Lawsuit Filed Over 'Forced Unionization' of Teachers, Workers

The Northwest based Freedom Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the WEA (Washington Education Association) and the WFSE (Washington Federation of State Employees), claiming non-union workers are required to pay union dues.

While many workers who are teachers and state employees may not be union members, they are required by state law to pay what are called 'agency fees.' Even if a worker opts out, they are still forced to pay money which is used for collective bargaining agreements.

The class action lawsuits specifically mention a number of plaintiffs who have agreed to let their cases be public. By being class action, it applies to all such non-union teachers and state workers who are forced to pay the fees. There are several specific plaintiffs listed in each of the lawsuits.

Many teachers and state workers opt not to join the unions because they don't want their dues supporting political, economic, and societal causes, policies and candidates etc that they don't agree with.

But despite opting out, they still have to pay the collective bargaining fees. The Freedom Foundation's lawsuit says recent legal developments in other states and across the country show this 'archaic' policy is weakening. They say there's significant precedence for Washington state to drop this policy.

The suits against the WEA and the WFSE can be looked at by clicking on the highlighted links.