Business Editors
OLYMPIA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2001
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor today ordered the Washington Education Association to pay $400,000 for improperly spending fees paid by non-members on political campaigns.
The fine came as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office after a referral from the Public Disclosure Commission.
Non-member fees are collected from individuals who do not wish to join the WEA but who benefit from union representation and negotiations.
Under an initiative passed by voters in 1992, state law requires unions to obtain affirmative authorization from non-member fee-payers before using any of those funds for certain political purposes.
According to the lawsuit filed by the state, from 1996 through 2000, the WEA commingled the non-member fees with other funds, without accounting separately for the fees, and made no attempt to obtain the required authorization from the non-members to use their fees for political purposes.
The state recommended a fine of $25 per 8,000 estimated non-members whose fees were improperly used and suggested the judge increase the basic fine because the violations were intentional.
Tabor agreed and levied a fine against the WEA equal to double the $200,000 recommended. The union was also ordered to pay court costs and legal fees.
