[Editor's Note: This was originally posted at Noon. We updated it with more reporting at 3:30pm.]

As we reported in Morning Fizz today , a coalition of labor groups is taking out ads against King County Executive candidate Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48, Medina) for, among other anti-labor votes, his record of opposition to expanding unemployment insurance last session .

The labor coalition—which includes the Washington State Labor Council, SEIU, and the teachers union—might also be interested in mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan, a T-Mobile executive.

T-Mobile joined Weyerhaeuser, the Association of Washington Business, the farm bureau, and several local chambers of commerce, among other conservative groups, that signed a letter to legislators against the unemployment insurance legislation. (I've included the letter with the list of signers, below the fold.)

We've contacted Mallahan's campaign for a response.

UPDATE:

Mallahan's campaign spokeswoman Charla Neuman says:

"Joe didn’t have anything to do with that letter and had no knowledge of it. Joe works on improving services so they work better for users, just like we need in City Hall."

Asked the obvious follow-up: Are we supposed to give Mallahan credit for his stardom in T-Mobile top management, yet look away when T-Mobile management makes moves that are unpopular with Seattle voters?—Neuman says, "He only takes credit for his management experience. That letter did not go through him."

And another obvious follow-up: Did he support the bill —which was sponsored by liberal Seattle state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36) .

Before answering, Neuman said it would only be fair if I asked the other candidates in the race their opinion of the bill too.

I'm not sure I agree (Mallahan is a local executive at T-Mobile, which took a strong position on this bill in Olympia.)

Still, I do have a call in to the Mayor's campaign to get his position on the bill. State House Rep. Tami Green (D-28, University Place, McChord AFB, Fort Lewis), the labor liberal who pushed hardest for the insurance expansion, tells me Seattle did zero lobbying on the bill either way.

I've also put out a call to Jan Drago's campaign about the bill.

I did reach Mike McGinn. He said:  "I would have supported expanding unemployment insurance at this time."

An Open Letter to Washington State Senators

Political moves we don’t need threaten the jobs we do need. We all live and breathe stories of a sluggish economy. Businesses and families are getting by with less and agonizing over budget cuts. Job losses, finger pointing and the need for quick solutions are common topics around water coolers, dinner tables and in cyberspace. But here in Washington we have a lot to be thankful for. We are a state of creative and industrious people. And while nobody wants to be out of work, for those who are, we also have a healthy unemployment fund to give support to those looking for work. Businesses have paid into that fund for decades to make it the largest unemployment fund of its kind in the country. That's great news! Some legislators now want our businesses—our employers—to shoulder even more of a burden with higher benefits. And higher benefits translate quickly to higher taxes. Already, businesses in Washington pay one of the highest unemployment insurance tax rates in the country. Employers are struggling to keep their doors open and meet payroll. This is simply the wrong time for state lawmakers to increase pressure on them.

SSB 5963 , as amended in the House, jeopardizes businesses and the jobs they provide. Please reject the House amendments to SB 5963 and send the original bill passed by the Senate to Gov. Gregoire. With your help, businesses and families will all get back on their feet and once more enjoy the benefits of a robust and thriving economy. Sincerely, ORGANIZATIONS

Associated Builders & Contractors Associated General Contractors of Washington Association of Washington Business Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce Building Industry Association of Washington East King County Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition Enterprise Washington Everett Area Chamber of Commerce Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce

National Electrical Contractors Association, Cascade Chapter National Federation of Independent Business Recreational Gaming Association and its 10,000 employees Snohomish County Private Enterprise Coalition Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce Urban Enterprise Center WashACE Washington Bankers Association Washington Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association Washington Farm Bureau

BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS
Greacen Construction Green Diamond Resources Greenshields Industrial Supply, Inc. Inkon Media LLC Inland Empire Paper Company JL Darling Corporation John Stanton Koch Industries	T-Mobile Diane Tebelius Todd J. Thompson Trilogy Partners US Trust, Bank of America Vander Hoek Windows and Doors, Inc. Washington Tree Service Weyerhaeuser WHPacific William Nahorn Yakima Valley Business Times