Campaigns and Actions
Washington for All, Not Just the Rich - DCYF/Statewide Action
Senate Democrats’ proposed budget, taking an unfortunate bit of inspiration from Governor Ferguson's proposals in February, threatens to cut our pay, require us to take mandatory unpaid leave (furlough days) every month, eliminate our ability to bargain healthcare, and increase our healthcare costs. Many of us can't afford to lose this income, or to pay more for the healthcare we need.
House Democrats’ proposed budget needs some changes – closing Rainier and Yakima Valley Schools would hurt many of our state’s most vulnerable adults with disabilities, and shuttering two Department of Corrections re-entry centers is going to cost us much more in the long-term. But it is a starting point: unlike Senate Democrats’ version, it doesn’t cut our pay, limit the time we spend supporting families, or raise our healthcare costs.
Targeting state employees and services will also hurt regular Washingtonians and have even greater impacts on the most vulnerable individuals in our state. Read our Policy Committee's open letter here.
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 - without giving up on the values that we hold as a state.
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 (*starred actions are most needed)
For all of these, remember to avoid implying or stating that you are speaking on behalf of DCYF. You're speaking as an individual or as a WFSE member. Do not use any work resources, devices, or time for any of this (your lunch and 15 minute breaks are fine!). You can talk about your experiences at work, just remember to keep confidentiality in mind.
**URGENT: We need as many calls from our members in priority legislative districts as possible to avoid cuts to our healthcare, furloughs, and layoffs. Check this page to see if you live in a priority district. Follow the instructions (and use the script if you prefer) to call and email them if so.
*Write elected officials using the linked template and instructions to 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.
*Join our empty chair social media campaign. Post on social media or send us a photo of an empty chair and a short story of something you've done at work recently, or that you're proud of. It should not contain any confidential or identifying information for clients or providers (double-check your photos as well). Our goal is to show the governor, our representatives, and regular Washingtonians the impact that furloughs will have, as even more chairs are emptied, and we're all less able to manage our already high workloads.
If you're posting it yourself, use hashtags EmptyChairsWA, safestaffingsaveslives, WashingtonForAll, and fightagainstfurloughs and add a line such as "Could an empty chair do that?". You can tag Governor Bob Ferguson, Washington Senate Democrats, Washington House Democrats, and your representatives as well if you like! See an example here, although yours can be just a story, a few tags, and an empty chair photo.
If you're sending it to us, let us know if you want the post to be anonymous or not! We can also supply the photo if you don't have one, or overlay text onto your photo for you.
Provide testimony or share your position on important bills. Check our Current Legislation page or the latest WFSE legislative update (found here) 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 the option to note your position, unless you feel up to one of the other options. You can put WFSE 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. You can provide written testimony (and only written testimony) for up to 24 hours after a hearing begins; otherwise you need to do this over an hour before the hearing.
Call your elected officials every day! - text STAND to 237263 for information on making the call, as well as for tips and talking points. You can also write a short letter to your elected officials or join them at a town hall.
Click here for updates and other ways to act.
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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].
