The Washington Education Association (WEA) is going to the courts to prevent new teachers from getting raises. We're serious. The WEA filed a lawsuit on Thursday in an attempt to overturn the recently passed state budget that guarantees pay raises for teachers making less than $40,000 per year, claiming the budget violates the state constitution and erodes local control of the schools. Critics argue the move is another example of how determined the unions are to maintain control of teacher salaries by means of the collectively bargained salary schedules. Jami Lund, a union accountability expert with the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, points out that "If the issue was really about local control, it would be the school boards, not the unions, who would be complaining." Charles Hasse, president of the Washington Education Association, disagrees, claiming, "What masquerades as a 'pay boost' for teachers is simply another attempt by lawmakers to avoid their duty to provide needed resources for students and schools."