2005 PRESS RELEASES

August 19, 2005

WEA puts teachers at risk of violating campaign finance laws
Public Disclosure Commissioner Tilly: “They should know! This issue comes up annually.”

Olympia, WA – In clear violation of state law and Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) guidelines, the Washington Education Association (WEA) is instructing members they can promote ballot initiatives using school district facilities. The WEA website directs members to a flyer that outlines what it considers acceptable practices:

“[Teachers can use] school mailboxes or e-mail to distribute information regarding levy, bond or initiative campaigns only if school mailboxes and/or e-mail may be used for other personal communications.”

RCW 42.17.130 specifically prohibits this activity:

“No...person appointed to or employed by any public office or agency may use or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public office or agency, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition.”

Not only is the law clear, but teachers and WEA union representatives have been repeatedly fined for politicking on public facilities.

The most recent example was on January 24, 2005, when the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) fined four teachers (who were union representatives) $500 each for using school district mailboxes and e-mail systems to coordinate some of the WEA’s referendum and initiative campaigns.

During the hearing in January, PDC Chair Earl Tilly insisted the WEA has a duty to know the law given its extensive campaign activities. Numbers of teachers and union representatives have been penalized for violations. “They should know!” he exclaimed. “This issue comes up annually.”

Ryan Bedford, labor policy analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, said, “The WEA should stop distributing ambiguous information and permanently clarify its instructions.” He continued, “The PDC must ensure organizations give clear instructions to their members. It should also inform superintendents of the risk created by the WEA and ask them to guard against possible violations. Until this is done, innocent teachers remain at risk of violations and fines.”

Additional Information:
The investigation reports, exhibits and pre-hearing briefs for PDC case numbers 04-663, 04-664, 05-002 and 04-533 on January 24, 2005.

Outcome of the case numbers 04-663 and 04-664.

Outcome for Case numbers 05-002 and 04-533.

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