OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Freedom Foundation debuted the latest installment in an ongoing series of TV ads this week, this one featuring a state employee explaining why she decided to opt out of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

The ads began running this week in the Olympia/Thurston County cable TV market.

The focus of the new ad is Lynn Navares, an IT specialist with the Washington State Health Authority, whose workplace was unionized this past summer with “no vote and no notice.”

Even worse, the new arrangement created a moral conflict for her because the union uses the dues money it collects to support causes and candidates that violate Navares’ religious convictions.

Navares sought assistance from both the union and her human resources manager, but neither explained her rights to her. In desperation, she turned to the Freedom Foundation, whose attorneys informed her that, under the federal Civil Rights Act, she has the right as a religious objector to pay her dues money to a charity instead of to the union.

“I wrote a letter and informed the union of my religious beliefs,” Navares said, “and I’ve never had to pay a dime to them.”

The Freedom Foundation has created a series of television commercials it has aired all over the state telling the stories of public employees who’ve opted out of their unions – often having to overcome intimidation, misinformation and a series of administrative hurdles along the way.

“No one should be compelled to fund the union values and agendas that violate their faith,” said Freedom Foundation CEO Tom McCabe. “Our job is to inform people like Lynn Navares of their rights. And when they decide to exercise them, we’ll be here to make sure they’re able to break free from union tyranny.”