To: Northwest Council Members
From: Rick Hoffman, R-7
Subject: Pre-Submitted
New Business: Rescinding of all motions providing monetary
or other support to Jobs with Justice (JwJ) of
Background
Over the past year Jobs with Justice
of Washington State has become a dysfunctional and embarrassing hindrance to
the labor community rather than an asset.
Internal strife has consumed much of the energy of the organization for
more than a year. The culmination of the
strife occurred at the last JwJ council meeting where a motion in violation of
JwJ own bylaws was passed that essentially stripped the Seattle-King County
organizing committee of all authority to support any labor actions. The newly elected board at its meeting after
the election then proceeded to ostracize members of the
In a sad and ironic twist of justice, numerous present members of the JwJ council and board have violated principles of justice that we hold to be foundational principles of justice. They have passed motions and created rules that apply solely to members of the Seattle-King County Jobs with Justice organizing committee, an act in the same vein as a “Bill of Attainder” the passage of which is not allowed by the constitution of the United States and by most if not all states. Again, in violation of a fundamental principal of justice they charged, found guilty and then punished individuals without any hearing whatsoever and they have created arbitrary rules and punishments to suit their needs.
The Martin Luther King County Labor Council has withdrawn its usual support of approximately $800 per year and instead has only given the $50 membership fee to the organization. United Food and Commercial Workers and other unions have also withdrawn their support from JwJ of Washington State.
Rather than give our support to the
dysfunctional organization here in
Recommendation
I, Rick Hoffman, therefore recommend passage of this motion.
MOTION
It is moved that:
1. THE NORTHWEST COUNCIL hereby rescinds all
prior motions of monetary or other support for Jobs with Justice of
2. It is further moved
that no support shall be provided to Jobs with Justice of
3. It is also moved that an amount equal to funds ($2,600.00) that had been annually budgeted for the support of Jobs with Justice of Washington State shall be budgeted for Jobs with Justice of Portland Oregon in the next annual budget.