News

No workforce has more at stake in decisions made by elected officials. That is why we care so much about who is elected to go to Olympia to serve in elected office. Volunteer to inform your fellow union members which candidates have earned labor's endorsement for the 2024 Elections — and why.

On Tuesday, September 10, thousands of WFSE members at over 130 worksites walked out of their jobs to draw attention to the need for a fair contract.

The most pro-worker president in our lifetimes delivered the most pro-worker State of the Union address in recent memory.

Here are just a few highlights from President Joe Biden’s Tuesday night speech:

1. On the remarkable job growth of the last two years: 12 million new jobs are more than any previous president has created in four years in office. “Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because choices we made in the last several years,” Biden said.

In January 1993, Joann Mapp shared a powerful message on a conference call with newly elected President Bill Clinton. Mapp, a keypunch operator at the Philadelphia City Police Department and a member of AFSCME Local 1637 (District Council 33), was a single mother to 5-year-old twins.

UW Libraries Union members secured a tentative agreement early Wednesday morning, just three hours before their planned strike. At a celebratory rally on the Seattle University of Washington campus, WFSE members turned out to show their solidarity with fellow UW workers.

The following is adapted from remarks delivered by President Saunders at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s Martin Luther King Day Breakfast on January 14, 2023.

Union family, it’s a great honor to spend this special day with you, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as we reflect on his sacrifice and recommit to his work.

Child welfare workers in Washington came together for a major win this year: in addition to advocating for much-needed cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), WFSE members led the charge in securing 10% assignment pay for the majority of child welfare field operations staff at the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

In this truly-member run campaign, the question was not “’What is the union doing for me?’ but ‘What are we working on accomplishing together?”

Turnover, Underfunding & Staffing Issues

In a rushed vote, the Tacoma Art Museum Board refused to voluntarily recognize TAM Workers United (TAMWU), which has over 80% support among employees.