whereas thousands of unionized Hyatt workers in San Francisco and in other major U.S. cities have been without a contract for nearly three years and are seeking a fair contract from Hyatt; and

Whereas Hyatt’s aggressive subcontracting is destroying good jobs. For instance, in Boston Hyatt fired approximately 100 long time employees in three Boston area hotels and replaced them with subcontracted workers at minimum wage and no health insurance. The subcontracted workers now clean as many as 30 rooms a day, nearly double what is typically required of union workers. Many of the fired employees report that Hyatt required that they train their replacements; and

Whereas Hyatt housekeepers have crushing workloads that can lead to serious pain and debilitating injuries. Hyatt is the first company in the hotel industry to be issued a companywide letter by the federal government, warning the company of hazards its housekeepers face; and

Whereas in one especially egregious example of disrespect for its workers, on July 21, 2011, heat lamps in the awning above the Park Hyatt Chicago front entrance were turned on striking workers the morning a strike began and turned off shortly after reports about them surfaced in the press. That day, an excessive heat warning was issued by the National Weather Service, with heat index readings climbing above 100 degrees in downtown Chicago; and

Whereas in response, Hyatt workers have taken bold steps to end mistreatment, speaking publicly about abuses, going on strike, and even launching a global boycott of Hyatt; and

Whereas the national AFL-CIO, along with a broad number of national and international organizations has endorsed the Global Boycott of Hyatt Hotels, including the IUF, and virtually every union representing hotel workers worldwide; therefore be it

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council reaffirms the Global Boycott called against Hyatt Hotels. We will not eat, meet, or sleep in boycotted Hyatt Hotels; and be it further

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council will make affiliates, community allies and union members aware of the boycott and will ask them to make the pledge; and be it finally

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council will picket, march, and mobilize in various ways to support workers wanting to form a union without employer intimidation and for a fair and just contract.

Resolution Concerning Fish Consumption Rates and Water Quality – 2/6/13

Whereas in September of 2011 the Washington State Department of Ecology began a fish consumption rate (FCR) study, a study used to make assumptions concerning the daily amount of fish consumed each day by persons taking fish from a given water source; and,

Whereas the FCR assumptions are used by Dept. of Ecology to set water quality standards; and,

Whereas the water quality standards are used to determine water treatment and other mitigation requirements for upstream users; and,

Whereas the preliminary recommendation by the Dept. of Ecology is to increase the current FCR of 6.5 grams of fish per day per person to somewhere between 157 to 276 grams of fish per day per person; and,

Whereas this new FCR assumption represents an increase in fish consumption by a factor of between 26-42 times per person per day; and,

Whereas this increase sets a water quality standard which is unachievable with any known technology and will lead to expensive litigation, interrupting current negotiations between relevant parties so extensive and achievable results can occur; be it therefore

Resolved that the Martin Luther King County Labor Council calls for a careful evaluation by the Governor Inslee Administration before any final rulemaking by the Dept. of Ecology; and be it further

Resolved that the Martin Luther King County Labor Council writes a letter to Governor Inslee communicating our concerns and councils caution in the matter of fish consumption rates and the resulting water quality standards.

Resolution Supporting a Road map to Citizenship for Aspiring Americans - 2/6/13

Whereas every day, more than 11 million immigrant aspiring citizens contribute to our communities, our economy, and our country—yet are denied a voice in the workplace and essential rights in our society; and

Whereas a strong and vibrant democracy cannot function unless all men and women, regardless of their skin color or where they were born, can participate meaningfully in the political process with full rights and equal protections; and

Whereas the union movement recognizes that the way we treat new immigrants reflects our commitment to democracy and the values that define us; and

Whereas working people are strongest when working together and the union movement is strongest when it is open to all workers, regardless of where they come from; and

Whereas the creation of a road map to citizenship for new American immigrants would improve wages and labor standards for all workers by empowering immigrant workers and halting employers who take advantage of our failed immigration policies to pursue a race to the bottom; and

Whereas temporary worker programs do not reflect America’s values as a democratic society. History teaches that guestworker programs create a second class of workers, unable to exercise even the most fundamental rights, which lowers wages and working conditions for all workers; and

Whereas the dreams of young immigrants to have access to quality education and the hopes of millions of immigrants to reunify their families are consistent with American values; and

Whereas America’s unions remain committed to working together on the side of justice for all, along with our community partners, including civil rights, human rights and immigrant rights organizations, to pass fundamental reform that encompasses these principles and strengthens our democracy; therefore be it

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council, which represents the voices of more than 75,000 working families in King County, Washington, calls upon Congress to pass common-sense immigration reform that reflects the principles outlined in the unified union movement’s framework for comprehensive immigration reform, “Immigration for Shared Prosperity: A Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform”; and be it finally

Resolved that the M.L. King County Labor Council will continue to work with allies to promote comprehensive immigration reform based on the principles outlined in this resolution and will communicate this position to Washington’s congressional delegation.

Resolution in support of Inclusive Immigration Reform - 2/20/13

Whereas the Family Equality Council has found that there are more than 36,000 binational same-sex couples living in the United States today, nearly half of them with children; and
Whereas without legal recognition of same-sex relationships in deportation proceedings, many of these families will be torn apart; and
Whereas opposite-sex partners of US citizens may use their relationship as grounds to obtain a visa, green card, and eventual citizenship while same-sex partners may not; and
Whereas President Obama has stated unequivocally that “The Unites States [should] treat same-sex couples the same as other families, meaning that people would be able to use their relationship as a basis to obtain a visa;” and
Whereas equal treatment for all families is a fundamental principle of democracy and of the labor movement; and
Whereas the M.L. King County Labor Council (MLKCLC) is on record supporting equal treatment for LGBT families; therefore be it
Resolved that the MLKCLC calls on Congress to enact inclusive immigration reform that affords equal protection to LGBT families; and be it further
Resolved that the MLKCLC will communicate this resolution to the AFL-CIO and urge them to take action in support of LGBT-inclusive immigration reform.

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