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.

The Timeline

• April 23: Similar to our Walkout for Washington in 2024, WFSE will publish a map of Help Us Hold the Line community events organized by WFSE staff that members can RSVP for.
• April 23 - May 30: Members and locals can review the map to see planned events and organize their own Hold the Line events, which will be added to the map of e able to see what events are planned near them and organize their own to be published on the map. Member and local organized events do not need to be held on May 30th

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 planned Hold the Line community events to:

• Visit local business in near worksites
• Share information about impending cuts and how that will impact the people who depend on our work
• Ask them to put up a WFSE window cling and our Community Support signs in their window that say “This Business Holds the Line: We Support a Strong Contract for _____ Workers" and sign our petition

The Materials

Each WFSE-organized community event will be provided with:

• Community Support Signs customized with information about large local worksites, agencies and universities depending on the location of the event
• Talking points
• Instructions for taking and sharing pictures

Member and local organized community events will be provided with:

• Community Support Signs that can be printed at home or picked up from a local WFSE Field Office
• Canva template of the sign design so the sign can be customized for any worksite or employer
• Talking points
• Instructions for taking and sharing pictures

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. 

Identifying Community Supporters for Campaign Escalations 

Each sign will give the business owners and visitors a way to sign a petition, which will also collect their contact information. 

Members will be provided with instructions for capturing and sending or posting pictures with supporting local businesses. 

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 late in the summer and when it comes time to fund our contracts during the 2027 legislative season.