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Washington Republicans Blast State's Collective Bargaining Process

 Unionized Washington state employees rally for higher pay and better work conditions at an event in the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia. Republicans say the collective bargaining process in Washington is flawed.
Austin Jenkins
/
Northwest News Network
Unionized Washington state employees rally for higher pay and better work conditions at an event in the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia. Republicans say the collective bargaining process in Washington is flawed.

Washington Republicans say the way state employees collectively bargain pay and benefits is not transparent and presents a conflict of interest.

In the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday, unionized state workers rallied for better pay and work conditions. But contract negotiations -- now underway -- take place behind closed doors and without the input of state lawmakers.

Republican state Senator John Braun called that “absolutely backwards.”

“The executive branch works out all the details and we just get a yes or no, a veto power,” he said.

Braun isn’t the only Republican to criticize Washington’s bargaining process. Gubernatorial candidate Bill Bryant pointed to union campaign contributions to his Democratic rival, Gov. Jay Inslee.

“I don’t think a governor should be allowed to take a campaign donation from a union, or a corporation, that he or she has negotiated and concluded a contract with,” Bryant said.

The Inslee campaign said the governor takes his bargaining responsibility seriously. And the legislature’s vote is an appropriate check on the system.

Copyright 2016 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Austin Jenkins
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."