For two years, a teacher in Washington state has been fighting the Vancouver Education Association (VEA) over her right to send her union dues to charity, as state law allows.
Last week, a labor board ruled in favor of teacher Susan Wiggs, but the VEA won’t give up.
“They absolutely don't want a precedent of religious objectors being able to choose their own charity," Wiggs said.
The VEA refuses to approve Wiggs’ choice of Shared Hope International, a charity that fights sex trafficking and slavery.
Mike Reitz, an attorney in the fight, said the union’s real objection is to Shared Hope’s president, Linda Smith.
“She was actually a state legislator in Washington state, and she was instrumental in writing and passing a measure that restricts how unions spend member dues," Reitz said.
Reitz, of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, said the dispute isn’t unique to Washington or to teachers unions.
“It's certainly a tactic on the unions’ part, nationally, to try to give poor information and confuse the issue so they're not losing any of this income that they'd like to put into political activity," he said.
