Local 1326

Our current $12 billion budget crisis is in large part a result of our state’s inequitable tax code that relies on those with the least to pay the most. It's inefficient and it's unfair.

The message below is from WFSE President Mike Yestramski, a WFSE Local 793 member and psychiatric social worker at Western State Hospital.

After a hard fight, WFSE members received an arbitration opinion vindicating our nine Department of Corrections members who teach Defensive Tactics courses who had been unfairly excluded from receiving assignment pay.
The proposed closures would negatively impact those who are in most need of these services , result in increased recidivism (a 2007 study showed Washington’s reentry centers lead to at least a 2.8% reduction in recidivism), cost the state more money (research conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy indicates that reentry programs have a positive cost/benefit impact; for every dollar spent, $3.82 is returned to the state.), and threaten the capacity of our community custody system when the need for more capacity is rising.

National AFSCME News