From Sequim to Clark County, Washington residents and their elected officials are tired of public-sector union bosses who use bullying tactics and intimidation to force negotiations of government employee contracts to be done in secret.
Just the mention of transparency has unions promising to sue.
This month two counties, Grays Harbor on March 20 and Mason the following day, had the issue of transparency brought up in public testimony.
In Grays Harbor County, Commissioner Wes Cormier, who campaigned on transparency and asked for public negotiations in the past, introduced a resolution on April 13th again stating his desire to open collective bargaining negotiations to public scrutiny.
Thanks to citizen involvement, and courageous elected officials, public sector unions are being forced into the open for the first time. It’s only a question of time before the dominoes begin to fall. As soon as negotiations are opened up in one city or in one county, they will open up across the entire state, and pressure will be on the governor—who received nearly $6 million in campaign contributions from labor unions—to end the secret negotiations with his top campaign contributors.
So the only question now is, who will be first to adopt these common sense ideas?
Grays Harbor, Clark, Mason, Adams, Grant, Walla Walla or Chelan County….?
“The union will not agree to public negotiations…we have a contract with Grays Harbor County, not with the public… the public is not a party to the contract.”
— Hannah Franks Local 275
The public certainly has an interest in these negations, and deserve to view them.
