Right to Work Initiative in Washington State

American Thinker ^ | March 11, 2015 | James Simpson

[jazusamo]

On Tuesday, March 10, Washington State’s Employee Rights Political Action Committee (erpac.org), announced a grassroots initiative to replace restrictive employee laws with personal choice that both allows employees to keep their hard earned money in their pockets, and assists business in growing jobs. Called the “Employee Rights Act,” (I-1395) this new ballot initiative, if passed, will end compulsory union membership, ensuring an employee’s ability to find and keep gainful employment regardless of membership status and allow employers to hire without regard to a prospective employee's union participation. It will also allow employees to opt out of automatic union dues deduction.

This comes fast on the heels of Wisconsin’s enactment on Monday of right-to-work legislation, making it the 25th right-to-work state. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has been in the limelight for the past few years as the result of his historic and successful battle with Wisconsin’s public employee unions. Following the passage of Act 10, which modestly adjusted public employee union benefit formulas and modified union bargaining rights, unions went on the warpath, engaging in widespread, unruly protests which included occupying the state Capitol for almost a month. Walker then won a union-financed recall election, and went on to soundly defeat his Democratic opponent in 2014 for a second term in office. This was all accomplished while under the cloud of a 4-year, secret “John Doe” investigation launched by vicious, partisan Democrat district attorneys that has earned the name “Wisconsin’s Secret War.” Walker’s signature on right-to-work legislation Monday, passed without fanfare, signals that after four long years, he has decisively won his battle. Public employee unions in Wisconsin have finally been trounced, and deservedly so.

[jazusamo]

The leftists and unions will be out in force spitting and sputtering to shoot this initiative down. They'd better start worrying about jobs because more and more companies will be heading out for right to work states.

[jazusamo]

Ping

[PapaBear3625]

If it passes, Seattle’s port may become very busy the next time West Coast longshoremen strike.

[donozark]

Thanks for posting this. Was not even aware Washington State was considering becoming a RTW State.

[jazusamo]

I wasn’t aware of it either until reading this and I live here. :)

Don’t know how much of a chance it has but the initiative is the way to go because it would never get through the legislature or be signed by our Gov.

[Pride in the USA]

Good luck with this one. Too many leftists in this state to pass such an initiative.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

But what about our brothers and sister from other countries who accidentally cross the border? They need work too!

[Sparticus]

Good luck with this one. Too many leftists in this state to pass such an initiative.

Sad but true. Unions, especially the teachers union, are the single most power political force in this state.

[Rusty0604]

I’m surprised the unions haven’t gotten a state income tax passed there yet.

[dainbramaged]

I live in Washington - where do I sign?

[Publius]

It will lose.

While it will win handily in conservative, sparsely populated eastern Washington, in western Washington, where two-thirds of the people live, it will be crushed.

The unions own this state in general, and the teachers' union (WEA) in particular.

[Sam Gamgee]

Good luck. Remember this is the state that recounted votes until Dino Rossi lost as governor and then stopped recounting as soon as that happened. I do not trust their election officials.

[jazusamo]

Believe me when I say I don’t trust them either.

[Sparticus]

I’m surprised the unions haven’t gotten a state income tax passed there yet.

Oh, the lefties running the state really, really want an income tax very badly. They've tried to pass one in 2010 but it crashed and burned at the ballot box by a two to one margin.