Like many DCYF workers in Washington, Taylor Andrews-Garcelon loves her clients but has felt her job get more stressful and dangerous in the last few years.
Big decisions about our working conditions and livelihoods were made in Olympia during the 2024 legislative session. Through our union, we had a seat at the table and came away with major improvements for public employees.
Members of Interpreters United gathered earlier this February for a three-day organizing blitz to connect with unrepresented language access providers. The blitz was just one event in a statewide effort to increase bargaining power and improve conditions for interpreters who help thousands of Washingtonians overcome language barriers.
Through a budget proposal announced this week, President Donald Trump continues his attacks on vital programs for working families, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
And rather than invest in America’s future, he seeks to disinvest, proposing deep funding cuts to programs in education, environmental protection, disease prevention and more.
Leanne Kunze began serving as the union’s executive director this February after being selected by the AFSCME Council 28/WFSE Executive Board in January. She is the fifth person and first woman to hold the position.
Kunze brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job, both as a member activist and staff leader.
Thousands of public employees from across the state called in for a tele town hall on January 30 hosted by President Mike Yestramski and Vice President Andrea Vaughn. WFSE's new executive director, Leanne Kunze, was also available to answer questions about pending legislation to protect state employees' personal information (HB 1888).
We'll keep you posted on upcoming tele town halls. But if you missed January's, check out the video below.
Hundreds of WFSE members and our allies overflowed the Capitol steps in Olympia on Thursday to demand that legislators pass House Bill 1888, legislation that would protect state employees’ birthdates from public disclosure. The rally was held with the Washington State Labor Council, OPEIU 8, the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters and more.
Executive Director and International Vice President Greg Devereux retired in January after nearly 40 years in the labor movement. His leadership made the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) one of the strongest AFSCME councils in the nation and a progressive force for working people in Washington State.
Devereux began his career with WFSE in 1993 as the deputy director, and in 1994 he was selected to serve as the union’s fourth executive director. Prior to that, he worked at AFSCME’s Public Policy Department and ran corporate campaigns at the AFL-CIO.
