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Williams: make threatening loss of jobs a violation

• Published March 18, 2009

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Rep. Brendan Williams has dropped a bill that would make the sort of business-side pressure decried by unions a violation of lobbying laws. In other words, keep Boeing from saying it will leave the state if such-and-such legislation is passed.

In announcing HB 2316, Williams said, “The recurring subtext to the recent debate over worker privacy was whether a major manufacturer would relocate jobs if not permitted to browbeat workers in captive audience meetings about their political and religious views. Let’s keep debate over bills strictly on the merits.” (link goes to back story)

Specifically the bill would add to the list of unacceptable lobbying activities: “[t]hreaten any legislator, or any government official, with the relocation of manufacturing jobs, including, but not limited to, jobs involving commercial airplane manufacturing, based upon the outcome of any pending or proposed legislation.”

Meanwhile, The Washington State Labor Council has gone on the offensive, asking state Democratic leaders to allow a vote on the much-debated privacy act:

The lines on this can be pretty stark. At a press conference today, Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt said repeatedly that Boeing’s concerns about the union-backed bill were not threats.

“I have never felt threatened by what they tell us,” he said.

“There not taking it to a political level,” said House Majority Leader Richard DeBolt. “They’re talking about the whole state’s competitiveness.”