QUICK FACT

September 22, 2003

The many lawsuits of WEA

Officials of the Washington Education Association have filed or threatened to file numerous lawsuits against teachers, organizations, and state and federal government during the last several years. A quick review of these lawsuits sparks some probing questions: What do they reveal about the WEA's agenda? Are they truly in the best interest of teachers? Would teachers voluntarily pay for them if they had a choice?

Here's a quick summary of the union's litigious activism:

December 1996 -- WEA sues the state Public Disclosure Commission to block enforcement of a state law prohibiting a mandatory $12-per-teacher "political education" assessment.

March 1997 -- WEA officials threaten to sue a teacher named Jeff for working to stop the union's illegal mandatory political deductions.

July 1997 -- WEA sues the Evergreen Freedom Foundation for, among other things, "fomenting discontent."

February 1998 -- WEA sues two female teachers, Barb and Cindy, for publishing a homemade newsletter called "WEA Challenger Network" to inform colleagues of their rights. Charges dropped in April 1999.

June 2001 -- WEA joins suit against state to require I-732 cost-of-living pay raises for every public school employee in the state, even those who are not employed by the state.

August 2001 -- WEA sues state Public Disclosure Commission to prevent enforcement of a state law requiring school districts to keep a public record of signed authorization from teachers who have money deducted from their paychecks for the WEA's voluntary political action committee.

September 2001 -- WEA sues state Public Disclosure Commission to block new guidelines clarifying legal uses of public facilities to promote political causes and candidates.

May 2002 -- WEA threatens to sue EFF for "copyright violation" for sending out a mailer with a photograph of a WEA publication on it.

August 2002 -- WEA sues tax reform activist Tim Eyman, claiming that I-264 and I-265 are "deliberately deceptive."

February 2003 -- WEA joins suit against the U.S. Department of Labor to block enforcement of new rules requiring public employee unions to file financial disclosure reports.

July 2003 -- WEA files suit against the state legislature to prevent reduction of paid teacher training days.

July 2003 -- WEA threatens to sue the state legislature to block pay raises for approximately 20,000 beginning teachers.

Contact: Marsha Richards | Communications Director | 360.956.3482

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org