Teachers’ rights protected

Vancouver School District fined

OLYMPIA — In an enforcement hearing this morning the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) voted unanimously to fine the Vancouver School District $1000 for failing to have PAC withholding authorization forms from teachers on file for public inspection.

Under the state’s paycheck protection law, districts may not deduct money from teachers’ paychecks for the Washington Education Association’s political action committee (WEA-PAC) unless they have annual authorization forms from those teachers. These forms must be kept at the district office, open for public inspection, for three years.

An investigation of several school districts was sparked when teachers called the Evergreen Freedom Foundation asking how they could find out if money was being taken from their paycheck for WEA-PAC. The Vancouver district warranted a closer look because it had more than double the average withholding rate. Statewide, roughly 1 in 7 teachers had signed up for PAC deductions, while Vancouver’s district took deductions from 1 in 3.

When Jami Lund, a research analyst for EFF, visited the Vancouver School District with a request to see the authorization forms he was told they were filed at union headquarters.

"Unfortunately districts are in a difficult position," says Lund. "They’re being forced to play campaign finance cop to protect teachers’ rights when they should be allowed to put their focus on education. Many districts trust the union to give them the names of teachers who have signed up for the PAC, but WEA officials have a track record of misleading them to avoid losing political funds. That’s why protection for teachers is so important."

$500 of Vancouver’s fine was suspended with the condition that no future violations of the paycheck protection law occur.

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