Oregon Public Broadcasting

Tensions are flaring between Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and the unions that have supported her.

The head of the state’s largest labor organization is calling for a tax hike to balance the budget. The Governor opposes that idea.

Meanwhile, the head of the state’s largest public employee union says she feels betrayed by the Governor. Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

The comments came at the Washington State Labor Council’s legislative conference – an annual meeting of all the key union players.

First the Council’s president Rick Bender called on lawmakers not to pass an all cuts budget to close a projected $8 billion shortfall.

Rick Bender: “They’ve got to find additional revenue otherwise this budget is going to hurt a lot of people and a lot of our public employees are going to be laid off as a result of it.”

Then Carol Dotlich, president of the Federation of State Employees, stood up. She said her union worked hard for Gregoire’s re-election, only to be forsaken when the Governor decided not to honor the contracts she negotiated with the union.

Carol Dotlich: “To us if the boss thinks there’s no value in unionization beyond campaigns, that’s union busting.”

Gregoire has said the state can’t afford to fund the new union contracts because of the budget crisis.

The Federation is now suing the Governor. Gregoire has also said raising taxes in a down economy is a bad idea.