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Last week the directors of the Pullman School District became the first school district in Washington state to allow the public observe its contract negotiations with union executives. The directors said they want more transparency and accountability between their community and their school district.
Pullman’s directors may have been inspired by the example of the commissioners of Lincoln County, some 70 miles to the northwest of Pullman. Last fall Lincoln County Commissioners became the first government organization in Washington to allow the public to observe contract negotiations. Evidently public officials in Lincoln County and in the Pullman School District don’t like giving the public the impression they are making secret deals behind closed doors with union officials.
“It’s not our money,” Pullman School Board member Susan Weed said before voting to approve the measure. “I just think it’s important that everyone knows what’s going on.”
In their resolution, the Pullman school directors make these three points:
“Whereas, collective bargaining agreements are among the most expensive contracts negotiated by the District,
Whereas, both taxpayers and employees deserve to know how they are being represented during collective bargaining negotiations;
Whereas, the potential impression of secret deal-making will be eliminated by making collective bargaining negotiations open to the public.”
This development is exciting to those who believe in open government. Over the weekend, The News Tribune reported that Grays Harbor County Commissioners are likely to vote this week to open their negotiations to the public.
That makes three local government entities now staking out the high ground in contract negotiations. Who is next?
