Together, we convinced the legislature to fund record-setting contracts that will make our workplaces safer, improve recruitment and retention, address significant pay disparities, and improve access to vital services for all Washingtonians.
There's a lot going on for WFSE Department of Correction Members: an arbitration award resulting in significant raises for our 2023-25 contract, workload concerns, important legislation, union organizing in WMS, and much more. Find everything you need here in the Corrections Corner.
Rep. Nicole Macri’s affordable housing bill inspired by Federation members who no longer can afford to live where they work was introduced Tuesday (Jan. 9).
Inlsee pushes for state Capital Construction Budget “NOW!”
Just hours before the first scheduled committee vote on the long-stalled state Capital Construction Budget, Gov. Jay Inlsee used his annual “State of the State” address to a joint session of the Legislature to light a fire for action.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we pass a Capital Budget as one of the first orders of business,” the governor said.
Local 443 member holds his own against pack of “millionaires and billionaires”
Local 443 member Steve Segall was mobbed by a pack of "millionaires and billionaires" today during his Lobby Day visit to the state Capitol in Olympia Tuesday.
It was actually a group of mock wealthy special interests dressed in formal wear, volunteers from our allies in the All in For Washington revenue coalition.
Supplemental budget debate centers on public safety net
In the first legislative airing of the governor’s proposed supplemental budget, the Federation praised its attention to Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities but said it should act on Community Corrections and Children’s caseloads and parks funding.
“We’re still trying to dig our way out of the massive cuts made during the Great Recession,” the Federation’s Dennis Eagle told the House Appropriations Committee Monday (Jan. 8).
Member lobbyists got a jump start at great Lobby Training 2018 Saturday in Seattle.
WFSE/AFSCME member lobbyists got bipartisan advice from five great lawmakers on how to tell our stories one-on-one to senators and representatives during the legislative session that starts today.
On hand for the practice sessions were: Rep. Roger Goodman, D-45th Dist.; Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-11th Dist.; Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-48th Dist.; Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-35th Dist.; and Rep. Beth Doglio, D-22nd Dist.
Bellevue College agrees to $12,500 settlement for outsourcing members’ work
Local 304 members at Bellevue College have won an admission of bad-faith bargaining and a cash settlement after the college contracted out their work last year.
The Federation and Bellevue College yesterday (Jan. 4) settled the unfair labor practice complaint over the 2017 outsourcing of restroom cleaning and window washing on the college’s main campus.
In the settlement, the college administration admitted that it failed to meet its good-faith bargaining obligations.
