Olympian Editorial on Opening Up State Collective Bargaining Records

The Olympian writes this on a bill to open up collective bargaining records between the state and the unions representing state employees. The Olympian makes this point:

"Later this year, at the same time Gov. Chris Gregoire is campaigning for re-election, her representatives will enter into contract negotiations with the leaders of multiple state employee unions. Two years worth of salary increases for thousands of state employees in this and other communities will hinge on the outcome of those negotiations. We believe the public has a right to know what's being negotiated on their behalf.

"Let's play devil's advocate, here, for a moment. What if the governor instructed her negotiating team to 'give the unions everything they want,' in exchange, say, for pledges of union support in the upcoming election against Republican Dino Rossi. We're not saying that Gov. Gregoire would ever sell out the citizens of this state for political expediency, but an unscrupulous governor might — and the laws of this state apply to all, the good and the bad."