Use this page to take action against budget cuts and furloughs and demand that our state balance our tax code so that all Washingtonians can thrive.
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 Governor has proposed across the board budget cuts to tackle Washington's projected $12 billion budget deficit, along with the closure of several public facilities that the most vulnerable depend on.
The House and Senate will release their budgets the week of March 24.
That means we have until mid-March to convince our elected officials to reject cuts and balance the budget by having the wealthy and the most profitable corporations pay what they owe.
We can’t cut our way out of this mess. Our workloads are already through the roof. 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 our members can attest to how having to do more with less every year impacts them and the general public that depends on their work, and how drastic budget cuts would make it worse.
That's what we’ll have to do protect the work we do and the people we serve – tell our stories.
We're calling on our elected officials to ratify and fund our 2025-2027 union contracts to ensure the state can hire and retain the workforce necessary to provide the vital public services we all depend on. Negotiating raises was no small feat given the budget deficit.
Make Washington's Wealthiest Pay their Fair Share
Our elected officials must address our upside-down tax code and ask the super-wealthy to contribute like the rest of us. We will never be able to address unmet needs across government until we solve our structural budget deficit. The ERFC projects revenue to flatten-out, so it’s vital we continue to pursue policies that ask the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes.
Fund existing state services before funding new projects or initiatives
The current state of our state services is chronically underfunded and understaffed, and the lack of investment is beginning to show in how our agencies operate. We must fully invest in our existing state services before funding new projects or initiatives. Without more revenue and lower workloads, we are on an unsustainable course that will crush our vital state operations.
(OPPOSE) SB 5393 - Closing Rainier School and Yakima Valley School
WFSE opposes the plans in Governor Inslee’s proposed budget to close Rainier School and Yakima Valley School, which would significantly impact care for residents of institutions and threaten the jobs of dedicated public servants working there.
(OPPOSE) Budget Item - Closing DOC Reentry Centers in Yakima and Bellingham
WFSE opposes the plans in Governor Inslee’s proposed budget to close two DOC Re-entry Centers- Bellingham and Ahtanum View (Yakima). This would shortsightedly reduce capacity in our criminal justice system for community custody, and isolate people in re-entry centers farther from their communities.
HB 1105 (Fosse) / SB 5433 (Ramos) Create a stand-alone contract for WFSE members members in the Community Corrections division at DOC.
This bill would create a separate contract for WFSE DOC members apart from the General Government contract, which they are currently a part of. This change would save time and simplify the process.
HB 1622 / SB 5422 (Parshley) - Collective Bargaining on AI Use
WFSE supports allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence, ensuring that worker rights and protections are addressed as technology evolves.
WFSE supports legislation concerning the management of individuals placed in juvenile rehabilitation institutions, ensuring effective and humane care for youth in the justice system.
As you may have heard, the governor's proposed budget includes the closure of Yakima Valley School and Rainier School. We can't lose these crucial community resources for Washingtonians who need them. Read on for actions you can take to stand with vulnerable community members and dedicated WFSE members and stop the closures.
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.