Eastern Washington University Contract Voting Documents and Timeline
Download and Share the TA Highlights flyer
See the links below for a complete copy of the TA, highlights, voting instructions, and more
- Read the Complete TA
- Read the Highlights
- Voting Instructions
- What are the repercussions of a YES or NO vote?
Negotiation of the 2027-2029 Tentative Agreement between the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) and Eastern Washington University (EWU) has concluded!
The tentative agreement (TA) for the 2027-2029 EWU contract achieves several major goals identified as priorities by the membership:
- In spite of an incredibly challenging budget outlook at the state and institutional level, the contract secures meaningful improvements for members including improvements to vacation, paid leave, and more.
- Three new personal leave days
- Increases to shift premium and minimum wage
- Increases to vacation for employees with over fifteen years of service
- Plus more economic and non-economic improvements - see the full tentative agreement for details.
Because of these achievements, your EWU Bargaining Team recommends that you vote YES toACCEPT this Agreement! A summary and complete copy of the tentative agreement is available on the WFSE website.
We want to thank you all for your hard work, research, job actions, and solidarity. Your strength makes all the difference! If you have questions, please visit a voting assistance center, contact a bargaining team member, or contact the Member Connection Center (MCC) at [email protected] or 833-MCC-WFSE (1-833-622-9373).
Your WFSE EWU Bargaining Team
Emily Buriak
Kit Frantzich
Chris Galow
Satoshi Kagiwada
Kathy Kees
Logan Steele
Mike Michalak
Voting Information
Voting Instructions and Timeline
- Voting opens: Monday, September 28, 2026, at 8:00 AM
- Voting closes: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM
How to vote
- Visit vote.wfse.org to cast your ballot.
- Click "ONLINE VOTING" below "Important Links." See screenshot below.
Log in with your first name, last name and your PIN. Click "ONLINE VOTING" below "Important Links." See screenshot below.
Check your personal email for your PIN. Be sure to check your spam, promotions and junk folders. Vote using your personal equipment on personal time.
How Does Our Vote Impact Our Future?
Download the flyer
Learn more online here
Here are the repercussions of a YES or NO vote
All of the collective bargaining agreements (CBA) currently being voted on are subject to RCW 41.80, which includes important requirements about the process and timeline of our negotiations. The information posted here details what would happen in accordance with state law, depending on the vote.
- What is next if members vote YES?
If a majority of members vote yes, then the tentative agreement is ratified.
This must be completed in September and communicated to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) prior to October 1, 2026, to meet the legally required deadline for any funding. For example, $348.5M in new funding is required just to maintain our current healthcare cost share.
Once that is complete, OFM determines “financial feasibility,” which is also a legally required step. From there, our tentative agreement makes its way to the Governor for inclusion in their proposed budget.
During the 2027 legislative session, our state’s legislators will determine whether our contracts are funded as a part of finalizing the state’s overall budget for the 2027-2029 biennium. Given the dire budget outlook, members should be prepared to work hard during the legislative session lobbying legislators for the funding of our CBAs.
You can learn more about how to get involved in that process here.
- What is next if members vote NO?
If members vote no, the tentative agreement is not ratified and there are several important ramifications to be aware of. First, the October 1 deadline is not flexible.
It is set in law and a no vote would mean we do not meet that deadline. Failing to meet the deadline means there is no funding for at least the first year of what would be the 2027-2029 CBA period. As noted above, an example of what requires new funding is the $348.5M in new funding required just to maintain our current healthcare cost share.
In addition to there being no funding, only the parts of our current contract that are in effect as of June 30, 2027, and do not have a specified expiration date, would carry forward for up to one year. That means that there would be numerous takeaways starting July 1, 2027.
In addition, none of the protections that have been secured as part of the 2027-2029 TA will be implemented.
Questions?
Need more information? Contact the Member Connection Center (MCC) at [email protected] or 833-MCC-WFSE (1-833-622-9373)
Download and Share the TA Highlights flyer
Highlights
COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS
Article 19 – Compensation
- Me-Too with general government wage reopener in year two
- Increase to shift premium from $1.00 to $1.50
- Increase to minimum wage from $20 to $22 per hour
NON-COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS
Article 15 – Personnel Files
- Reduced retention times for multiple categories of documents in personnel files.
Article 18 – Classification
- Created a 60-day timeline for the University to respond to reallocation requests
Article 28 – Holidays
- Added clarity to the process for requesting use of personal leave and personal holiday
Article 29 – Vacation
- Increased accrual rates for employees with greater than fifteen (15) years of service
Article 32 – Additional Reasons for Leave
- Added two additional bereavement days
- Creates a new category of leave: Wildfire Disaster Leave, providing 24 hours of paid leave time for those impacted by wildfires and/or evacuations
Article 40 – Grievance Procedure
- Added a new step—mediation
- Added PERC as an option for arbitrations
Article 41 – Union Activities
- Expanded access to paid release for union activities
- Created a new section allowing for dedicated collective bargaining agreement training for union stewards.
MOU – Artificial Intelligence
- Adopted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) placing restrictions on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for employment-related decisions.
MOU – Personal Leave
- Twenty-four (24) hours of personal leave, to be used during the life of the contract
Your EWU WFSE Bargaining Team recommends you
VOTE YES TO ACCEPT this Agreement!
Not a member, but want to vote? It’s not too late!
You can join here: Join | AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)
How did we get here?
Read all the bargaining updates from this round of negotiations on our EWU landing page here.