OLYMPIA… After receiving no direct response from the Governor, Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler sent a third letter July 12, requesting clarification from Gov. Jay Inslee on how Washington plans to address changes to union dues collections.
“I’m concerned that there are conversations happening behind closed doors to circumvent the Supreme Court decision, including discussions of a new “representation fee,” said Schoesler. “I’ve asked for clarification about how the state will handle this significant change, but all we got was a vague response from the Office of Financial Management without any timeline or framework.”
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) makes mandatory dues deductions from state-employees illegal, requiring members to opt-in. A letter was delivered Monday to Inslee, calling attention to troubling tactics being used by a state-worker union on those wanting to stop the unconstitutional payroll deductions.
“With ongoing union contract negotiations being conducted under a veil of secrecy, it’s important that we get a response from the Governor on how he’s going to protect worker’s rights,” Schoesler added.