News

Election Win! WFSE Votes Save Jobs and Future Raises

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.

WFSE Member Awarded $10k from State Program WFSE Saved in 2023 Legislative Session

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 Leav

Higher Education: House, Senate and Ferguson Proposals

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.

UPDATE: Members Vote to Proceed with MOU Limiting Furloughs

6/19/20 Update:

AFSCME Praises Supreme Court Ruling Protecting LGBTQ Workers

AFSCME praised today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that extends protections under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to millions of LGBTQ workers.

In a statement, AFSCME President Lee Saunders said such protections are long overdue and represent an important step in the fight for equality and justice for all workers.

Statewide Silent March Scheduled for June 12

Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is calling for a statewide day of action in support of all Black lives in Washington State on Friday, June 12th. The day of action will honor lives lost and send a powerful message that Washingtonians no longer tolerate the racism that is built into so many of our institutions. For those who can’t march in Seattle, Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County encourages local groups to organize a march in their communities.

Amid Historic Layoffs & Fraud, Unemployment Workers Are Determined to Help WA Residents

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a quarter of the U.S. labor force, close to 43 million people, have filed for unemployment benefits.

Washington state has been the hardest hit. Between a surge of fraudulent claims originating overseas as well as a record number of legitimate claims, the equivalent of 30 percent of the workforce has filed for unemployment insurance.

Employees at the Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) like Beth Toms, an Intake Specialist in the Spokane office who serves as the Secretary Treasurer of WFSE Local 1221, have been working around the clock to process unemployment claims.

Economists with Diverse Views Agree: Federal Aid to States, Cities, Towns Is Needed Now

Economists of diverse backgrounds, who might otherwise disagree on a range of policy issues, spoke with a single voice on Monday on the need for Congress to provide robust aid to states, cities and towns.

Such aid, they said, is crucial in the midst of an economic crisis that is decimating state and local budgets and threatening essential public services that are critical to beating the pandemic and jumpstarting the economy.

WFSE Releases Statement Condemning Murder of Black Americans

Olympia, Wash.—The Washington Federation of State Employees (AFSCME Council 28) Executive Committee released the following statement condemning the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd:

‘Every Day is Sign-a-Card Day:’ How One Local is Growing During COVID-19

Even in the best of times, organizing can be tough work. Add in a global pandemic, and growing your local union can seem impossible. Yet over the last few months, a group of interpreters in Washington state hasn't let the COVID-19 crisis slow them down.

Hazard Pay Victory! Local 304 Members Make History in Washington State

Essential workers at several community colleges in King County fought for and won hazard pay, but there's work to do at Bellevue College. Sign the petition!