Securing Workers Rights, from Washington to Oregon?

Can — and will — Oregon’s religious workers follow suit? Washington State and federal law allow teachers and other workers to leave their union on religious grounds and send their dues to a nonreligious, charitable organization. However, the Vancouver Education Association has fought against middle school teacher Susan Wiggs’ choice of charities since she requested to resign from the VEA in 2005. The union’s without-merit battle finally went down in flames. An Evergreen Freedom Foundation media release announced, on Aug. 22, Washington’s Public Employment Relations Commission reaffirmed that “Susan Wiggs”¦is free to send her union dues to a charity that fights sex-trafficking, despite the union’s objections to this charity.”