Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, filed an ethics complaint against Gov. Jay Inslee for removing the Washington State Patrol from escort duty for the state grain inspectors at United Grain. Does anyone see the hypocrisy? Benton apparently learned about ethics from Commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke, the job fairies who plopped him in the position of environmental services director with a $114,000 salary.
Inslee was right to remove the escorts, as was Sheriff Garry Lucas when he declined to provide escorts from his department. Government agencies do not belong in the midst of contract disputes between private corporations and union workers.
Benton obviously shares the prevalent union-busting sentiments of conservatives and CEOs of corporations across the country who continue to chip away at rights of the workers. Benton illustrates this as he says Inslee’s decision “legitimizes the thuggish practices of ILWU,” referring to the union picketers. Thugs? These are men and women exercising their right to demonstrate for a fair wage and decent benefits to support themselves and their families. I’m sure Benton never loses sleep at night wondering how he’s going to make ends meet. He might toss and turn a bit trying to decide what tie to wear for his next headline-grabbing photo.
Benton is oblivious to the reality that workers who do the real work, the hard work, don’t usually wear neckties. They carry union cards.
