Washington for All, Not Just the Rich - DCYF/Statewide Action
The Governor has proposed across the board budget cuts to tackle Washington's projected $12 billion budget deficit - including cuts to state services, the closure of several public facilities, and furloughs (mandatory unpaid leave) for state employees. Instead of enacting nigh-unnoticeable taxes for the very richest people in our state, Governor Ferguson is targeting state employees and services, which will hurt regular Washingtonians and have even greater impacts on the most vulnerable individuals in our state.
Throwing away our values to buy the super-rich another vacation home is not a solution. We can’t cut our way out of this mess. Our workloads are already through the roof, we're in the middle of a hiring freeze, and we can't retain anyone we do hire. We can fix the structural budget deficit that got us here by asking the super-rich to begin contributing like the rest of us.
Every one of us can attest to how having to do more with less each year impacts us and the general public that depends on our work, and how budget cuts would make it worse.
We have to tell our stories in order to protect our work and the people we serve.
Learn about our upside-down tax code and the structural budget deficit.
How you can take action:
Attend a town hall with your legislators, wear green and show up to tell them that cuts and furloughs are NOT a solution. If your district isn't listed on the page, check the links at the bottom to find it.
Write a short letter to your elected officials.
Call your elected officials every day! - text STAND to 237263 for information on making the call, as well as for tips and talking points.
Click here for updates and other ways to act.
ACT NOW AGAINST FURLOUGHS AND CUTS TO OUR PAY AND healthcare
Governor Ferguson proposed furloughs and cuts to state jobs and services, and Senator June Robinson is now sponsoring legislation to DECREASE our pay, make us take a furlough day every month, and take away our right to bargain our contribution to our health insurance (which will INCREASE healthcare costs). Contact Senator Robinson at [email protected], Governor Ferguson at this link, and your own representatives using contact information found here, and tell them that we WILL NOT accept furloughs, pay cuts, and higher medical bills in the middle of a staffing crisis and a hiring freeze. They hired us to protect children and support families - and we will do just that now. Feel free to write your own message or edit the template below, but please do not make threats or be outright disrespectful. You can send this every day if you're able!
Hello,
I am writing to you because I am very concerned about your proposed legislation to decrease state worker pay, implement furlough days, increase our healthcare contributions, and end our right to bargain healthcare. Our most critical services, including child welfare and institutions like JR and Western State, are currently in a staffing crisis - and it is harming our state's most vulnerable populations.
I have heard you say that you want to maintain the services for those who need it most, but I cannot understand how that is possible when our lowest paid state employees are over 30% behind the private sector, and your legislation would push us even further behind. As a child welfare worker, we have seen our workload increased by the legislature year after year, without any of the increases in staffing we need to create safe caseloads. This ongoing ask to do more and more work with fewer and fewer resources has resulted in a revolving door of caseworkers. Except that now, many positions are on a hiring freeze, so there is often no one new coming in when our coworkers leave.
Workload has consistently been cited as a primary factor in child fatality and near fatality reviews. Now you are asking us to not just do more with fewer staff, but to do more with fewer staff, lower pay, and with fewer days of work. What is your plan to increase state employee retention to maintain critical services - while also cutting worker pay and benefits? If our staffing levels continue to be unsafe, do you in the legislature plan to take responsibility for critical incidents such as child deaths, instead of continuing to allow state employees to be blamed?
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Testify or Comment on Proposed Legislation - DCYF/Statewide Action
There are multiple bills making their way through the legislature, many of which will have significant impacts (positive or negative) on our jobs if passed. Giving testimony in writing, remotely, in-person, or even just having your position noted for the record can make a difference.
Take a look at the bills we're watching here, and get more information and updates on the bigger picture here.
How you can take action:
Provide testimony or share your position on important bills. Check our Current Legislation page for upcoming hearings or to find a bill to testify on. Click "Sign Up to Testify | Submit Written Testimony" on the right. You can find detailed instructions and more information at the bottom of the page. Select any of the four types of testimony that you're able to give. In terms of influencing a vote, oral testimony is better than written, and written is better than noting your position, but even just noting your position can help and only takes a few seconds. You can put WFSE member as the organization or leave it blank. If the option to testify is not listed, you can also leave a comment or contact your legislator about it.
Remember to share (if you have the option) that you aren't speaking on behalf of DCYF. You're speaking as an individual, and you can also share that you're a WFSE member. Do not use any work resources, devices, or work time for any of this. You can talk about your experiences at work, just remember to keep confidentiality in mind.
You can also figure out which (if any) of your representatives are on the committees, and reach out to them individually by phone or email with your concerns.
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Do you have an idea for an action? Is there an issue relevant to WFSE DCYF workers that you want us to know about or share? Talk with your local union or contact us at [email protected].
