Our Employers' Initial Proposal...Bargaining Update 2
Yesterday, your General Government bargaining team met with management for the second time.
Thanks to everyone who wore green and took action (We’re looking at you Local 843 members at the Rainier Community Services Office!) Those visible signs of solidarity matter. They show management we are paying attention and we’re united. Keep it up!
Management shared their initial proposals with us…and it left a bit to be desired.
Take the Survey Today!
We’ll get to that, but first we want to make sure you see this: 👉Take our bargaining survey today
It’s how you tell us – your fellow state employees – what you want us to focus on and prioritize as we negotiation our 2027-29 union contract throughout the summer.
If you’ve already filled it out—thank you. If not, please take a few minutes and make sure your voice is part of this contract.
Not a member? Let’s fix that
If you’re not a dues-paying member, now is a great time to join and see what standing together is all about.
You’ll be able to shape negotiations with the survey, vote YES or NO on the contract when we have a tentative agreement, and more.
Progress Made, a Long Way to Go
We’ve now reached tentative agreements (TAs) on 13 articles of our contract. A TA means our union bargaining team and the employer have agreed on language at the table, but it doesn’t take effect unless members vote to ratify the full agreement at the end of bargaining.
You can learn more about how that works here in our Road to a Fair Contract.
Every TA represents real progress—but it’s only one step toward the full contract we all deserve.
Take One Action This Week for a Fair Contract
Last thing before we get into the update…Can you commit to doing one thing this week for our contract fight?
- Talk to one coworker this week and get them involved in our campaign:
- You can share the bargaining survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/uFBaFvHig5
- If they’re not a member yet, ask them to join: https://wfse.org/join
- Click here to sign up for a May 30 community event in your area, or create your own and we’ll send you personalized signs you can put up in local businesses. one-on-one conversations are the most powerful thing in our union.
Events are already scheduled in communities across the state, including:
- Seattle
- Olympia
- Tacoma
- Spokane
- Yakima
- Tri-Cities
- Vancouver
- Everett
- Bellingham (will be added 5/13!)
…and more on the way!
Management seemed unprepared
We need to be really clear about what we experienced this week: Management seemed woefully unprepared.
In our first bargaining session, we passed along our non-economic proposals for our next contract. (We’re not talking about our compensation until after we see how the economy is doing when the revenue forecast comes out in June.)
During yesterday’s session, it was management’s turn to share their non-economic proposals and respond to what we shared with them in April. We didn’t get much back. When we asked simple questions about the intent of their contract language, often nobody on the management team could explain.
Worse, they didn’t appear to take the issues we were raising seriously—even matters like safety. And that’s important.
Because when we talk about safety, our members know a thing or two about what’s actually happening on the ground. We carry the caseloads and maintain the highways.
At DCYF, in Juvenile Rehabilitation, in our state’s 24/7 institutions, and beyond, assaults on staff are commonplace. In one recent period at the Child Study and Treatment Center, 23 staff were injured in less than two months, roughly one every other day.
And for our WSDOT highway maintenance workers, close calls for our crews are routine. There are around 1,500 crashes in work zones every year.
Across agencies, our members are working in unpredictable environments, facing violence, dealing with chronic understaffing, or operating inches away from live traffic.
We reminded management that we’re more than statistics; we’re real people with families and loved ones who we want to get home to every day.
Here’s the Good News
Though we were frustrated by the other side of the table, we remain very happy with the dynamics on our team.
We come from agencies and institutions across the state—from social services to natural resources to the preservation of historic artifacts. We live in communities large and small.
What we all have in common is that we’re united and dedicated to winning the best possible deal for the 40k workers protected by this agreement.
Use the tools on this page or in your email to stand with us!
In solidarity,
Your General Government Bargaining Team