Attorney general: WEA ignored law

In recent oral arguments before the state Court of Appeals, theAttorney General's office charged the Washington Education Associationwith ignoring a law when union officials used unauthorized non-memberfees to advance political causes.

"They chose not to [follow the law]," said Assistant Attorney GeneralTom Wendell. "It's as simple as that. They knew the statute was there,they knew what it said, and they ignored it."

The case is on appeal after the WEA was found guilty in July 2001 ofviolating a state law that prohibits using fees taken from non-memberteachers for political causes without those teachers' permission. Theunion was hit with a $400,000 fine, ordered to pay $190,000 in legalfees, and required to refund teachers nearly $200,000 in illegallyspent fees.

Attorneys for the WEA have argued that money taken from teachers'paychecks belongs to the union and any attempts to limit theirunauthorized use of teachers' money is an abridgement of the union'sfree speech rights. (from press release)

WWW Washington Free Press