As you may know, the so-called “Freedom Foundation” has been attacking public sector workers and their unions for the last few years here in Washington State.

Our Local Union has made an effort to fight back against the attacks in a number of ways. We’ve set up a new website that exposes the anti-worker agenda of the Freedom Foundation. We’ve also filed a lawsuit in Superior Court attempting to stop the radical group from getting a hold of the personal information of our members who work at the DOC.

Now, our Secretary-Treasurer, John Scearcy, has taken another important step in an effort to protect your rights to collectively bargain. 

John got involved after learning that our International Union uses Wells Fargo for some of its banking needs.  As it turns out, Wells Fargo VP Jeffery Grubb sits on the Murdock Trust which helps fund extremist groups like the Freedom Foundation.

John reached out to General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall to express his concern that the IBT is doing business with a bank who has a VP that supports an extreme anti-worker agenda. 

Scearcy wrote: “As you might imagine, our members who work for the State Department of Corrections are particularly sensitive to anyone having their personal information. Our members who work in other law enforcement units (dispatchers, and police officers, just to name a few) have similar concerns…”

General Secretary-Treasurer Hall responded in writing with a commitment to begin the process of cutting the IBT's business relationship with Wells Fargo. Referring to the attacks on the members of Local 117, Hall went on to say: “..it is clear that Wells Fargo’s “Vision and Values” do not reflect the Vision and Values of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.”

The end goal of the Freedom Foundation is to pass right-to-work (for less) legislation in Washington State in the hope of weakening unions and eroding contracts.

This message from our International Union tells organizations that support extremist groups that want to destroy workers’ rights that our Union will not support or do business with them.