December 19, 2005
Free Conscience
I want to make you aware of an organization called FreeConscience.org. As we noted at the beginning of this month, the state is trying to force non-union employees to pay union dues, threatening non-compliers with termination. A lovely Christmas bonus, eh?
FreeConscience.org is an organization dedicated to fighting this injustice. Their mission statement:
FreeConscience.org believes that an employee of the State of Washington has the Constitutional freedom and right to decide to join, not join, support financially or not support financially any organization. Our mission is to provide education and action to assure State of Washington employees this freedom by opposing WFSE’s "Fair Share" and any other such provision.
If you or someone you know is having your job threatened over "Fair Share," please visit
FreeConscience.org.
Posted by Andy MacDonald at December 19, 2005
10:27 AM | Email This
1. Why don't they sue the state for entering in such an absurd contract. The state financially commiting a third party does not seem quite right.
2. These unions are basically an arm of the state Democrat party. For a party that claims 'compassion', they aren't very nice when it comes to forcing people to do what they want, OR ELSE
3. Taxation with (union) represntation - whether you want it or not. Something like that wasn't it?
4. This is also being done for non-Government workers by the "National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation." (http://www.nrtw.org/) Unfortunately, the LRB is pro-union. It's unfair and, I believe, unconstitutional when only union members get to vote on a closed shop.
5. Notice the lack of troll presence here. Even they know those strong-arming unions are a mean-spirited group honk-bent on forcing everyone to do things 'their' way.
6. Misty, don't worry JDB will be here soon enough to justify fascistic union thuggish tactics! Their usual MO is to say how unions brought fairness and safety into the workplace 70 years ago and thus, they are a wonderful moral agent and thus we better just STFU.
7. The next logical argument is that since a person is already paying union dues, why not just join the union? Although union membership in the civil services is running higher than the national norm for the private sector, even the public service unions are hurting for membership. This is just another strong arm tactic to bolster that membership. Not that there is any affiliation between unions and the Democratic party....
8. The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has also been trying to expose unions for the socialist money grabbers that they are, most recently tangling with the WEA.
Now if a conservative organization made these same demands, you would see immediate lawsuits, "investigative reports", and a great hue and cry about freedom of choice.
Today's unions are entrenched in the glory days of yesteryear and out touch with today's workplace. GM and Ford have tried for years to streamline operations to better compete with Toyota and Honda and the UAW has fought them every step of the way. Now the chickens have come home to roost and thousands will lose their jobs because of the refusal of the overpaid union leadership to join the 21st century.
Too bad the mainstream media won't present the true facts, but then most of the journalists are mush brained socialists, so of course this issues seems logical to them. Barf!!!
9. EFF just released on its website the results of a poll of state workers concerning their union: http://www.effwa.org/main/article.php?article_id=1237&number=56
Text of article below: The Evergreen Freedom Foundation’s Labor Policy Center recently surveyed state workers, asking for their opinions on unionization. Over 1,700 respondents participated in this informal poll.
The survey revealed several startling facts. The number one reason state workers joined the union was to keep their jobs (69 percent of respondents). This is even more likely to be the case, given that state employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements that went into effect July 1, 2005. Among the new requirements, state workers must pay union dues as a condition of employment. In early November, unions gave the state a list of almost 800 state workers who had not joined. State agencies then notified employees termination proceedings would begin December 12 if they did not pay dues.
Five months since implementation of the new employment contract, state workers still view the union negatively. Eighty-one percent do not believe their union represents them effectively in their workplace. This also holds true regarding union political involvement. Eighty-four percent do not believe their union represents them effectively in political activities.
The poll indicated a reason for this dissatisfaction: Fifty-nine percent of state workers indicate the union “ignores” and even “intimidates/harasses” them for suggesting ways to improve its representation. Because state workers believe their union is not receptive to member input, 88 percent rarely or never participate in union activities.
Ninety percent of state workers also believe employees should have a choice whether to pay dues or not.
“This poll paints a vastly different picture than one unions have given the public,” said Ryan Bedford, labor policy analyst for the EFF. “The state and unions have forced public employees to pay for representation against their will. If the unions truly offered a valuable service, they wouldn’t have to build membership with the threat of termination.”
“When given the opportunity to voice their true opinions without fear of harassment, state workers overwhelmingly agree the union does not serve their best interest,” said Bedford.
10. This must be the irony of the day.
Weren't unions created in order to squelch this EXACT type of behavior by the big, evil corporations and monopolies 70 years ago??
Now the unions are practicing the very evils that they were designed to combat. No wonder their membership, like the Democratic Party's, continues to decline.
11. Remember when Christine was still trying to convince everyone she was a fiscal conservative? She was going to FIRE 1,000 mid-level managers (non-union) to streamline Government. Did she ever do it? Where can I find that information? Shouldn't we have seen a significant savings in State FTE's? Mid-level managers at the State have got to be making $50,000+ Benefits a year. Where are these "expendable" people? Which departments? Come on trolls, you probably helped point out which non-union managers should be let go to Upper management. Or I guess Christine could have just been lying about letting those people go.
12. Unions are the crab grass on the economic lawn of life.
"WEA" = "Worst Educators Around"
13. It makes total sense that the WFSE conspire with the Democrats in Washington to do this. I see on THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY web site that total labor contributions in Washington state for 2003-2004 was $2,161,095 of which $244,650 came from State and local govt employees unions. 92% of which went to Democrats and 8% to Republicans. A poor down and out union like the WFSE can't afford to let it's regular union members skip out on dues. And only a union hack and Democrats would be low enough to force non-union employees to pay union dues in order to keep their jobs. Merry Christmas, have some coal!
14. Lest we forget: The number one priority of unions is to perpetuate the union. Representing the members is not really a priority, since the members must pay dues regardless of the success of the union in negotiating a contract. Unions are even willing to destroy a company and the member's job to further the goals of the union leadership.
15. Where is the "young Vito Corleone" to kill the Black Hand in our version of Godfather II?
I'm telling you, Unions should be abolished. Rico was tailor made to stop this organized crime against the lower/mid-level worker. Libs hate Haliburton...they should hate AFL/CIO more. Talk about the real antagonist in the Labor story.
16. Thanks for getting the news out about this concern.
17. Here's an interesting article from Orbusmax via Evergreen Freedom Fndtn: 59% of state workers feel intimidated/harrassed by the state employees union when they even just suggest ways the union could improve itself and the way it serves workers!
18. ..and isn't it interesting that the easiest way to get rid of state employees is for lack of union dues payment, but incompetence and wrongdoing won't get you fired, necessarily?
19. I have just reviewed all of the comments and cannot disagree. I work for state government and have not yet signed up to meet my obligation to the federation. If we cannot turn this around and at least get to revote over this ratification and mandatory payments, what does that say about our constitutional rights based on methods used to allow the minority to speak for the majority without due process. I still hear that employees are overwhelmingly angry and completely disgusted with the events or lack of events that got us where we are today. My hope is that the freeconscience movement continues to grow and fight for the rights of 40,000 public employees that quite frankly got hosed. We should all remember that this small group of folks could be compared to David and Goliath. It is up to you, please join freeconscience, I did. We really need membership and we are actively seeking and reviewing legal options to protect your rights and correct this wrongdoing. Please be patient with our website it is under construction, however, look for updates soon.
20. Hello:
(Quickly type this short note before my wife comes over and knows this!)
I got the two-page letter of termination from Laura Parma, the AD in my DIS/IT last Friday, Jan 13, 2006. The last sentence on page one reads, "Your termination date is effective February 3, 2006 at 5:00 PM."
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I have been in state service almost 18 years (since April 18, 1988.) To me, it is painful, frustrated, unfair and yes, nosensely funny!!!