Tag Archives: Labor

STATEMENT: Republican leader says California tax refunds make Washington Democrats look heartless

CENTRALIA… Tomorrow, middle-class households across California will begin receiving tax-refund payments to help with what one state official calls “inflated costs for everyday necessities.”

Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, responded by pointing out how in Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic legislators have refused all year long to offer meaningful tax relief yet are on track to shower a select group of people with money that will help them contend with historically high prices.

“Democratic leaders in our state seem blind to the hardships being faced by families, especially those in the middle. Every time Republicans have tried to let the people keep more of their own money instead of giving it to the state, Democrats have said no. Gas prices are climbing again, but when we proposed an immediate suspension of the state gas tax, to save drivers 49.4 cents per gallon, the governor and other Democrats resorted to disinformation. They talk about making ‘targeted investments’ instead of offering broad tax relief, as Republicans would do. We’re seeing what that means: historically generous pay raises for members of public-sector unions, secretly negotiated by the governor.

“For years Washington has blindly mimicked California on energy and environmental policies that make living in our state less affordable. Now that California is putting money back into the pockets of its people, and acknowledging that they could use some help from government, Governor Inslee won’t follow and our Democratic colleagues in the Legislature are silent.

“Within a matter of months, middle-income families in Washington will see a host of tax increases – from those taken directly out of their wages, to higher sales and property taxes, to increased costs of driving – all due to policies enacted by Democrats and signed by Governor Inslee in the past two legislative sessions. In that light, the choice to approve fat new labor agreements instead of helping families sends a clear message: Some people matter more than the rest. State employees do valuable work, but this makes Inslee and any Democrats who support his selective giveaway of taxpayer dollars look heartless. Olympia badly needs a change in direction.”

Braun renews call for transparency as secret negotiations begin on state-worker contracts

Closed-door negotiations began last week on state-worker contracts for the 2017-19 biennium, and Sen. John Braun hopes it is the last time the talks will be kept out of public view.

“Washington does a better job than most states when it comes to open government,” said Braun, R-Centralia. “However, the exemption of state-employee collective bargaining from the Open Public Meetings Act is something that needs to be changed. The last time these contracts were negotiated it resulted in a 300-million-dollar commitment from taxpayers without their input.”

Braun was the sponsor of this year’s Senate Bill 5329, which would require collective-bargaining meetings to be open to the public. Braun noted the secret talks are getting under way during the week when most people seeking statewide public office later this year are filing as candidates. The governor’s office will be among those on the ballot.

“The timing is probably a coincidence, but it serves as a reminder that the governor’s people are negotiating behind closed doors with organizations that not only represent state workers but also have political agendas as well,” he said.

“Other states are successfully engaging the public in these decisions and I don’t see why Washington shouldn’t do the same,” said Braun. “Our current system does not allow for any deviation from the commitments made in secret between the governor and public-employee unions. The Legislature can only approve or reject the agreements. That wasn’t the case before 2004 and if the people’s representatives are unable to give input on the contracts, we should at least have transparency in the process.”

Collective bargaining must be open process says Braun

Sen. John Braun’s legislation, Senate Bill 5329 that would require public employees’ union negotiations to be open to the public received a hearing in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Monday.

“It is important to have transparency and openness in government,” Braun, R- Centralia, said. “We’ve recently seen private negotiations between the governor’s office and public unions that resulted in over a half a billion dollar obligation for the taxpayers. The public deserves visibility on these negotiations.”

The Open Public Meetings Act requires that all meetings of governing bodies of public agencies, be open and accessible to the public, however, public employee collective bargaining is exempt from compliance.A meeting is generally defined as any situation where a majority of members from a governing body meet and discuss the business of that body. Braun’s proposed legislation would remove the current exemption from the act and require collective bargaining meetings to be open.

“Bargaining should not be done in secret,” Braun said. “Eliminating this exemption is a reasonable step toward increasing transparency in government and ensuring a balance between the interests of our state employees and those that pay the salaries.”

Impact of Supreme Court Case in Washington

On June 30, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Harris v. Quinn which deals with the issue of workers being required to unionize. I sent a letter to the Attorney General requesting an informal opinion answering several questions about that case’s effects in our state.

Does the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Harris v. Quinn prevent the state from maintaining a union security provision in its collective bargaining agreement with any union representing individual providers?
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Harris v. Quinn, what must an individual provider do in order to be viewed by the state as a nonmember of Service Employees International Union Healthcare 775NW for the purposes of RCW 41.56.113?
What liability attaches to the state if state agencies deduct union dues or other fees from non-member individual providers without their express, written permission?

Read more about this issue here, courtesy of the Washington Policy Center.