During contract negotiations., our employers didn't want to spend a dime on compensation given the budget shortfall. We walked out for Washington won great contracts. Now we need to convince our elected officials to fund our contract.
Our hard work paid off this election year. WFSE voters took down three anti-worker initiatives, which would have resulted in job loss, income stagnation, and fewer services for Washingtonians and elected labor-friendly representatives that we'll need to vote to fund our contract. With a budget shortfall on the horizon, we need all hands on deck.
Top quotes from Monday’s US Supreme Court hearing on the Janus case that aims to install inequality at the bargaining table (to negotiate wages to sustain our families) and also in representing state employees’ contract rights in the workplace:
BULLETIN! PSERS bill passes Senate; heads to governor
After years of effort, workers in DSHS and Veterans institutions with unacceptable rates of assault and injury will now be able to retire at age 60 if the governor signs SHB 1558 into law. The state Senate Friday (March 2) on a vote of 34-14 passed the bill to allow those high-risk workers into the Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS). Sen. Steve Conway of the 29th Dist. led the charge on the Senate floor, arguing that workers facing years of assaults and injury shouldn't have to work until they're 65.
The Senate Wednesday night (Feb. 28) passed the priority bill (HB 2669) to leave no doubt and add part-time state employees to civil service. HB 2669 passed the Senate on a vote of 27-21. It now goes to the governor for signature into law.
The state Senate Wednesday morning (Feb. 28) passed our priority bill (HB 2611) that would give Community Corrections officers and specialists the same post-incident privileged communications protections as other law enforcement officers when talking to peer support counselors.
