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Friday, August 14, 2015

PEOPLE OF SPOKANE TO VOTE ON WORKER BILL OF RIGHTS

Mayor of Spokane loses court challenge attempting to strike a duly qualified
citizens’ initiative from the ballot

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON: Judge Salvatore Cozza from the Spokane County Superior denied a preliminary injunction brought by the Mayor of Spokane to block the vote of a Worker Bill of Rights initiative, which is on the November ballot. The Worker Bill of Rights was duly qualified by the local community rights group, Envision Worker Rights. The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) has provided legal assistance to the community group, including legal defense against the challenge brought by the mayor.

This first-in-the-nation Worker Bill of Rights would secure right to a family wagewhen working for a large employer, right to equal pay for equal workright to not be wrongfully terminated, and that corporate powers shall be subordinate to people’s rights 

To CELDF’s knowledge, this will be the first time in the United Stated that citizens will vote on a true living wage, which is provided for in the Worker Bill of Rights through the right to a family wage provision.

“We are very happy that the people of Spokane had their right to vote protected,” said Brad Read, Campaign Manager for Envision Worker Rights.

In today’s decision, the judge repeatedly referenced the need to protect the citizens’ initiative process. He spoke of how the initiative process was developed in the early 20th century as a means for the people to bring forward ideas “outside of the box” that would not be entertained by “traditional” legislative bodies whether it be at the local or state level.

The judge concluded his decision by saying the “heart of the matter” was whether the Worker Bill of Rights fell within the very narrow realm of a pre-election challenge. He felt that it did not and that he was compelled to follow what he called a “general principle” that the right of the people to vote needs to be upheld.
“This legal challenge was clearly a calculated attempt by the mayor, goaded and backed by Spokane’s corporate powerbrokers, to thwart the right of the people to vote”, said Kai Huschke, CELDF organizer for Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii“That move has blown up in their faces, so the corporate interests will now see if they can buy a campaign to kill the passage of a very popular proposal in the Worker Bill of Rights.”

The mayor’s attorney, Michael Ryan from the international corporate law firm K&L Gates, said that the not decision has been made on whether the mayor will appeal the preliminary injunction.

3 comments:

  1. When this passes, expect businesses to leave Washington state - maybe not Boeing (they've already moved their headquarters), but others that are large enough to be over the threshold definition - but too small to make enough money to cover the costs...they'll either move or layoff just enough to get back under the definition.....

    People, how about getting education, training, and experience at the lower end of the ladder and working yourself up rather than expecting a corporate handout from day one......

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  2. They need one. No more wrongful terminations. Messed up getting fired three weeks before you can retire or collect a pension.

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  3. The TPP will take care of pesky laws and regulation like this.

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