New teachers' organization opposes existing union

New teachers' organization opposes existing union

Wednesday, September 26, 2001

By GREGORY ROBERTS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

A new organization touting itself as an alternative to the Washington Education Association is seeking recruits among teachers disgruntled with the state's largest teachers union.

Northwest Pacific Educators is a branch of the 6-year-old Association of American Educators, which is based in Laguna Beach, Calif., and counts affiliates in 12 states.

The conservative-leaning national group emphasizes character education and is supported by Christian activists such as Pat Robertson. Its new Northwest affiliate, NWPE, has been advised on publicity efforts by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank in Olympia that has locked horns with the WEA for years, Evergreen spokeswoman Marsha Richards said.

The non-profit NWPE, which is not a union and does not engage in collective bargaining, calls itself "another choice and another voice for school employees who believe they are not well represented by the teachers union's beliefs and activities."

The new group is open to teachers, administrators and other school personnel in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, with annual dues of $169. That includes the cost of individual professional liability insurance, Executive Director Cindy Omlin said, and helps the group provide continuing-education scholarships and present workshops and forums.

"We believe that teachers are getting a raw deal, and that our reputations and integrity are being compromised by the union," said Omlin, a former speech pathologist in the Spokane Public Schools.

The NWPE says it focuses on what's best for students, disavows strikes, and opposes union closed shops and dues checkoffs.

"It's clearly an anti-union group," said WEA President Charles Hasse, whose union claims a membership of 74,000.

The NWPE's natural constituency in Washington lies among the 3,000 to 4,000 public school teachers who have rejected WEA membership, although part of their pay goes to that union by state law, Omlin said.

With backing from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, some non-union members have objected to payments to the WEA for political campaigning. In 1998, the union agreed to pay a $430,000 state fine. In another case, a state judge fined the WEA $400,000 in July. The union is appealing.

P-I reporter Gregory Roberts can be reached at 206-448-8022 or gregoryroberts@seattlepi.com

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