WFSE is suing the wrong people
Posted by Sonya Jones - August 19, 2008Minutes from the Feb. 2008 meeting of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Local 1400 revealed that the state’s largest state employee union is suing up to 1,900 state employees for failure to pay representation fees in lieu of membership dues. So far, there are 21 defendants in Clark County, 35 defendants in Spokane County, 12 in Lewis County, 10 in Yakima County, 125 in Thurston County and 161 in King County.
The first hearing on one lawsuit was held yesterday in Clark County where the plaintiff union sought a motion for summary judgment that would automatically force payment of back dues, interest, court costs and attorney fees for two defendants. Edward Earl Younglove, attorney for the union, opened his remarks by admitting that the WFSE is seeking enforcement of a contract that “is between the union and the state” and that in the contract “the state agreed to make payment of fees a condition of employment.”
Given that the contract is between the union and the state, WFSE should really be suing the state for failure to enforce the contract against state workers who refuse to pay representation fees to the union. The contractual remedy for such employees is union notice to the employer of an employee’s failure to pay and the possible termination of the employee, at the state’s discretion.
WFSE is suing the wrong people!
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