t
FAITH ACTION NEI'WORK
A Partnership for the Cnmm-nn Good
766 John St., Suite B, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 625-9790 . FAN@fanwa.org

Testimony at Port Commission Meeting
January 24, 2012
Alice Woldt, Faith Action Network

My name is Alice Woldt. I am co-director of Faith Action Network (FAN), formerly
Washington Association of Churches and Lutheran Public Policy Ofce. FAN is a faith-
inspired statewide partnership of faith communities striving for a just, compassionate,
and sustainable world.

The selection of Mark Hutcheson as your outside counsel regarding the SeaTac
concessions program raises major concerns for us. We join with others in calling on you
commissioners to rescind your selection of Mr. Hutcheson and replace him with a true
independent counsel who has the demonstrated capacity to work with all stakeholders.

Faith Action Network supports your decision to evaluate the Master Concession
Agreement. This evaluation should consider the interests of all stakeholders, including
workers. It should be done, as you note, with "independent legal analysis."

Mr. Hutcheson's experience is anything but independent and unbiased.

Mr. Hutcheson has a history of anti-worker, anti-union advocacy. Recently, one of our
labor partners spent several years ghting against Mr. Hutcheson's efforts to weaken
and decertify a union at a major public hospital. He was unsuccessful, but his efforts cost
untold thousands of precious public dollars. We are all proud that today our port
generates nearly 200,000 jobs. We need those jobs to be good jobs that support families.

As the state cuts the safety net, our congregations are challenged to feed more families
and house more homeless. Many of whom are working  in poverty wage, non-union jobs.
The faith community recognizes that for many, a union job provides workers with a
living wage and dignity in the workplace that we all deserve.

The current jobs in the master concession agreement provide decent pay, health benets
and rights for workers. They do so because workers have collective bargaining. If you
break up collective bargaining, these jobs are at risk of being replaced with poverty wage
employment. Your hiring of Mr. Hutcheson signals intent to go in that direction. It
reects the efforts that the Occupy movement is speaking out against - to corporatize and
privatize our public domain and decision making to advantage the few and to reduce workers to
serfs. It does not live up to the Port's own standards or its populist history.

FAN believes that is the wrong direction for our port, and for our communities. We call
on you to withdraw your decision, and to nd counsel who is able to work with all
stakeholders.
11min;5: t' 'A                                                                       Thank you. _____.._...__ _._.