The Worker Privacy Act is still alive! Both its supporters and its opponents agree that it has enough votes to pass. House Speaker Frank Chopp, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and Governor Christine Gregoire have a choice: Either allow a fair up-or-down vote on this important workers' rights legislation, or block the democratic process from proceeding.
TAKE ACTION! Click here to send an email to your Washington State Representatives and your State Senator asking them to urge Democratic leaders Chopp, Brown and Gregoire to allow a fair up-or-down vote on the Worker Privacy Act! Also call the Legislative Hotline TODAY at 1-800-562-6000 -- even if you've previously contacted your legislators on this issue -- and leave a message for both your State Representatives, your State Senator and Gov. Chris Gregoire urging a fair up-or-down vote on the Worker Privacy Act (SB 5446 and HB 1528).
Last year, both Gregoire and Chopp told the delegates representing the more than 500 unions that comprise the Washington State Labor Council that they support this legislation. (See the video clips.) "We're going to move forward on Worker Privacy legislation next year," Chopp said.
But news reports indicate that Boeing and business lobbying groups opposed to the Worker Privacy Act recently urged Gregoire, Chopp and Brown to block a vote on the bill because they knew it had the votes to pass.
"I have been counting votes and the reality is grim," wrote Boeing lobbyist Trent House in an email to Bill McSherry of Gregoire's staff on March 6. "This bill must not come up for a vote or it will pass with a large margin and compel the Senate to act as well." (Learn more here about why Boeing so aggressively opposes the Worker Privacy Act.)
The following week, Gregoire, Chopp and Brown announced they were suspending consideration of the Worker Privacy Act because they had been shown an email originating from the Washington State Labor Council. The email was clearly an internal report from a strategy meeting among union leaders that, among other things, reported that unions might refuse to contribute to the Democratic Party and its associated caucus funds if the Democratic leaders blocked passage of the Worker Privacy Act, organized labor's top priority legislation. The email was inadvertently copied to four legislators who are sponsors of the bill, and was then forwarded to the Democratic leaders. (Read the whole story.)
The matter was referred to the Washington State Patrol, which quickly determined no wrongdoing in the WSLC email. The WSLC has expressed its regret for the honest mistake in forwarding the email to any legislators.
Now, the WSLC has called on the three Democratic leaders for "a moment of truth:"
It no longer passes the straight-face test to blame what was clearly an internal email among labor leaders -- one that had inadvertently been forwarded, not to you, but to a handful of legislators who already supported the bill -- for denying a vote on the Worker Privacy Act.
It is time to take a principled stand. All we ask is for a fair vote. If it fails, so be it. Our elected representatives are adults. They can explain why they voted "yes" or why they voted "no."
At this point, maintaining what is already being criticized as a political effort to "shield" legislators from taking a tough vote only exacerbates the embarrassment to the institution of the State Legislature.
It is time for a moment of truth.
BACKGROUND: The beauty of freedom of speech is that it necessarily includes the freedom not to listen. If we grow weary of the rants of political commentators with whom we disagree, we can change the channel. If a movie unexpectedly takes an offensive turn, we can walk out. If a telemarketer calls, we can hang up. If an unwanted email arrives, we can delete it without reading it.
Take away the freedom not to listen and the only alternative to avoiding offensive speech is censorship.
But under current law, your employer can legally force you to sit down and be indoctrinated regarding his or her opinion about how you worship, how you vote, and other issues of private individual conscience.
The Worker Privacy Act (SB 5446 and HB 1528) would allow workers in Washington state to choose whether or not to participate in employer communication on issues of individual conscience, including politics, religion, charitable giving, and unionization.
Business lobbying groups that oppose the bill -- and hope to avoid a vote because they know it will pass -- are calling the Worker Privacy Act an "Employer Gag Rule" or a "Union Neutrality Bill," and deliberately misrepresenting it as an illegal infringement on employers' free speech.
Absolutely NO employer communication is banned under the Worker Privacy Act. Employers can still hold meetings, send emails, insert letters into paycheck envelopes, post fliers and communicate in a host of other ways their opinions about ANY issue, including issues of individual conscience. Employers can still hold mandatory meetings on issues that are work-related, regarding job performance, training and lawfully required employee action, such as work safety, discrimination, etc.
The Worker Privacy Act simply grants employees the right not to listen when employers seek to impose their personal opinions on religion, politics, unionization and charitable giving. It is the employer act or threat of firing or disciplining employees who "opt out" to retain their privacy on those matters -- not the employers' speech -- which is banned.
Why should employers have the right to force their opinions on their employees? Why do employers argue that compulsion or threat is a necessary component of their "free speech" rights? No one else in America has that right!
