Join members statewide as we ask our local communities to help us hold the line during our 2027-29 contract campaign.

We'll be educating local businesses about the value of the work we do and warning them about the impact of billions in cuts scheduled for 2027.

With this much uncertainty regarding the economy and billions in Medicaid cuts coming in 2027, we must be proactive and intentional about generating community support so we can stand together when our campaign escalates later this summer.

Find Events Near You or Create Your Own to be Added to the Map

Review the map to see planned events. If you'd like to organize your own, reach out to your Council Rep to see if anything is being planned or simply submit the information for your event here.

The Details

WFSE members' union contracts have a huge impact on our surrounding communities, whether it's how much our 50k+ members have to spend at local businesses or if we're able to recruit and retain enough people to the jobs Washingtonians depend on. 

Members will gather together at community engagement events to:

• Visit local business near where they work 
• Share information about impending cuts and how that will impact the people who depend on our work
• Ask them to sign our petition and put up a WFSE window cling and our community support signs in their windows.

Once these connections in our communities have been made, we’ll know who we can reach out to for support when we need to escalate and hold bigger actions.

Good for us, and good for them!

We'll purchase newspaper and digital ads to highlight businesses that support our contract fight throughout the campaign and during the 2027 legislative session when it's time to lobby elected officials to fund our contracts.

The Materials: Each community event will be provided with:

Business support petitions - Paper

• If the business is an immediate YES, the member will ask for their signature and to pose with the 11x17 sign. 
• Includes:
  • Large text explaining what they are agreeing to, why it matters, and how we will include them in newspaper advertising as being a supporter of frontline workers
  • Spot for the name of the business and signature
  • Location of community engagement event 

Business support petitions - Digital

• If the business is a MAYBE because the owner isn’t there and the employee can’t sign for the business, or they need to think about it, they’ll be left with a half-sheet so the business can support later.
• Includes:
  • What they are agreeing to, why it matters, and how we will include them in newspaper advertising as being a supporter of frontline workers
  • QR code so they can sign the digital petition. 
  • QR code to send us a picture of them with the sign.

11 x 17 sign for photo ops and store windows

• If business is a YES, we’ll ask them to hold the sign, members will take the picture and put the sign up in their window or leave the sign there for them to put up. 
• If the business is a maybe, they’ll be left at the store along with the the digital business support petition.  

Vinyl window cling for store windows

• Because some businesses may not want to put an 11 x 17 sign in their windows or won't have the space, each business that signs our petition will receive a vinyl window cling for their window that says "We Support Public Workers. Public Workers Support Us." 
• Higher ed-focused events will receive window clings customized to their school/contract 
• Some 

Script and instruction sheet

• Each participant will have a script and instruction sheet including what to say, how to ask for support, and some helpful talking points 
• It will also include a QR code to upload photo of the businesses holding our signs

When will materials be available?

• Printed materials and the window clings will be available beginning May 13th. 
• Materials for local and member-led events in our Toolkit which can be printed at home or at a local printing shop will be available April 30th.

Our Message to our Communities 

Already on shaky economic footing thanks to inflation and our inefficient tax code, Washington State faces the loss of an estimated $4b in Medicaid dollars beginning next year thanks to the disastrous “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Every penny counts this round of negotiations, which will determine what portion of the state’s resources will go toward frontline, caseload-carrying workers who directly support the public and what will be spent elsewhere. 

Prioritizing frontline workers has a clearly demonstrated net positive impact on the economy.

• Every $1 invested in the public sector generates roughly $1.60 in local economic activity. It’s one of the most effective ways to strengthen local economies.
• Money invested in higher education has an even greater local impact. For every $1 of state taxpayer invested in UW, $28 dollars of economic activity is generated. For WWU, $12 dollars of economic activity come at the cost of just $1 of investment

By contrast, short-staffing leads to tragic outcomes for vulnerable Washingtonians and costly legal liability for the state. 

• The price of tort claim settlements and judgements has jumped from $100 million in 2020-21 to over $500 million in 2024-25.
• Turnover in state government alone cost the state around $287 Million in 2024, according to standard replacement cost benchmarks and the state’s FY 2024 HR Management Roll-Up Report.

That's the message we're bringing to the communities we support through our work and with our paychecks on May 30th and asking them to stand with us in holding the line.