The Seattle Community Police Commission has once again highlighted its recommendation for the city's police contract negotiations to come into the light of day and no longer be conducted secretly. On August 10 the Commission released its proposed "Police Accountability Ordinance." Among the Commission's recommendations: 

"SMC 4.04.120(E) shall not apply to the City’s collective bargaining with police unions. The City’s collective bargaining with all police unions shall be conducted in an open and transparent manner to the maximum extent permitted by State law."

Last week the Commission also made this recommendation in its letter to the judge overseeing the federal consent decree with the city concerning the police department: 

"Bringing transparency and sunlight to the City’s position in collective bargaining with the police unions is not included in the Monitor’s letter, but is among the CPC’s recommendations. Under the CPC’s plan, the City’s collective bargaining with police unions would be conducted in an open and transparent manner to the maximum extent permitted by state law, and its bargaining agenda must incorporate recommendations made by the civilian oversight entities."

Although Seattle Mayor Ed Murray had previously threatened requesting a FBI investigation over the leak of the current contract details, Seattle's City Attorney believes the contract talks should be conducted in public. As reported by the Stranger: 

"It turns out he doesn't believe the negotiations between the city and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) should ever have been hidden from the public in the first place. In response to last week's story, Holmes said he recommended the City Council change its municipal ordinance and open up negotiations with the police guild years ago, in part because the secrecy is optional, not required, under state law. This is something I had never heard before.

'I have supported and advocated opening up SPD's bargaining process with SPOG for the last several years,' Holmes said. 'This would require changing city law. Unless that happens, however, I have to enforce the law as it currently stands.'"

The Seattle Times agrees that these contract talks should be subject to the accountability transparency would provide. From the Times: 

"The recent leak of Seattle Police contract details prompted a furious response from Mayor Ed Murray, who threatened to call for a federal investigation.

This should motivate the City Council to amend city code and bring more transparency to its contract negotiations. It’s a positive path forward and an opportunity to show leadership for the rest of the state.

Confidential public-employee labor negotiations are a concern at the local and state level.

Secrecy prevents the public from knowing how generous — or how stingy — their representatives are being with the public purse. It also raises questions about whether officials are too cozy with unions supporting their election campaigns.

Remember, on both sides of the negotiating table are employees of the public, being paid by the public to serve the public. The public should know what’s being offered on its behalf."

This type of contract transparency is exactly what occurs in many other states. One such example is Texas:

"Sec. 174.108. OPEN DELIBERATIONS. A deliberation relating to collective bargaining between a public employer and an association, a deliberation by a quorum of an association authorized to bargain collectively, or a deliberation by a member of a public employer authorized to bargain collectively shall be open to the public and comply with state law."

Just as should be the case for the current secret state employee contract negotiations occurring with the Governor, local government contracts should also be subject to public transparency. State and local employment contracts should not be negotiated in secret. The public provides the money for these agreements. Taxpayers should be allowed to follow the process and hold government officials accountable for the spending decisions they make on our behalf.

As for those current secret state contract talks, the state employee unions are organizing a rally for August 31 to help "encourage" the Governor to agree to "fair" pay raises. So what exactly are the "fair" pay raises they are asking the Governor to agree to behind closed doors? They won't say and we won't know (neither will their members for that matter) until the secret deal is signed and lawmakers are left with no option to change the terms.