Press Release
July 23, 2003
Teachers, AG appeal cases against WEA
OLYMPIA—Two lawsuits against the Washington Education Association will be appealed to the State Supreme Court tomorrow after they were dismissed by a June 24 Court of Appeals ruling.
Both cases are based on a state law that made it illegal for the WEA to take money from non-member teachers and use it to influence elections without permission from those teachers. The Appeals Court said it was "unduly burdensome" for the union to comply, and a violation of the union’s "right" to collective speech.
A group of teachers will appeal a class action lawsuit to recover fees owed to them by the union after WEA officials admitted last September they had violated state law.
The WEA’s admission of guilt prompted Attorney General Christine Gregoire to file her own suit against the WEA last October, but her lawsuit "aimed at enforcing the law on behalf of the citizens of Washington" and did not seek to recover fees for teachers.
The Attorney General’s office will also be petitioning tomorrow for an appeal of its own case against the WEA. In a ruling at the Superior Court level, the WEA was ordered to pay $590,000 in fines and state legal costs, and was required to return about $300,000 to teachers.
Contact: Marsha Richards | Communications Director | (360) 956-3482
