Winter Storm Update
2/12/19 - All WFSE offices will remain closed today, Tuesday, February 12. If you need assistance, please email MCC@WFSE.org2/11/19 - WFSE offices are tentatively set to open at 10 a.m., Tuesday, February 12. We will reassess weather conditions in the morning and make a...
State Productivity Board
Bill would bring back state Productivity Board, employee suggestion programThe program that generated millions of dollars in taxpayer savings thanks to employees’ “Brainstorm” ideas may live again under a new bill that would re-establish the state Productivity Board.The...
AFSCME Membership Card
Don't know your AFSCME membership number or can't find your card? There's two ways to get your card number:1. CALL the WFSE Member Connection Center at 833-622-9373 M-F 8am-6pm PTThe MCC Rep can retrieve your number from our data system.
PSERS bill gets hearing
Add high-risk state institutions workers into the Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS).AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) President Sue Henricksen (at far left) and Western State Hospital Local 793 member Rick Hertzog (at far right) today (Jan. 17) as they urge the H...
Tax Structure WorkGroup Seattle
We expect revenue will be an issue in the 2019 legislative session and so did the 2017 Legislature.We need to fix Washington's upside-down tax system. This is one opportunity to address the structure's impact on public services.The 2017 supplmental budget (SB 6032 Sec....
House Bill Simplifies and Fixes PSLF, Overhauls Higher Education
A bill that has been introduced in the House of Representatives would simplify the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for current and would-be participants.
A Decade Later: Four Ways Working People Are Still Paying for the 2008 Financial Crisis
It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.
PSERS, Privacy, Interpreters bills pass hurdle
Three of our priority bills passBULLETIN: 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...
TAX DAY MARCH April 14
“Invest in All of Us” at our coalition Tax March April 14The Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28 is joining the All In For Washington and 10 other coalition partners for Tax Day March and Rally, 2-5 p.m., Saturday, April 14, Judkins Park, 2150 S....
WSU Local 1066 members spring into action
WSU Local 1066 members spring into actionLocal 1066 at Washington State University in Pullman has a new slate of officers elected last night (Dec. 6) as the local joins the common-sense effort to not balance WSU’s budget on the backs of students, workers and vital progr...
House Tax Structure Work Group hearing next week
The Tax Structure Work Group meets next week in Spokane, Yakima and Vancouver.The goal of this work group is to facilitate discussions about the current tax structure, with a focus on the business and occupation tax, and identify any options to improve the overall tax s...
$60K in settlements at 4 agencies
Union Membership Equals major settlements for members in four agenciesMembers in four agencies – Enterprise Services, Employment Security, Ecology and DSHS (Western State Hospital) -- have won settlements validating their work totaling nearly $60,000. All four came on u...
Our View 11/2017
Our View, Nov 2017This month's program features: Coverage of the WFSE convention with AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders and Gov. Jay Inslee. Also, how a so-called right to work (for less) state holds down the workers but also other citizens of the state. In addition, while Labo...
Proposed House Budget Released: Action Still Needed
Washington State House Democrats proposed a 2019-2021 operating budget on Monday that would provide funding for all collective bargaining agreements. This is good news for state employees, however, the budget process will continue to unfold over the next few weeks.Inves...
Endorsements 2018
AFSCME Council 28 Political Endorsements 2018Belwo is the list of endorsements made at the April 28 AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) Endorsements Conference. FEDERAL RACESU.S. SenateMaria Cantwell, D*U.S. CongressCD 1: Suzan DelBene, D*CD 3: Carolyn Long, DCD 5: Lisa Brown, DCD...
Caught in Limbo: AFSCME Member Struggles with Student Loan Forgiveness
As a public librarian for the Philadelphia Free Library, Sheila O’Steen embodies what we think of when we imagine a public service worker. Every day, she interacts with members of her community. Whether her patrons are young or old, affluent or impoverished, O’Steen sha...
Final push for Manka Dhingra
Final push for Manka DhingraThis is it. One final weekend for Washington voters to fill out their ballots and return them by Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7.That means union members will be volunteering this weekend for get-out-the-vote efforts for Manka Dhingra in the...
Part-timers bill passes
ANOTHER PRIORITY BILL PASSES SENATEThe 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...
Privacy fight shifts to legislature
AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)'s fight to protect your privacy has shifted to the Legislature to be consistent with our recent court victoryAFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) has blocked attempts by the Freedom Foundation to violate your privacy by getting your dates of birth.The state...
Crisis point on encampment cleanup protections
“CRISIS POINT”: SEATTLE’S SPOKANE STREET DOT MEMBERS CALL FOR ACTION ON ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP PROTECTIONSProtecting 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 st...
Senator rebukes critics of unions
Vancouver senator gives poignant floor speech as she rebukes critics of unions and working familiesSen. 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 reje...
AAG Ratification Details
We did it! At 1:46 a.m. Saturday morning, we reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the State of Washington for our first contract as a recognized union.Not a union member? Join us today. Download and complete a membership card and email it to organize@wfse.orgDownload...
Brett Kavanaugh: No R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Women’s and Workers’ Rights
Like others around the world, I mourned the death last week of Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul set a new standard for enduring classic songs with both artistic and political impact, like her mega-hit “Respect,” which became an anthem for both the civil rights and wom...
2020 Minimum Wage Hikes to Benefit 7 Million Working People
The new year brings good news for millions of working Americans. Nearly 7 million of them are in line to get pay raises this year thanks to state and local minimum-wage hikes.
Send the Capital Budget now!
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 l...