Washington's voters have overwhelmingly approved expanded training and certification requirements for long-term home healthcare workers, twice—by a 73-27 margin for I-1029 in 2008, and by a 65-35 margin for I-1163 in 2011—prompting the union-hating Seattle Times to obsessively call for the union-backed measure's repeal. In some of the dozen or so anti-1163/1029 editorials over the past few years, the editors hypocritically argued that legislators have the "moral authority" to repeal the popular SEIU-funded initiative, decrying it as "increased training that most of their members don't need ."

Well apparently, the US Department of Labor disagrees, recently recognizing SEIU 775NW's training program as a Trailblazer and Innovator of Apprenticeship. "We're supporting a new generation of workers who earn while they learn," Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said at an August 1 event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act.

"Establishing career pathways for home care aides is transformative not just for the home care aide but also for the long-term care system in general," explained DOL's training partnership executive eirector Charissa Raynor in a press release. "Apprenticeships create an incentive for workers to stay in the field long term, which in turn creates greater stability in the fast-growing long-term care system."

But, you know, it's backed by a labor union. So fuck it.