Local 1488 Holiday Party

The holidays are a great time to bring members together and to show appreciation to active members for all the work that they do. This year recovery from foot surgery limited my ability to attend these events around the state. I did, however, enjoy seeing Local 1488 members at their holiday party.

Parks Management Misinforms Members

Earlier today, it came to my attention that misinformation contained in a management memo led Parks members to believe they were to take 8 furlough days in addition to the 3% reduction in pay. Nothing could be further from the truth. Management committed to sending out a corrected memo as soon as possible. This is a good example of the importance of reading the information provided at the WFSE website and letting us know when things go awry at the work site. Thank you to Don Hall for correcting the misinformation and for contacting the union to take action to address this.

Bargaining Teams Deserve Our Thanks

Sisters and Brothers,

Never has a bargaining team faced the adverse conditions that our current bargaining teams are trying to overcome. The state budget conditions are well known to all of us. It is daily on the news. The economic times have forced devastating decisions on the Governor, the legislature, and many of us personally.

My hats off to each of the bargaining team members who have met these challenges with courage and determination. Although General Government team has completed a tentative agreement, other teams are still hard at work. Please encourage them. Your messages of support and solidarity mean a lot to them and help them face these difficult days.

The General Government team was amazing. I have served with the teams at each of our bargaining sessions. They all deserve our respect and our thanks. Each have given us the best they had to offer. This team, faced with the toughest challenges, was the most cohesive I have ever seen. The decisions they had to make were very difficult. The team, comprised of many points of view, took votes that sometimes were made by very narrow margins. They were thoughtful in their deliberations, respectful in discussion, and accepting of majority votes. They were the epitome of solidarity. They exemplify the word "union". I am so proud to have been with them through this time.

The Higher Education bargaining teams still face many challenges. With a couple of exceptions, they are facing employers who seem far less interested in coming to agreement. We must rally around them. We are all in this together. We are the union. We stand together and we stand strong. When we are called upon to act on their behalf, we WILL be there.

Bargaining In The Midst Of Economic Crisis

There is no doubt that the state is struggling financially and that we, as a union, are facing unprecedented economic times. To bargain contracts at this point in time is perhaps one of the most difficult challenges we face. The bargaining has been unrelentingly difficult.

The message from the membership was very clear. Healthcare bargaining was consistently our membership's highest priority. As most of you know, management's proposal was to reduce their contribution to the healthcare benefit and increase ours; going from 88/12 to 76/24. At the end of some difficult discussions and some long silences, healthcare bargaining ended with the state paying 85% and we pay 15%.

Knowing we cannot anticipate any cost of living consideration, the teams focussed on trying to get improved working condition language. Changes in these are hard fought as well. Management came into this process with take away proposals in every financial area and initially an unwillingness to bargain on issues our teams considered important. We are now seeing movement on their part and are hopeful that even in these extremely difficult economic times, we can come to an agreement that the membership will ratify. We don't anticipate increased earnings for our membership. We know we face potentially devastating job losses in many areas.

Having a contract is critically important as we face potential lay offs. There are protections in the contract that will provide good benefits for the membership from seniority rights to the right to be placed in the transition pool should a member face lay off. We will fight hard both here and in the legislature to save our members jobs and to save services to the public.

In the face of what has happened in the last election, where legislators cannot build revenue sources without a 2/3 majority and the loss of the unpopular 2 cents tax on soda pop, bottled water and candy, our reality is now a state where even hospice care is cut. What that means for all of us in terms of bargaining wages is evident.

We need to have a contract in place even if the wage language is less than what we deserve. If we have no contract, the legislature will certainly attack our healthcare benefit and we will likely end up with the 76/24 healthcare benefit cost split originally proposed by the Governor's negotiators in addition to large wage take aways.

The union's bargaining teams have never faced such difficult struggles as they have this year. My deep appreciation to all of them for their dedication and commitment to representing our membership to the best of their ability. Never have the teams faced such circumstances. They continue to work hard for you and are hopeful that we will have a contract to take to our membership very soon.

Stand Strong. Support our bargaining teams. Ratify the contracts when the negotiations conclude. These economic problems will improve. It will take some time. Meanwhile, we cannot afford to work without contract protections in place. Stand strong.

DSHS Furlough Information

Local union leaders have faced lots of questions about the additional furlough days recently negotiated. This only applies to the additional furlough days. In follow up to the negotiations, I will try to clarify some of the issues.

If a member works on a holiday, they will earn time and a half. They will have satisfied one of the furlough days. If the member is designated a different day as holiday, the impact is the same. Compensatory time may not be used on the holiday because the plan is to safely staff the facilities while accruing the savings in order to save jobs. Members should still be able to designate the accrual of comp time instead of cash for the four hours and if you are being told no by management, we need to know the facility where that is happening.

November has three holidays and those days may all be used to satisfy furlough days. If management is saying only one day is being used for furlough and the others are not, we need to know the name of the facility where that is happening.

The part time members satisfy their furlough based on their part time hours. For example, if they work four hours a day - their furlough is four hours. If they are below the dollar amount specified in the agreement, they are able to use leave.

Union dues are reduced during furlough times because our dues are based on a percentage of the wages earned. When we earn less, we pay less.

If an area is exempt from furlough, none of the agreement applies.

These are the questions I have received thus far. I welcome any others you may have. This is a very difficult time for all of us. No one, including me, wants to be furloughed. Many of us struggle financially and we must find ways to help one another. This negotiated furlough allowed some options for people that the furlough legislation did not.

Secretary Dreyfus told us at the table that she would not put forward furloughs in the upcoming budget. While that may not stop the legislature, at least we won't be fighting another management budget plan that includes them.

The election decisions that were made will require us to mount a huge response. The money lost to the state will create even greater challenges than the ones we have faced to date. Stand strong and be ready. We will need everyone to work hard during the legislative session if we are going to turn away the attacks we will soon face. We can only succeed if every one of us is united in the effort. Stand strong. We Are The Safety Net. We Are The Union That Makes Washington Happen.

DSHS Team Saves 160 Family Wage Jobs

After nearly 18 hours of solid bargaining with DSHS Secretary Dreyfus and her executive leadership, the union bargaining team concluded bargaining over the additional furlough days in DSHS.

The union bargaining team brought forward innovative ideas of how to conserve salary dollars in order to save family wage jobs. The union continues to seek ideas from our membership for cost saving measures.

Both the union team and the management team struggled to come to an unprecedented agreement designed to meet the needs of both parties and best serve the citizens of the state of Washington. The options available to the teams were limited by the economic crisis in the state, regulations, and potential liabilities.

The facts, as provided to the union by the Secretary of DSHS are as follows:

Due to the severe economic crisis in the State of Washington, the Governor has directed 6.287% across the board cuts. According to DSHS Secretary Dreyfus, the agency budget reductions total $167 million dollars. Therefore, in addition to the reduction of more than 2000 staff since June 2008, DSHS Secretary Dreyfus declared that it is necessary to implement a total one-time reduction in compensation through the end of this fiscal year totaling 11.1 million dollars.

As we understand it, the intent of the agreement is to expand and extend furlough days in a manner that is flexible, taking into account the work scheduling needs of represented employees as well as the business needs of the agency in order to achieve the salary and benefits savings required rather than resorting to the elimination of approximately 160 full time positions in DSHS.

The agreement recognizes that the furloughs reduce the time available for employees to complete the work they typically do. It takes into account the need to "reset" or reduce the expectations of the quantity of work usually done by state workers. Workload has been a key issue for our members. The hiring freezes and reductions in workforce coupled with the legislatively mandated furloughs have pushed workers to the very edge due to demands that they perform the same level of work despite the fact that there are fewer to do the work and those who remain have reduced hours to accomplish it.

The agreement does not allow workers to be punitively treated for the impact of these reductions on their work performance.

In most cases, performance evaluations will be suspended for the next eight months. A work group will be established to try to create a more meaningful and effective way to communicate performance assessments in the future.

Safety grievances will be handled in an expedited manner to try to quickly respond to dangerous situations that arise as a result of the current conditions.

State workers who earn the least will be exempt unless their work site is closed. When the work site is closed, they will be allowed to use their paid leave time.

The agreement allows for a reduction of furlough days when the savings are achieved.

The Union and Management will meet monthly to review the progress and determine if the number of days can be reduced.

Probationary and trial service employees will not face extensions of the time period due to furlough days.

Retirement and seniority credits will not be reduced as a result of furloughs.

The union team attempted to exempt a job class where the vacancy rate was so high that concerns were raised that potential fines or citations could be levied against the state. Management did not share those concerns and they were not addressed in the agreement.

These are only some of the provisions contained in the agreement. The full agreement is posted on the WFSE website.

The DSHS furlough bargaining team deserves our deep appreciation for the thoughtful way they approached this most difficult negotiation. Each of them worked hard to bring information, perspective, and creative solutions to the bargaining table. These tough economic times truly test each of us. This group took on the challenges with determination and hope for the future. Despite the late hour, no one left the table until the job was done. They maintained a true sense of union solidarity throughout. They thought of each one of our members in all their diverse circumstances and treated them all as members of our AFSCME family. I'm proud to have served with them. Thank you to all!

The Union team: Carol Dotlich, Sue Henricksen, Linnea Elmer-Andersen, Crag Gibelyou, Ken Blair, Daniel D'Haem, Ron Mullins, Sandra Reynolds, Steven Segall, Kandy Kraig, Julianne Moore, Marci Douglas-Bumgarner, Gabe Hall, Greg Devereux, Cecil Tibbets.

Furloughs - Union Responds To DSHS Plan To Add Days

Today, Wednesday, the union bargaining team met at 8:30am to continue bargaining over the additional furlough days that DSHS management is proposing to address a serious budget shortfall that would otherwise result in 160 job losses in addition to the already stated 380 positions they have identified for lay off. The lay offs will still have to be negotiated and lay offs are not a part of this bargaining.

It is now 8:00pm and our union team is still at it. We've had good discussions with management so far. DSHS Secretary Dreyfus is on the management team in person. The quality of the discussion is much better than the last time the parties met to negotiate. We are very hopeful that we will reach a tenable agreement some time tonight that we can publish. The rumors and endless e-mails from various sources have bedeviled the DSHS membership long enough. It's time we have answers and agreements that both sides understand and support.

General Government Contract Team Update

The General Government Contract Bargaining team worked all day today on preparing proposals and counter proposals. Although the bargaining is tough, the team remains united and committed to getting contract improvements. We will meet again tomorrow and hope to see some long overdue progress.

A special thanks to Gabe Hall and Lyn Hofland for warming up the environment and sweetening the days. Gabe has provided delicious home made soup to the team and Lyn has baked amazing breads and cakes and brought them to us. Their special talents and commitment to the bargaining are deeply appreciated by us all.

Furlough Answer-Because Someone Asked

Question sent in: Why is the union making furloughs worse by delaying them?

Under the bill 6503, union members were provided protections that the current (management initiated) furlough response related to the Governor directed 6.5% cut does not contain. Absent those protections, our members have everything to lose and nothing to gain. We went to the table based on DSHS statement that agreeing to furloughs would save jobs and that they were willing to negotiate real flexibility in how furloughs happened and that they would agree to put those protections in place for our members. If you go to the website, under the blog section, in the President's blog I related day by day what was occurring. Management did NOT agree to flexibility in scheduling the furloughs. There is no guarantee that the money saved will save our member's jobs. DSHS management, in our view, is not negotiating and if you could call what happened negotiation then it was not done in good faith.

The union agreed on a Thursday of one week to negotiate an agreement with management on Monday of the following week. Management never expected a response so timely. We fully expected to have a written agreement by the end of the work day and publish it that evening. No one was more surprised and appalled than the union bargaining team when it became clear that the other side was not motivated toward that outcome. We wanted a clear and cogent outcome we could publish quickly so that our members would not be upset and confused by the rumors and e-mails. During the time we were "negotiating" our members were notifying us of one e-mail and then another sent by various management in DSHS. Even the team on the other side of the table was surprised by what was occurring. Furlough date for October was first one date and then another.

These are difficult and dangerous times for state employees and for the citizens we serve. There is nothing simple about negotiating the impacts of the budget cuts we face. Still the union members were ready and motivated to work toward saving jobs and services. However, management cannot expect to hold our workforce accountable to the same numbers and the same workload that our members carry when they are given fewer hours to accomplish that workload. The lay offs and hiring freezes that have already occurred have had a severe workload impact on those who remain. We cannot allow our members to be held to the same performance numbers and criteria that they were before all that happened. In this dark economic time we must stand together and continue to fight for respect and dignity for the members who make Washington happen.

Our bargaining team members know how important it is that each of us do the right thing for the members we represent. Pressure is being brought to bear on us. We are threatened with more furlough days, more lay offs, more crushing workload. It is designed to divide us, to break our will to stand up for the workers and their families. It is designed to bust our union. We have already sacrificed so much to save our state. More may be required. We are all in this together and together we must stand up for state workers, stand up for our families, stand up for citizen services and protect those rights for which we have so long labored. Together we CAN do this. And so we shall.


Thank you for your comments to our website. It is important to have real conversations about the issues before us. Thank you for sharing your perspective and allowing me to share mine.

AFSCME/WFSE Members Stood In Solidarity Against The Governor's Healthcare Proposal

Pictured above Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell speaking.

On Friday, our members stood silently with backs turned as the Governor addressed the crowd at the rally to support the re-election of Senator Patty Murray. Members could scarcely remain silent as the Governor talked about healthcare. Our healthcare bargaining is stalled with the Governor proposing increased costs that our members simply cannot afford. She touched on a number of topics including support of the middle class. State employees have historically received less in compensation than their peers in the community. They have weathered a four year wage freeze which will likely continue. The Governor's bargaining team has proposed nothing but take backs and have not significantly moved on working conditions issues. The benefits that once attended state employment have eroded. Our backs are against the wall.

When asked by a reporter why we turned our backs to her while she spoke, a member stated simply, "She's turned her back on us."

Christine Gregoire once articulated values that we supported. We endorsed and supported her. We once believed that state employees would be treated with respect and dignity. What we currently experience leads us in a different direction.

As Governor, she refused to forward our last contracts to the legislature for approval using her own Office of Financial Management to state they were not economically feasible. Her Labor Relations Office negotiated those contracts and LRO reports to the Office of Financial Management. We were in uncharted territory then and we are in uncharted territory now.

Senator Murray stands up for Washington state. She stood up for Boeing Machinists. She stood up for working families. Senator Maria Cantwell stood up for Washington citizens. These women stand up and stand out.

When is this Governor going to stand up for state employees and the citizens we serve? When will this Governor support our working families and maintain the safety net all citizens rely upon? When will she support affordable healthcare for her own employees?

We are undaunted. We live our values. We make Washington happen. We stand solid and we stand strong. We are AFSCME.

WFSE Members Attend Rally At UW Tacoma

Members attended a rally to support the re-election of Senator Patty Murray on Friday.

AFSCME/WFSE Language Interpreters Rally For Senator Patty Murray

Our AFSCME/WFSE union family turned out at University of Washington Tacoma campus in support of Senator Patty Murray on Friday. Our newest members, Interpreters, came out to support the legislators that support working families. They heard from Representative Adam Smith, Senator Maria Cantwell, Governor Christine Gregoire, and Vice President Joe Biden. They sent a wonderful solidarity message when they joined their state employee brothers and sisters. We STAND STRONG when we STAND TOGETHER!

DSHS Additional Furlough Days - NO Agreement

At the end of a third day of "bargaining" - how could anyone call it that? - there is NO AGREEMENT. Yesterday morning, the union presented a proposal to address the 6.287% budget cut ordered by the Governor. Management failed to respond to that proposal until after 8pm last night. Undaunted and determined to save 160 DSHS jobs, the team met at 10am to submit another proposal. The union's proposal contained language designed to protect our membership from the abuses that we all know occur in worksites with too few staff and too heavy a workload. We submitted yet another proposal today. We were asked to submit the proposal electronically. Our bargaining team delivered it in person and discovered that the management team wasn't even there. They had to scramble to get people to the table. Before 4pm management told the union team they didn't want to talk anymore today and may get back to us next week.

It appears there will be no agreement on furloughs in the month of October for state employees not covered under 6503. While some of us are furloughed October 11th, the state employees not covered under the bill apparently will be working.

Throughout these three days, members of the union team well acquainted with the disarray in DSHS were nevertheless surprised and appalled by what they witnessed yesterday and today.

The promised flexibility in scheduling did not prove true. The commitment to "reset" expectations of the workforce with fewer work hours to accomplish the increasing work demands did not prove true. Even the statement that it would save jobs is now in doubt. We have asked repeatedly for the list of job classes that would be saved and have received nothing. In addition, WMS positions are being actively recruited by DSHS. When the issue was raised, management said they would be federally funded. Really?? Many of our jobs rely in some part on federal funds. That is why we must meet standards or lose those funds. Secretary Dreyfus's words and management actions at the table do not pass the straight face test.

We are asked to maintain an ever increasing workload with fewer staff and fewer work hours, asked to care for our families on wages frozen for 4 years, asked to give up pay we have more than earned, and now we are asked to pretend that negotiations occur. Really??

And The DSHS Furlough Saga Continues Another Day

Believe it or not, DSHS managers in various areas have been announcing the additional furlough days and telling our members it is this date and that date. Then it is changed and sometimes rescinded. What is the truth of the matter and why is it so confusing???

Our Union and DSHS Management just spent the second day in these negotiations. The Union provided a proposal at 10 am. At 4pm, management announced that they needed more time to develop their counter-proposal plan. Throughout the day, members contacted their team to announce that they were being told one thing and then another. We heard that institutions can do it and then that they cannot. This institution can do the furlough day and that institution can't. Field offices can close entirely for the day and then they can't. Members can work with supervisors for flexibility in determining the day or days but then no-the day is selected by management. On and on it goes.

The fact is there is no agreement at this point. Management said they were directing managers to rescind the October 11th furlough day. At this point, I can't say what will transpire. I can only ask that members continue to directly report what is being done in the various areas of DSHS. You may report it to this blog, send an e-mail to Carold@wfse.org, or Sueh@wfse.org, or report to your Union Council staff so that we, at the table, can track what is being said and done while we attempt to negotiate the important protections our members require in these difficult economic times.

DSHS Furlough Bargaining

Monday was the first day the bargaining team met with management to discuss the management proposal to further furlough state workers. Union representatives asked a series of questions to determine whether there were other ways to meet the budget reduction ordered by the Governor. Discussions ensued. Among them, a number of suggestions were made that management said they would take a look at.

The union representatives were looking for the flexibility in scheduling that Secretary Dreyfus previously stated was in her interest as well as ours. Instead members were reporting to their team that the dates had been decided and managers were already working on implementation. In addition, there were reports that managers were planning to use on-call employees to replace furloughed workers. There were questions as to whether the plans would actually achieve the stated savings.

State workers need protections in the agreement language. We want to allow workers to work with their managers to determine which hours will be furlough. If workers can opt to take a day of a pre-scheduled vacation period, it relieves the staffing issues in 24/7 facilities where short staffing is unsafe. State employees who are furloughed should not have their probationary period extended. We want to make sure a furlough day is no more than 8 hours for a full time employee and that less than full time workers are treated proportionately. We would like to protect workers who earn the least money. We want to insure that overtime exempt employees are not forced to carry the same workload in a furlough period as they are during a regular work period. These are just a few of the many issues that were not resolved on Monday.

We will go back to bargaining tomorrow and are hopeful that an agreement can be achieved. The team was deeply disappointed in the outcome on Monday and know that their sisters and brothers are counting on them to bring an element of fairness and reasonableness into the process.

Thank you to the members who are working on this issue. Due to management's declaration that the furloughs will prevent 160 employees from joining the ranks of the 380 they say will be laid off, and realizing that these furloughs result in a wage reduction to a workforce that is already struggling financially, this team is under a lot of pressure. Your comments are welcome.

DSHS Budget Cuts Announced Today

Greg Devereux and I met with Susan Dreyfus, Secretary of DSHS, and her staff at 8 am this morning. We were given a very brief overview of the announcements about the budget cuts she was about to make to all who work in Department of Social and Health Services. I will not repeat here in detail what I know you have probably already heard.

Those of you who have already been subject to furlough will face an additional 2 days of furlough that are not part of the bill the legislature implemented. Those of you who were exempted from that bill will now face furlough days totalling 9. DSHS plans to implement these beginning in October.

This new furlough scheme does not fall under the same protections as the legislatively implemented furlough bill and the previous negotiations related to it. November and May are months at issue for those already affected by the existing furloughs. All 9 days are at issue for those not already affected by furloughs.

A Demand To Bargain is immediately being sent by our union to management. We have asked that the bargaining begin as early as next week.

We were told the cuts to DSHS equate to a 6.287% across the board cut or in other words 280 million dollars. DSHS, we were told, is unlike any other state agency. Most agencies get one general state fund appropriation DSHS receives multiple specific appropriations and provisos and, we were told each of these had to be cut by the same amount.

Susan Dreyfus said that the additional furlough days will save 160 state employee jobs. That said, we were told state employees within DSHS will face 380 lay offs total for the 6.287% across the board cut.

We were told one ward at Western State Hospital will close, one cottage at an RHC will close based on census numbers, Maple Lane School will downsize and these events will take place prior to June 30th of next year. Long term care services, TANF, and food assistance for non citizens and naturalization services will be hit hard. Mental Health RSNs will also be hard hit. The impacts of these changes will reverberate throughout the human services network.

This is difficult news to hear and our members will hear a lot of speculation about it. I am committed to making sure you know what I know as much as possible. Please contact me or your local Council Representative if you have news to share about these cuts and furloughs.

By the end of this week we can expect to hear about a further 10% cut being considered in DSHS. This 10% cut is being considered for the 2011-2013 biennium. Some of the 6.287% cut already being discussed will go forward as part of the 10% so we don't know at this point what any of that means.

The most important action you can take right now is to assure your brothers and sisters that we are all in this together as a union. We will stand together and we will bargain the impacts of these cuts as early as possible and protect them in every way we can under the current contract. Please commit to helping each other as much as possible. Local union meetings are a great place to give and get information that will help arm us for what we all face together. If you are reading this message, you are already leadership in this union. You are in touch and you are informed. Your brothers and sisters need you. I'm counting on you to Stand Union Strong!

WFSE Celebrates The Legislative Win Of Collective Bargaining Rights For Interpreters

Thursday, April 1st will long be remembered as the day Governor Gregoire signed the bill granting collective bargaining rights to Interpreters. These workers provide invaluable assistance to citizens at medical appointments and have been passionately pursuing bargaining rights in the hope of joining our union family. Congratulations to them and to the organizing and legislative staff on their success. It was such a joy to accomapny them to the Governor's office where their children were given a keepsake card picture of the Governor and her dog and the parents received commemorative pens to mark the occasion. To hear them speak of what the union means to them and how very important it is to have voice at work, reinforced all the hard work we do everyday to keep our union moving forward. This is a first in the nation. They are already getting calls from interpreters in other states to find out how they did it. Brothers and Sisters, they did it with the Green Machine! We have every reason to be proud of them and proud of our union. Congratulations one and all!

Corrections Lay Off Grievance Approved

The Department of Corrections implemented a lay off of several members. In reviewing the actions taken by the department, errors in the process were discovered. WFSE staff and the members filed a grievance. Some of the errors were corrected - others were not. The grievance was today approved by the statewide grievance committee and the union will press forward in efforts to insure that the rights of our corrections members are upheld.

Breaking News Rainier School

Brothers and Sisters,

By now you have probably heard on the news that two of our members at Rainier School are facing drug charges. According to a management source, they were found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphenalia on agency premises last night. It appears two others may also face charges. The investigation findings will likely be news as the process continues.

This could not have happened at a worse time. State employees are fighting to save state services and prevent facility closure. The parents, guardians and advocates who support Rainier School have fought long and hard to preserve the RHCs. Calls from concerned members are coming in. This news deeply affects everyone.

We must hold fast to our values. Our mission statement includes these words: "To ensure the union is a positive force in worker's lives, families and communities." We must live those words now.

These workers face serious allegations and we cannot know the whole story at this point. If the allegations are true, they will face serious consequences. True or not, the damage to them personally will take a sure and certain toll on them and their families. As state workers, it takes a toll on each one of us as well.

To the staff, clients, parents and guardians - please know that our WFSE family shares in your concern for the well being of all at Rainier School. We are dedicated to the clients we serve, the jobs we do, and the welfare of the community at large. We have done great work together to provide safe and secure residential communities for our family members and clients. The Need Remains. The Work Goes On.

Last Days To Make A Difference in Your Paycheck

Thanks to Dean Nelson of Local 793. His cartoon sums up what we have seen some legislators try to do to balance the state budget on our backs. The reconciliation phase is going on now. Senators and Representatives are determining the final budget. Your hotlince calls at 1-800-562-6000 are needed now to prevent your healthcare costs from eating up your purchasing power. Feel like you've called until your ear looks like a cauliflower? Well, do it again! It's working. The volume of calls and visits to the capitol are the reason they haven't reached final agreement. We have legislators holding out to assure adequate funding for your healthcare benefits. They are not the majority and they need the support that the hotline calls provide. We have made so much noise that other legislators are openly complaining about our success. Please don't let it get quiet now. We are in the closing days. We must be even louder if we are to succeed. MAKE THE CALL - 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to fund state employee healthcare. We need 65 million dollars or we face serious healthcare cost increases. Go Green Machine!

Department of Transportation Bargaining Team Change

Brothers and Sisters,

Sadly, Brother Don Morby is unable to serve on the collective bargaining team for Department of Transportation. Therefore, Larry Flue will serve in that role. The two main table bargaining team members will be Sue Dineen and Larry Flue. The top four vote getters in the election for bargaining team will serve on the supplemental team. They are: Sue Dineen, Larry Flue, Stacie Leanos, and Kate Rogers.

Although the Governor and LRO are verbalizing that they are not inclined to do supplemental bargaining, we will keep the pressure on and continue to insist that supplemental bargaining will occur.

My best wishes to Brother Don Morby and my deep appreciatiom to him for his service to the membership. We all look forward to future activities with our DOT brother.

Furlough Fridays in California

Day 5 and Counting - The Fight For Healthcare

Today, our members focussed on the campaign to fund our healthcare benefits. State employees and staff raised a MASH style field hospital to demonstrate the need to fund our healthcare plans. They filled one side of the House gallery with green shirts to let legislators know that this is a priority issue for us. Members took flyers and candy to legislators encouraging them to raise revenue. It was a fun and productive day. Thanks to the members, some of whom travelled from Seattle, Yakima, and Tacoma to be here for this important day.

Help Wanted

Matt Zuvich, our lobbyist, wanted you to receive the following information.

Greetings to all!

If folks can take a minute, some e-mails and hot line calls would really do a lot of good over the next couple of days. If you see a legislator that is your home district on the list below please communicate with them and thank them for their vote on revenue. All the legislators named took this difficult vote despite what may be their natural inclinations. We need to get as many constituent communications as we can muster by Sunday, thanking them for their yes vote on revenue in the house. You know big business is telling them not to vote for revenue, so we need to make sure that they hear the other side. A vote on revenue is one of the ways legislators are able to say NO to the closure of RHCs and other vital institutions like Maple Lane School and state mental health hospitals.

Here are the names:
Appleton
Blake
Dunshee
Finn
Flannigan
Goodman
Haigh
Linville
Maxwell
Morris
O'Brien
Orwall
Rolfes (The speaker made a point to note that this was a HARD vote for Christine! Double Kudos)
Springer
Sullivan
Takko
Wallace

Sample Message: "Thank you for your courageous vote for revenue. We recognize that by making that vote you are protecting many who can't protect themselves."

Hotline calls (800.562.6002) or e mails will work. Emphasis is on communication from within the district, so it is important that if you know someone not on this mailing who lives in the above named districts, please ask them to take the time to send some communication.

Six Days And Counting - ACT NOW

Two days of sign waving at the Capitol and member actions across the state - good job! Let's keep it rolling. The sign wavers received a lot of positive feedback from drivers. There was one no tax increase decorated car and a few thumbs down. KIRO news interviewed me at sign waving yesterday. They took pictures and film but if it was on the news, I missed it.

Tomorrow's event at the Capitol is important. All the legislators have been invited to talk with members about how important the healthcare issue is and why. Members will be able to discuss all the other issues that concern them as well. Legislators will come as they are able depending on meetings and other business so we need members to come as often as possible and stay as long as they can. We will set up a MASH tent area featuring healthcare so it will be easy to spot. Please come - you can't afford the future if we can't turn it around in these last days.

If you cannot come now - please make the calls to 1-800-562-6002. Let your voice be heard!

Save Pine Lodge Correctional Facility

Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women Call to Action!!!!

As we enter into a special session, we must pressure the decision makers to make the right decision. We need you to call members of the fiscal committees and tell them to keep Pine Lodge open. Here is the message!

Eastern Washington is apart of Washington! We want the same opportunities for citizens in Eastern Washington as in Western Washington. We want fair access to family members who are incarcerated. We want the opportunity for them to benefit from maintaining family relationships. We want children of confined mothers to benefit from developing emotional ties. We want the opportunity to break the cycle of criminal offenses. Keep families together. Give children a chance and provide optimal opportunities for change.


CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW. 1-800-562-6002.

Submitted by Ton Johnson

Seven Days And Counting - ACT NOW

Brothers and Sisters,

We have 6 days left to act. The legislature is even now making decisions about closures, lay offs, program cut backs, furloughs, and our healthcare costs. I know you grow weary - all people who fight the good fight do. Battles are won in the closing days of engagements. These are those days. We need every member who can to participate in events in support of our jobs, our healthcare, and the programs that service the people of Washington state. Any member who does not take the time this week to call the hotline, speak to their legislators, write an e-mail, or join in job actions is gambling their own future and the future of families everywhere.

These are the last days of this battle. DO NOT FALL ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH. It will be a trainwreck.

Think you have no time to spend? Imagine the time we'll all find when faced with unemployment. Think your seniority will protect you from this? 20 year members have been laid off as job classes are eliminated altogether. Think someone else will fight your battle? Those who have been fighting all along for you are looking to see where you are.

Many members have spent countless hours driving long distances and using their own time to get this job done. Many others have participated in every way they can find to protect state employees and the services to the public. To those who have sacrificed so much - we owe a deep debt of gratitude. It will be paid in full when every member and represented individual makes the hotline call (1-800-562-6002), or join in an event to support the effort.

They can't roll over us when we stand together - GREEN MACHINE!

Dire Straits in Washington State - Act Now

Brothers and Sisters,

We are being pushed hard in the direction of wage reductions, increased cost for healthcare, and job loss. The legislature will go into special session on Monday and our financial future hangs with the decisions they make.

At this point the Governor's budget underfunds our healthcare benefits and the Senate budget is even worse. We asked for 80 million. The House budget provides 65 million which keeps us even if further inflation doesn't undermine it. The result of the underfunding could mean deductibles of $3000 a year. Our members cannot withstand that kind of assault. We know that the increased costs are already causing members to stay away from office visits and stop taking certain prescribed medications.

What happens now is negotiation between the Governor's office, the House, and the Senate. With both the Governor and the Senate budgets setting the funding level so low, there will be intense pressure on House members who return on Tuesday to reduce the funding in their budget. We have had the benefit of a solid group of House members who stand up for state employees and their families. They know it was wrong for the state to divert the dollars from our healthcare plans risking our negotiated benefits.

The Senate returns Monday. The House returns Tuesday. The lunchbox issues on the table are furloughs for state employees (11 days), out of reach healthcare premiums and deductibles, closures of facilities in DOC, DD, JRA and other program cuts.

We are in dire straits. The legislature closed its regular session with the music from "Titanic". The legislature will return and try to pass a budget in one week.

We have had to play defense all session. The game isn't over yet. The good news is that the unprecedented job actions, lobby efforts, phone calls, and e-mails have made a difference. If members had not engaged with such passion and energy, that list of bad proposals would have been a fete accompli. We have refused to go quietly into the financial morass planned for us. We have fought back every day in every way we know how. These actions are having a serious impact.

Yesterday, a legislative aide ran up to the Executive Director at the Capitol and demanded to know what is going on and why are state employees making these panicked calls. The answer is simple:

WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT! We will stand up! We will fight back! We will remember! We will do something about it both NOW and LATER!

The battle is in the Senate on Monday. Will you be there? If you can come - do it! We need a solid front on Monday. If you can't - then fight with us by calling the hotline at 1-800-562-6002. We will fight to the bitter end to save our jobs, to save our wages and to save our healthcare! Green Machine - show them what we've got!

AFSCME Call To Action - Save State Jobs!

Call to Action - Now! Please call 1-888-460-0813 and ask your Senator to support an increase in Medicaid funding for the states as part of the jobs bill. Helping state and local governments saves and creates jobs. Every dollar invested in public services creates $1.41 in economic growth. Economists on the left and right agree that helping state and local governments is one of the best ways to save and create jobs.

Recommended script: Hello, my name is ____ and I live at _____. I'd like to speak to the person who is working on the jobs bill. When you are connected, ask this question: Can I count on Senator_______ to support and fight for aid for state and local goivernments as part of the jobs bill?

Get on the bus and come to Olympia for the Presidents' Day Rally and Lobby Day

Rally February 15, 2010

Join thousands of other public employees at noon on Monday, February 15, on the Capitol steps in Olympia to rally the legislature for revenue to protect our future.

Cuts to safety net programs are unjust. Safety net programs have already been cut to the bone. We're urging legislators to support raising new revenue and closing some of the $14.8 billion tax loopholes to help save our safety net.

We must show legislators how much is at stake if huge proposed cuts go through. Anti-state employee forces will also be rallying that day, so we must be there to counter their wrong-headed message.

RSVP here - REGISTER today:

Send us the letter below to tell us your plans for the day. When you RSVP, we'll arrange for your lunch and make appointments for you to meet with your legislators.

Here's what you can do:

• Attend the rally at noon on Monday, February 15 - President's Day holiday.

• Schedule to meet with your legislators while you're at the Capitol. 

• Can't attend the rally? Call the legislative hotline at 800-562-6000 on February 15th and leave them a message urging them to support revenue options that include closing tax loopholes.

Staging begins at 9:00 AM at the DNR building (across from WFSE HQ Office) with a group briefing. Background information, messaging and resources will be distributed at the briefing.

But if you can't make the briefing, you can join us at the rally.

Green it up! Wear your green AFSCME t-shirt. Don't have one? Pick one up at the AM briefing.
Schedule:

• 9 AM - Briefing at the Natural Resources Building Cafeteria.
• 9:30 to Noon - Opportunity for appointments with your legislators.
• Noon Rally - Capitol steps.
• 1:30 - Opportunity for afternoon appointments with legislators.
  

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• RSVP here!

• Download flyers to share.
  

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

SENATE BILL 6503 WILL TAKE PAY from hard working state employees. It will go through executive session today and be heard on the floor tomorrow. It has come up quickly and suddenly and must be fought quickly and suddenly. Please call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and leave a message for your Senator, In addition you may leave messages to the following decision makers on the Ways and Means committee: Prentice, Fraser, Tom, Zarelli, Brandland, Carrell, Fairley, Hewitt, Hobbs, Honeyford, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Mc Dermott, Murray, Oemig, Parlette, Pflug, Pridemore, Regala, Rockefeller, Schoesler.

Speaker Of The House Visits SOLAs

On December 30, Representative Frank Chopp visited two SOLA homes in King County, one in Kent and the other in Renton. Representative Chopp was escorted by Matt Zuvich and I as well as other members who work in SOLA. Representative Chopp was greeted warmly by the people residing in the homes and by the wonderful state employees, WFSE members, who assist them. Residents of the SOLA homes proudly showed Representative Chopp their rooms that had been adapted to meet their needs and how the home was ADA accessible including a roll in shower for those residents requiring total care. One resident discussed her concerns regarding the denials she has received from Medicaid for a new wheelchair that she desperately needs to prevent pressure sores. She continues to appeal to Medicaid for her wheelchair. Our members talked about visits and interactions the residents they serve have with their families and friends.

Representative Chopp asked how the neighborhood has accepted the SOLA home and state employees, our members, shared their stories with him. They told him that many of the neighbors were leery at first. One neighbor came to the home and told them that they had lowered his property values. Another neighbor called the police when one of the residents was outside enjoying a picnic. This resident is non-verbal and expresses herself through loud vocalizations when she is happy. The neighbors thought this was a child being abused and called the police. This incident and others like it are what our most vulnerable clients experience when they move into our local neighborhoods. Without the specialized support the residents receive from valued State Employees, their transition into the Community would be much more difficult.

Many thanks to the Residents and Staff at the SOLA homes, for allowing us to visit your home. I had a wonderful time visiting and getting to know all of you.

In solidarity,

Sue Henricksen