This week, the Freedom Foundation requested the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) provide it with an opportunity to address employees during the new employee orientation process.
Pursuant to state law and the collective bargaining agreement between the State of Washington and the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), union organizers are provided with 30 minutes’ access to employees during their on-boarding.
Earlier in the month, the Freedom Foundation released leaked video footage showing how WFSE organizers use these captive audience meetings to disparage the Freedom Foundation by name and try to pressure and manipulate employees into signing up for union membership.
The Freedom Foundation’s letter to L&I director Joel Sacks asks for only 15 minutes – half the time allotted to WFSE – to provide new hires with information about their constitutional right to make their own decisions about union membership and dues payment, as recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME (2018).
The letter notes that L&I’s failure to grant the Freedom Foundation’s request could leave the agency open to charges of engaging in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and requests a response within 30 days.
A copy of the letter is available below.
