After a bizarre disinformation campaign by a billionaire-funded, anti-worker think tank, spoken language interpreters who take appointments from the Department of Labor and Industries (LNI) have voted to unionize and join the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), AFSCME Council 28
The impacts of HB 1533, a bill our members fought for and passed, felt as the latest Freedom Foundation request for public employees' personal information is shot down by the Supreme Court.
“CRISIS POINT”: SEATTLE’S SPOKANE STREET DOT MEMBERS CALL FOR ACTION ON ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP PROTECTIONS
Protecting DOT members cleaning up homeless encampments is at a “crisis point” and the union and Seattle Local 378 members are pushing the agency to amp up action.
To stress the need to address the crisis, the Spokane Street DOT members last week held a solidarity event to show they’re standing together for the safety of co-workers and the public.
Business community gangs up our priority outsourcing transparency bill
Our priority bill to bring transparency and accountability when a state agency wants to contract out state employee work has a bull’s-eye on its back as the business community lined up to try to kill it at a rare House hearing Saturday.
Part-timers bill lauded at Appropriations Committee
Also Saturday (Feb. 3), Federation Lobbyist Matt Zuvich urged the House Appropriations Committee to keep the ball rolling on the bill to add all part-time state employees to state civil service.
“It’s a worker-friendly bill,” Zuvich said of HB 2669.
Interpreter services bill saves money, members tell Senate budget committee
The AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)’s priority bill to expand the successful interpreter services program came before the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday night (Feb. 1) where WFSE/AFSCME Interpreters United Local 1671 President Leroy Mould said the 7-year-old program won for medical interpreters has streamlined scheduling and services and been cost-effective.
“These savings are the consequence of using our web-based scheduling system,” Local 1671 Secretary Milena Waldron added.
Social worker loan repayment bill needed to address “epidemic” turnover
AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) priority bill to help Children’s Administration social workers repay their college debt is an innovative way to address the recruitment and retention crisis there.
That’s what the bill’s sponsor and Federation members told the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday night (Feb. 1) on SSB 6259.
