Lobby Training
The 2019 Lobby Training will be held on January 5 at the Seatac Doubletree. Onsite registration (check-in) will open at 9am and training will start promptly at 10am. Lunch will be provided.RSVP HERE
WFSE Members to Lawmakers: Cuts Hurt Most Vulnerable
Longer response times for stranded drivers, reduced access to life-saving medical treatment and more crime suffered by elderly residents are just a few of the impacts Washington residents may face if legislators choose budget cuts over new revenue.
Legal Assistants in Pierce County Form a Union
After dealing with years of favoritism, retaliation, and arbitrary staffing changes, the legal assistants, legal interviewers, and victim advocates at the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office have come together to form a union.
Safety, Equipment, Pay Equity Highlighted at DOT Summit
WFSE members from the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) held a summit over the weekend to identify workplace issues and strategize on how they can address them as a union.Members brought up everything from outdated equipment to the need for biohazard t...
Everett Community College Pauses Plans to Close Early Learning Center
From the Washington News Service
Faced with Crises, WFSE Members Find New Value in the Union
Amidst a renewed movement for racial justice, a global pandemic, and a recession, workers across the country are seeing the benefit of unions more clearly than ever. Conversations with members from across Eastern Washington about these crises show a diversity of opinion...
DCYF Vancouver MAT Team Scores Win for Foster Youth
WFSE members ran a successful petition that ended years of inaction from the state on the issue of housing foster children in hotel rooms.
AUG 9 Unity Breaks
Fair Pay and Real Opportunity Day of Action!Fair pay and real opportunity to improve working conditions can only be achieved if we demonstrate strength across the state.WFSE bargaining teams are negotiating wages, rights and working conditions right now.
WFSE Members Working for Equitable Vaccine Access
The goal of Washington’s four mass vaccination clinics is to ensure that vaccines are distributed and administered in an equitable way across the state. WFSE members are helping make that happen at the Kennewick site.
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 leg...
WFSE Members at DFI Show What Solidarity Can Do
Just three weeks after officially joining WFSE, several Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) employees were dismayed to learn their pay had been cut. After collecting over 1000 petition signatures, months of organizing, and a planned picket, these...
Attorneys for Washington State Seek Collective Bargaining Rights
Assistant attorneys general in Washington state have formed a union through AFSCME to gain a voice in their workplace.The Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) joined with the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE)/AFSCME Council 28 in l...
A Message From Mike
Solidarity Makes the Difference - WFSE President Mike YestramskiOur union, WFSE, is closed out the year with plenty to celebrate. Once again, our unity gave us the strength to secure victories at our worksites and the state capitol, despite the global pandemic and attem...
Mind Games at the Department of Health
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.
Long-Term Care Enrollment Deadline Extended to Oct. 14.
ALERT: Deadline extended to Oct. 14, but don't wait.Begin now by visiting the NW Benefit Advisor homepage for WFSE.You may have heard about the rising costs of long term care.
Union Busting at Tacoma Art Museum!
In a rushed vote, the Tacoma Art Museum Board refused to voluntarily recognize TAM Workers United (TAMWU), which has over 80% support among employees.
Grow with Our Union, #GrowWithWFSE!
WFSE members with a correct home address on file are receiving postcards celebrating our new union contracts that went into effect on July 1, 2023. Not a WFSE member? Join us here to grow with our union!
WFSE's 50th Biennial Convention Kicks Off in October
From October 6-8, 2023, WFSE will hold our 50th Biennial Convention at the DoubleTree Hotel in Seatac, WA. As this convention coincides with the 80th year of our union, WFSE Executive Committee determined the theme for this year’s convention to be History Built, Future...
Union Ensures DOT Crew is Warm this Winter
Thanks to union action, a Department of Transportation maintenance crew in Eastern Washington is no longer facing a frigid winter without a critical piece of gear: fleece liners for their winter coats.
2023 Recap, Message from the President
I visited the avalanche crew keeping Stevens Pass safe for drivers. I did a ride along with some of our Department of Corrections members in Mt. Vernon. I drove the Green Machine to Walla Walla. I flew to Medical Lake and met the WFSE heroes who pushed residents in thei...
Pride: A Time to Celebrate Our Membership
It’s Pride. Rainbow flags are everywhere and there’s a parade every weekend in June in cities across Washington State.But what does Pride actually mean? “For me, Pride means a sense of community and family. It’s a time to celebrate a community I’m part of, with allies....
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!
How to Win Hazard Pay Twice
After winning hazard pay in March of 2020 — a first for public service workers in Washington state—WFSE Local 304 members at Seattle Colleges did it again.
How?