Dear Friends:

Washington’s working men and women are facing some of the most difficult times we’ve seen in our lifetimes. As all of you know, the hardships our workers are facing are real and the need to invest in training, create new jobs, and move forward on innovative labor policies is immediate.

As Chairman of the Senate HELP Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee, I am working to institute labor and workforce policies that will help workers secure family-wage jobs, stay safe and healthy on the job, and have a voice in our economic recovery efforts. I am also working to ensure that workers at every age and stage in their career have access to the skills training and tools they need to fill the jobs of the 21st century.

In order to keep you informed about my efforts and other important labor-related information in Washington, D.C., I will be sending out regular updates like the one below. Please feel free to give me your feedback to this update by e-mailing me at http://murray.senate.gov/email. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Sincerely,

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Stimulus: Helping Washington State Workers Access Job Training and Employment Resources

In January, I introduced three workforce investment bills that called for an increased investment in training for workers at every skill level.  The bills called for a $1 billion investment in summer and year-round youth jobs and training programs, $1 billion for Job Corps and YouthBuild to fund Green-Collar Youth Opportunity Grants, and a $3.425 billion investment in dislocated workers, adult with employment barriers, and green jobs training. It was my hope that these bills would influence the final Economic Recovery Package package—and, they did. - Details

The Economic Recovery bill, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last week, includes more than $4 billion for training and employment services, including more than $66 million for Washington state.  This money will go directly to local workforce areas throughout Washington state to help laid-off workers find new jobs and get the training and career counseling necessary to get back to work. - Details

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Secretary of Labor: Hilda Solis Appointed

I am very pleased that the Senate confirmed President Obama’s choice for Labor Secretary, Representative Hilda Solis.  I look forward to working closely with her to ensure Washington workers have access to the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century global economy.  I will be focusing on helping Secretary Solis reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, strengthen the enforcement of worker protections, build a green collar workforce, and ensure that our workers have a prominent voice in our nation’s economic recovery. Hilda Solis is a well known advocate for working families and her efforts are needed now more than ever. - Details

    “Senate Confirms Solis as Labor Secretary” – New York Times

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Equal Pay: President Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

On Thursday, January 29th, I was pleased to join President Obama and Lilly Ledbetter at the White House for the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  Although she’ll never see a dime of back pay, Lilly tirelessly fought to ensure that any worker who’s discriminated against has a fair opportunity to seek justice.  This critical bill reverses the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision Ledbetter v. Goodyear and restores a worker’s ability to fight for her rights. This was the first bill of 2009 passed by Congress, and the first signed into law by President Obama. - Details

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Executive Orders: President Obama Reverses Bush Administration Policies

On January 30th, President Obama issued three important executive orders for America’s workers.  These orders require federal contractors to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change, reverse a Bush Administration order requiring federal contractors to post notice that workers can limit financial support of unions serving as their exclusive bargaining representatives, and prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses meant to influence workers deciding whether to form a union and engage in collective bargaining. - Details

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King County: Visiting Area WorkSource

On Friday, February 20th, I visited the Downtown Seattle WorkSource Center to discuss the job training and employment services that are available for workers and what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act means to them.  I was joined by Kris Stadelman, CEO of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County; Rick Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council; and David Allen of McKinstry Company, a leader in green building skills development. 

For more information on services available at WorkSource Centers or to find the Center closest to you, visit my one stop economic resource website.

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Career Pathways: Promoting Innovations to 21st Century Careers for our Youth

Last year, I introduced my Promoting Innovations to 21st Century Careers bill, a proposal that I believe will help our communities develop a comprehensive response to the training and education needs confronting our young people and businesses. During my travels across our state I heard from students, teachers, workforce and economic development leaders, employers, and labor officials who told me we need innovative solutions to prepare students for the jobs of the 21st century. My bill provides incentives for local communities to do just that – joining together to develop a strategy for ensuring students are learning the skills they’ll need for the future. 

It’s an effort that I hope will help ensure our students succeed, our businesses have access to a competitive workforce, and that our vision for economic growth includes the success of our young people.  I’ve received a great deal of support and feedback from leaders across our state and our country.  I plan to re-introduce this bill very soon this Congress. - Details