Matthew HaywardBack by popular demand, the Freedom Foundation’s Santa is traveling up the west coast making rounds in Washington State’s Capitol. Santa is working to inform state employees that their union, the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), made his naughty list.
Santa has been visiting different public office buildings where there are employees represented by Washington State Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
Santa and his sister Sandi Claus were telling state employees they have the right to stop paying the political portion of their union dues, which could add up to hundreds of dollars a year.
Most of the employees were happy to learn their rights, and Santa was repeatedly thanked for coming out. But at each place Santa and his sister visited, there was at least one Grinch.
WFSE Local 443 posted on its Facebook page: “Ask Santa if permission was granted to distribute literature on the premises.”
Here is our response to WFSE:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Constitution of United States of America
Some of the comments shared show their Christmas spirt. One union Scrooge called for the, “Arrest of Santa!!!” While another person posed the question, “Kick Santa’s _ _ _?”
We’ll let you fill in the blank.
But nothing compares to what happened at the Department of Ecology (“DOE”) in Lacey Washington.
After seeking the assistance Freedom Foundation legal counsel in 2015 after being escorted out of the Ecology building, Santa reached out several weeks in advance to try and smooth things over to prevent another embarrassing moment for the state, but to no avail.
Ms. Stewart, DOE’s human resources director made it clear via phone and email that no one was going to be learning about their rights on her watch.
The Freedom Foundation was not discouraged, and Sandi Claus was dispatched with legal counsel to head over to the DOE to make certain all were informed of their rights.
Ms. Stewart, along with security guards, turned us away anyway, and said we could stand in the cold. But no one would learn of their rights in this building, for the union is an ally, and Santa is the enemy.
Needless to say, 2017 will end with a “Santa Suit” against the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Instead of informing workers of their rights, it turns out that the Department of Ecology needs some informing about the First Amendment.