October 19, the Washington state Attorney General and King County Metro agreed to a settlement fining the county $20,000 for withholding from employees wages for union political efforts without employee authorization.
According to our state’s “paycheck protection” law, payroll deductions for election-affecting expenditures, whether the company’s or the union’s, requires an employee’s written authorization within the preceding twelve months. Union-requested deductions at times include a set assessment or a fixed percentage for political “segregated funds” to make contributions or affect elections.
The penalty demonstrates that employers need to be cautious to assure that only non-political deductions are made at the request of unions, and the settlement offers a proposed certification of non-political use of funds that union officials should sign before assessments are made.
Settlement agreement and union certification form:
<http://web.pdc.wa.gov/compliance/KING%20COUNTY.pdf>
State paycheck protection law (RCW Title 42.17.680) can be seen at:
<http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/rcw.cfm#RCW_by_Title>