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December 11, 2014
Below you will find a copy of the communication that went from the Snohomish County Labor Council to the Snohomish County Council regarding a Snohomish County Ombudsman's recent solicitation for anti-union funding. This response to the Ombudman's activity was reported by our delegate to the labor council:
From: Snohomish County Labor Council <snolabor@snolabor.org>
Date:12/10/2014 10:34 AM (GMT-08:00)
To: Snohomish County Labor Council <snolabor@snolabor.org>
Subject: Response to Snohomish County Ombudsman solicitation anti union funding through Evergreen Freedom Foundation
The following e mail has been sent, as approved by the SCLC Executive Board, to the Snohomish County Council regarding the current situation with the County Ombudsman and his solicitation of funds to attack unions through the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (letter copy is attached.) County council members can be contacted at:
dave.somers@snoco.org
terry.ryan@snoco.org
stephanie.wright@snoco.org
brian.sullivan@snoco.org
ken.klein@snoco.org
To: Snohomish County Council
From: Mike Sells, Secretary-Treasurer
Re: Retention of Current Ombudsman
We were deeply disturbed by the anti-worker, anti-union tone of the County Ombudsman’s recent letter that he signed on to for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. While he is certainly entitled to his own opinion, the actions do not represent what is needed in a disinterested party in dealing with issues affecting staff and constituencies. How can one have confidence in the ombudsman’s office as independent in structure, function and appearance to the highest degree possible, when he has taken a position that it is OK to solicit funds for suing government over legally negotiated contracts with its employees?
The ethical principles of the International Ombudsman Association restate the need for that independence. They also say,”The Ombudsman, as a designated neutral, remains unaligned and impartial. The Ombudsman does not engage in any situation which could create a conflict of interest.”
The current Ombudsman has indicated he cannot live by those principles. That is truly unfortunate, and we cannot support any position by the County Council that would reinforce the undermining of the ethics that make the job truly effective. Trust is an important component of job, and that has just gone out the window with the current actions by the County Ombudsman.
cc: SCLC affiliates
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