by Susan Shotthafer
In 2014, I organized and led a transparency and right-to-work initiative effort for the City of Sequim working with Freedom Foundation. The city council ignored Washington State law after a few volunteers and I, walking door-to-door, collected the required 648 valid signatures (over 800 in total because of invalidity) to qualify these initiatives inside the city of Sequim. Freedom Foundation sued. Judge Rohrer ruled against us and for the fatuous union arguments. The hearing provided a wrenching, very intense, but memorable learning experience. Similar volunteer efforts in Shelton, Blaine, Chelan met the same end.
After reviewing the new WA union legislation at the WA Policy Center’s Washington Votes website. I recognize the public unions’ intransigent determination to regain membership and funds lost from Freedom Foundation’s push-back. Democrats/progressives will continue to dominate and eventually destroy Washington State unless we elect more genuine conservatives and weaken public union’s stranglehold. Concentration of power (in this situation, public/union/government) produces corruption and tyranny.
When serving on the school board, I proposed transparent union contract negations. The other board members ignored all conservative suggestion including mine for transparent union negations. Initiative 1608, a statewide initiative measure for transparent public union contract negotiations, is exactly what we need along with a favorable U.S. Supreme Court ruling on right-to-work in June.
“If I-1608 submits 259,622 valid signatures by July 6, voters will have the opportunity to have the final say in November whether Washington will join these other states”
Website for this initiative: https://yeson1608.com/
Additional Information
Another Judge Denies City Residents the Right to Consider Labor-Reform Initiatives
WA State: Initiative 1608 filed to increase government transparency
“The public’s right to government information is one we hold dearly in Washington. Transparency is a cornerstone of a democratic government.”
That was Governor Inslee’s statement upon vetoing the wildly controversial (and unpopular) bill scrapping public disclosure requirements for the state’s lawmakers.
Given the Governor’s strongly worded acknowledgment of the importance of transparency in government, he should not hesitate to support Initiative 1608, an open records measure that has been filed with the Secretary of State. I-1608 would increase the transparency of collective bargaining involving government unions and state and local public employers.
Here is the Ballot Title and Summary of I-1608 as assigned by the Attorney General of Washington:
Title
“This measure would make collective bargaining sessions between public employers and employee organizations open for public observation and recording, make bargaining proposals public, and establish an online library of public collective bargaining agreements.”
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