HeraldNet: Attorney General, teachers union settle dues dispute



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The Petri Dish

December 3, 2008

Attorney General, teachers union settle dues dispute

Posted at 11:29 am by Jerry Cornfield

A prolonged fight on the state teachers union use of dues for political purposes may finally be over.

The Washington Education Association and Attorney General Rob McKenna announced an agreement today resolving litigation that's taken the two sides to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here's the release.

WEA will pay $735,000 to the state to settle the lawsuit and return up to $240,000 to those who paid agency fees during the 2003 – 2007 school years.

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation first challenged the union's use of the fees a decade ago. Here's a chronology posted online by EFF.

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What's the real issue?
While I appreciate Mr. Craig's attempt to make a counterpoint, he doesn't understand the issue.

Jeff, the builders groups that you are talking about were funded entirely by voluntary donations from their members. The WEA takes money from their members' union dues and involuntarily spends them on political campaigns.

If you have a problem with your local builder, talk to him. But he didn't spend YOUR money, he spent his own, voluntarily. Your labor union, on the other hand, IS spending YOUR union dues...and you don't have a choice in the matter.

That's the issue, Mr. Craig.
Chad Minnick | Dec 4, 2008 11:29 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

(No heading)
Sooooooo does this mean I can get a refund from my home builder for the money they took from me and contributed to political action committees?

I love how people attack the unions for donating to political causes that support the average working joe, but if a developer, realtor or business owner donates the profits of their work to a PAC, it is completely different.

This is just another example why we need Publicly Funded (aka 'Clean) Elections.
Jeff Craig | Dec 3, 2008 1:45 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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