Labor Neighbor Radio
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Hello again.
A lot of people here are still dealing with storm damage. If you are one of them the Department of Labor and Industries
has a message for you. Watch out for phoney contractors. They'll do shoddy work, make promises
they wont keep and generally rip you off. The state says its worth the time to check on contractors on their website,
and only deal with legit ones. www. Hiringacontractor.lni.wa.gov.
Elsewhere, the state says employers
who hired certain hard to place job seekers, are going to collect a record 56 million dollars in 2011 tax credits. This
program gives up to 243-hundred dollars per worker to businesses that hire veterans, disabled, ex-inmates, food stamp recipients
and the like. This according to Bill Tarrow from Employment Security.
(sot)
Next year, there are even bigger breaks....up to 5600 for long term unemployed vets...and almost 10 thousand for hiring
injured or wounded vets.
Here's wishing Kathy Goertzen more luck as she deals with still another surgery
for brain tumors. I remember when Kathy came aboard at KOMO TV as a kid, basically out of the great broadcast program
at WSU. She was talented and dedicated and rose rapidly to become one of the premier TV anchors in Seattle history.
She sets the standard for brave.
New anti-cancer guidelines from the American Cancer Society.
One of which, says spokesperson Denise Kilba targets obesity.
(sot ) "We know that people who are overweight
and obese tend to have higher levels of insulin and estrogen circulating in their blood. Research has shown that these hormones
are related to cell growth. Therefore, they are really thought to influence our cancer risk."
Biggest lifestyle
changes to defeat cancer....exercise regularly...keep at a healthy weight. Stop smoking.
The
Washington State Labor council is gearing up for its big political endorsement convention next week. Candidates
for the U.S. Senate, Governors office, state attorney general will be asking for labor's endorsement....and contributions,
and the ground level help the unions give to candidates they want to win. Another endorsement convention happens in
early May for other races and issues.
Union membership grew last year....with 110-thousand joining
the ranks...people working in the private sector. On the other hand, unions lost 60-thousand people in the public
sector, where deep budget cuts happened.
Bureau of Labor Statistics says union members earn $11,000
a year more than workers who are not in a union....this is an average across the country.
November
wasn't a good month for Seattle area home values. That's when we hit a new low. In general the price of the average
home was down 31 percent from its high in 2007. Go figure. Interest rates are also at an all time low,
but they are not bringing the buyers.
Labor Neighbor Radio is funded,
in part, by IBEW 76 and 77
I'm John Sandifer