Supporters of open government in Spokane have successfully qualified a city charter amendment that would require collective bargaining talks between the city and government unions to be transparent and open to public observation.  The measure will appear on the November ballot and if approved, will end secret government union negotiations.

Proposed by the group “Better Spokane,” the ballot measure would make the city of Spokane the sixth local government in the state to adopt open collective bargaining requirements. It is already the law in Lincoln County, Kittitas County, Ferry County, Spokane County and the Pullman School District.  

Currently, collective bargaining negotiations between the city and the unions that represent city workers—which determine how much taxpayer money city union members should receive—are secret and closed to any public oversight.  These secret negotiations between government unions and public officials often involve millions of dollars in public money.

Since taxpayers are ultimately responsible for funding these contract agreements, they should be allowed to monitor the negotiation process so they may hold the government officials who represent them accountable for their actions.  

It is not just taxpayers who are deprived of their right to know how they are being represented. Rank and file public employees on whose behalf their union negotiates are also left in the dark as a result of the lack of transparency in the collective bargaining process.

Only the government officials and union executives who negotiated the deal have the privilege of knowing the details, such as what offers were made, and rejected, in collective bargaining negotiations.  Taxpayers, union members, lawmakers, and the media only find out after the agreement has been reached.  These stakeholders are left wondering whether, and how well, their interests were represented.

Despite boasting some the strongest open government laws in the country that promote open government and accountability to the public, contract negotiations between government and the unions that represent government workers are held in secret, exempt from the state’s laws.

Secrecy is not the rule in every state.  Washington’s neighbors to the south and east, Oregon and Idaho, both require collective bargaining negotiations be open to the public.