Since 2005, WFSE/AFSCME members have won:

• funding for the first master collective bargaining agreements;
• safety bills for children’s services workers, park rangers and mental hospital employees;
• repeal of contracting out highway sign work in the Department of Transportation;
• a state employee privacy bill heavily pushed by Corrections members;
• workplace communications;
• voluntary payroll deductions;
• increased higher education bid limits;
• and legislation saving jobs and programs in Employment Security, Parks, the Horse Racing Commission, and state institutions.

LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES

Here are are just some of WFSE/AFSCME’s key legislative victories: 

• Full-scope collective bargaining for state employees (2002). Negotiated pay and benefits; independent grievance arbitration.

• Funding of comparable worth settlement (1986). Some $482 million in pay equity for tens of thousands of women and men in jobs historically performed by women.

• Health benefits for state employees (1965).

• Unemployment insurance for state employees (1971).

• Social Security coverage (1957).

• Sick leave cashout (1979).

• Assault pay for workers in Corrections (1984, 1988), Veterans Affairs (1987), Institutions (1986), and Transportation (2002).

• Washington Management Service “Transparency” Law requiring mandatory, annual reports on the number of WMS and exempt employees and the size and cost of any bonuses they receive (2009).

• Scientific Integrity Law expanded Whistleblower Law to protect state employees expressing their scientific opinions (2008).

• Saved state parks with the “Opt-Out” funding bill to create an ongoing stream of revenue from a voluntary $5 fee included in license renewal fees (2009).

• General Law enforcement authority for Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers (2002).

• Service Credit bill (2009).

• Shared leave (1989, 1996, 2003, 2007).

• Tuition waivers (1990).

• Indemnification law (1989).

• Pension funding and improvements.

• Forty-hour workweek for institutions workers (1953).

• Early collective bargaining law (1967) allowing members to negotiate contracts covering non-economic, workplace issues.

• Stopped mandatory parking fees (1995).

OTHER VICTORIES

The union has defeated numerous attempts to expand ?contracting out, reduce collective bargaining and civil service rights and strip away seniority rights.

The union has also  won in the courts and at the bargaining table:

• First full-scope collective bargaining agreements bring first pay raises in four years (2005).

• Thousands more state employees win contract rights through union organizing (2002-05).

• WFSE/AFSCME’s first-ever strike (2001) mobilizes thousands of members, forces Legislature to back down, grant pay raises, and other improvements.

• Preserving step increase dates (2005).

• $30 million common class (Shroll) lawsuit settlement (2006).

• $55 million health funding settlement brings $756 lump sum payments (2007).

• Capped successful campaign with anti-bullying language added to most contracts (2008).

• $1 million pay equity settlement for DD Case Resource Managers (2007).

• Settlement preserving negotiated medical/dental flexible spending accounts (2007).

• Domestic partner benefits (2000).

• Settlement of lawsuit increasing life insurance benefits (1999).

• Settlement of WFSE/AFSCME’s comparable worth pay equity lawsuit against the state (1985).

• Supreme Court victory for union’s anti-contracting out lawsuit (1978).

• Passage of WFSE/AFSCME-sponsored State Civil Service Initiative 207 (1960).

• Right for state employees to join unions (1941) and right to union representation (1971).

Learn how you can get involved at our Legislative & Political Action (LPA) Center.