The Freedom Foundation’s litigation team recently filed citizen action notices with the Washington Attorney General alleging multiple violations of the Public Disclosure Act committed by both SEIU 775 and SEIU 925. As a result, the Public Disclosure Commission—the state’s campaign finance enforcement agency—has begun investigations into both unions.
SEIU 775 represents more than 40,000 healthcare providers in Washington, making it one of the state’s largest labor organizations. Most of these providers receive Medicaid and state reimbursements for the care they provide.
SEIU 775 wasted little time implementing a dues-skimming scheme to exploit these providers and divert funds from those who really need them.
According to Freedom Foundation research submitted to the Attorney General, SEIU 775 collects more than $20 million in dues and fees from providers each year, but according to the union’s own reports, spends only 60 percent of that largesse on “representational” activities.
In other words, every year, SEIU 775 spends as much as 40 percent of its revenue on politics, lobbying and electioneering.
Similarly, SEIU 925—which represents about 20,000 childcare providers and University of Washington staff members, among others—took advantage of government welfare and childcare programs to skim dues from thousands of unsuspecting, hard-working people.
SEIU 925 collects almost $10 million in annual dues and fees, but spends huge sums to influence Washington elections.
In 2014 alone, SEIU 925 disbursed $1.4 million over 171 different contributions to fund numerous Washington candidates, committees and ballot initiatives. The union spent more than $800,000 of that amount in a Seattle municipal campaign meant to defeat the city’s proposed increase in childcare funding.
The plan, though good for children, apparently wasn’t good enough for the union.
Under Washington law, an organization is a political committee if a primary organizational purpose is to influence elections. Once an organization is a political committee, the Public Disclosure Act requires regular public filings so that Washingtonians can track where the money influencing their elections is coming from.
Both SEIU 775 and SEIU 925 will deny they are political committees. But I say look at the facts and follow the money. Both unions are clearly political committees, and Washingtonians have a right to see the many ways these two organizations influence their daily lives.
The PDC will present its findings and recommendations on Sept. 24. At that point, the Attorney General’s office will determine whether it will sue SEIU 775 and SEIU 925 for violating the law. If the state refuses to prosecute, we will. Considering the cozy relationship between these unions and the government officials they patronize, I would wager the Freedom Foundation will have to bring the unions to court to enforce the law.
Another day, another way in which the Freedom Foundation advocating for the people’s rights and interests in Washington State.
