Time to make Washington "Right to work."

Bingo.

Tip of the hat to the Columbian.

In Our View: Forced Allegiance

Monday, April 4, 2005
Columbian editorial writers

The devil is always in the details, especially when it comes to citizen-written laws, which The Columbian editorial board generally doesn't prefer. So we'll have to withhold support of a possible initiative to end compulsory unionism in Washington state until we've read the fine print.

But in concept, making Washington a right-to-work state, along with 22 others, is right on and long overdue. The effort has lacked legislative action, as politicians don't dare bite the hand that feeds them.

The Building Industry Association of Washington is more than willing to bite the hand that has slapped it, however. In retaliationfor labor's legislative actions against it this year, BIAW is considering sponsoring a right-to-work initiative campaign that would prohibit mandatory union dues in our state. Should the group proceed and succeed, it would be a huge blow to unions and their bottom lines.

Consider the Washington Education Association. To work in Washington state as a public school teacher, one must pay several hundred dollars in dues each year. The union uses the money for administrative costs, collective bargaining purposes and politicking sometimes on school issues, sometimes not. The union is one of the biggest money players in politics in the state.

Making one's livelihood reliant on allegiance to a union with which some disagree politically and philosophically is not the Washington way, however. Washingtonians prefer personal choice and ideological independence in everything from its abortion laws to its beloved, but no longer existing, blanket primary.

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