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JUNE 2005
WPEA Requests Negotiations on
Communications Bill
SHB 2898 was passed by the state
legislature and signed by the Governor allowing a state
employee to distribute communications from an employee
organization or charitable organization to other state
employees — if the communications do not support or
oppose a ballot proposition or candidate for federal,
state, or local public office.
However, the terms of our Master
Agreements state that the union and its members will not
use state-owned or operated e-mail, Internet, or
Intranet to communicate with one another except to
request representation. The terms of the Master
Agreements are now in conflict with the law.
The Savings Clause of our agreements
state that if any article or portion thereof is
determined to be unlawful, the parties will make
themselves available to negotiate a substitute for the
invalid article or section.
WPEA/UFCW 365 requested that the Governor
make herself or her designee available to negotiate the
provisions of the Master Agreements that are in conflict
with the new section of RCW 42.52 which allows our
members to distribute communications from WPEA/UFCW 365
to other members. We are awaiting the Governor’s
response to our demand to bargain.
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