News

WFSE’s 50th Biennial Convention, coinciding with the 80th year of our union’s history, took place from October 6-8 in SeaTac, WA. 

Get all the information and links you need to help win strong 2025-27 union contracts on this page.
Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on faith-based “empathy training” that silences discrimination concerns and penalizes protected union activity. DOH employees are calling for it to stop. Sign their petition here.

After WFSE fought in the 2023 legislative session to bring back the Productivity Board, a Local 443 member won $10,000 for her idea to improve letter translation in the Paid Family Medical Leave program.

Our union successfully pushed to reinstate the Productivity Board during the 2023 legislative session. Legislative advocacy is just one way WFSE members use their union to make our state better for all Washingtonians.

If these cuts are implemented by the legislature, the colleges will decide how to implement them. Furloughs are on the table and have been utilized in the past. We need to speak up and demand the rich begin paying their fair share.
After a hard fight, WFSE members received an arbitration opinion vindicating our nine Department of Corrections members who teach Defensive Tactics courses who had been unfairly excluded from receiving assignment pay.
The proposed closures would negatively impact those who are in most need of these services , result in increased recidivism (a 2007 study showed Washington’s reentry centers lead to at least a 2.8% reduction in recidivism), cost the state more money (research conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy indicates that reentry programs have a positive cost/benefit impact; for every dollar spent, $3.82 is returned to the state.), and threaten the capacity of our community custody system when the need for more capacity is rising.

Philadelphia – Penn Libraries staff, unionizing as AFSCME DC 47 Local 590 Penn Libraries United, announced this fall the results of their August election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

As you may have heard, the governor's proposed budget includes the closure of Yakima Valley School and Rainier School. We can't lose these crucial community resources for Washingtonians who need them. Read on for actions you can take to stand with vulnerable community members and dedicated WFSE members and stop the closures.

On December 12th, DOC Leadership met with management for the Statewide Union Management Communication Committee (SUMCC).

This was the first meeting since firearms had been returned to Zev. This has been one of the largest concerns identified by our members, and the lack of communication from the agency has increased this stress.

This year, we took on many challenges to become stronger as a union, protect our jobs, and ensure our families have the best futures possible. We aren't stopping there.