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.
It was a late Monday and early Tuesday at the Capitol as the House passed two more of our priority bills – the part-time employees bill and the Taxpayer Protection Act.
The House Monday night (Feb. 12) passed the bill to leave no doubt and add part-time state employees to civil service.HB 2669 passed on a vote of 50-47. It now goes to the Senate.
Vancouver senator gives poignant floor speech as she rebukes critics of unions and working families
Sen. Annette Cleveland of the 49th Dist. in Vancouver showed courage and conviction when on Saturday (Feb. 10) she took to the floor of the state Senate in Olympia to reject the divisive debate on legislation our opponents railed because it would help workers and the people they serve.
BULLETIN: The state House late Monday morning (Feb. 12) passed our priority bill (SHB 1558) to expand the Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS) to institutions workers in high-risk jobs. The vote was 89-9. SHB 1558 now goes to the Senate. The bill would give state institutions workers doing high-risk jobs the same recognition on retirement as other public workers in dangerous jobs.
Call Legislature’s toll-free message center on three key bills
Today, we focus on three key bills that need floor votes by Feb. 14. Here goes:
The Taxpayer Protection Act (2SHB 1851), our bill to bring transparency and accountability to state contracting, is waiting for a vote of the full House.
