SEIU Sues Governor Over Pay Hikes

Yesterday, the Service Employees International Union filed a lawsuit demanding that the governor withdraw her budget and submit a proposal that includes the negotiated pay raises for home care workers. (Stories in the PI, The News Tribune blog, the Olympian, the Columbian, and the Everett Herald.)

In The News Tribune post, Joe Turner points out that the SEIU may have a better case than the state employees' union that filed a similar lawsuit last week. 

The SEIU seems to be on more solid footing than the Federation. The collective bargaining law for them flatly says any contract approved by an arbitrator must be sent to the Legislature.

In its editorial today, the Everett Herald makes the critical point. Noting that the WFSE lawsuit seeks to allow the legislature to act independently on the contracts. The editorial says:

Even if that happens, the only responsible course for the Legislature would be to freeze state workers' pay, sparing some cuts in other, more critical areas for now.

This economic downturn, and the budget problem, are the most serious the state has faced in many years. Everyone is taking their lumps. State workers shouldn't be exempt from that reality.

Does anyone disagree?