Whereas the Washington Federation of State Employees' (WFSE) core values include respect for diversity, fairness and equity, and the betterment of workers' lives and families, and WFSE has further resolved to stand against white supremacy, racism, and all other forms of discrimination wherever they may be found;
Whereas the membership of the DCYF Policy Committee is composed of public servants who strive to equitably improve and support the safety, health, and well-being of the diverse residents of Washington State;
Whereas those same public servants are individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, cultures, genders, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, life experiences, disabilities, sexual orientations, and political beliefs;
Whereas the Trump administration has issued multiple executive orders, taken multiple actions, and made multiple appointments that represent an attack on, among other groups and topics, highly qualified and nonpartisan civil servants, labor unions, immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, women, people of color, public education, the scientific community, and access to healthcare;
Whereas these and future orders or actions will have or are already having significant impacts on our members, potentially to include the denial of necessary healthcare to transgender individuals and women, the forced separation of families through the deportation of valued community members, increased discrimination against people of marginalized identities in employment, and the stripping away of protections for organized labor and for workers in general;
Whereas significant impacts are also being felt by our families, our communities, and by the vulnerable populations we serve, potentially to include reduced access to necessary social and healthcare services, the defunding of publicly funded schools and organizations, increased rates of suicidal ideation among transgender or gender non-conforming youth, increased child welfare involvement due to unnecessary parental detentions or deportations, and other far-reaching, long-term, and often devastating effects,
Now therefore be it resolved that the DCYF Policy Committee affirms our commitment to the ideals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and to all of the unique and exceptional individuals who compose our membership;
Be it further resolved that we call upon the WFSE Executive Board to adopt this same resolution;
Be it further resolved that we shall promote among our membership actions, events, and education that are intended to strengthen workplace protections for those impacted by the current administration or for those who are frequently marginalized in our society;
Be it further resolved that we will mobilize where possible to defend and support our members who are being unjustly harmed by any hostile and/or discriminatory groups, and that, to the extent possible, we shall not collect personal information from members that could lead to their being harmed by aforementioned groups;
Be it finally resolved that the DCYF Policy Committee recognizes the unique and integral role that our membership holds in serving some of the most vulnerable individuals in Washington State, and that we commit to opposing fear, hate, discrimination, and injustice in all their forms.
This resolution as adopted by the WFSE DCYF Policy Committee on February 22, 2025. It was received for consideration from WFSE Local 889.