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Negotiations for WFSE members 2027-29 contracts have reached a boiling point. 

On Monday, August 31st thousands demanded a fair contract for public workers at our Walkout With Washington. Public workers were joined by community members, labor allies and elected officials at over 150 worksites across the state.

The job action spaned state agencies, four-year universities, and public community colleges. Stories about our walkouts were seen an estimated 8.3 million times. 

The state's own negotiators acknowledged that the show of force broke the deadlock on important contract articles that had been at a standstill since April, but we weren't seeing the movement necessary at all negotiations tables. 

Labor Power on Labor Day rally 

Labor Day is supposed to celebrate the contributions of working people. But this weekend, Washington’s public workers gathered not just to celebrate, but to fight.

"It's no secret that year after year, as state employees, we are asked to do more with less," said WFSE Treasurer Jeanette Obelcz, who works at DCYF. "In child welfare, we need 400 more employees right now just to fulfill our basic mission of keeping the kids of Washington state safe. 

"We've seen an increase in staff being assaulted and a decrease in meaningful programming for clients in our psychiatric facilities and our juvenile rehabilitation facilities due to overcrowding. 

These costs are not just paid by state employees, but by all Washingtonians. Increasing lawsuit payouts. Institutions losing accreditation. And as myself and thousands of other child welfare workers have seen, the cost has been an increase in the number of children who die or nearly die."

Everyone Suffers When Public Services Suffer

"Who is there when a rock slide wipes out the only road into a community?" asked Ashley Fueston, WFSE's Vice President and an employee at ESD. We are. Who is standing on the side of the freeway when your car breaks down, putting themselves between you and traffic for your safety? We are. Who's out there testing our food, our water, and the places where we fish and swim? 

"When public workers are undervalued, our state suffers. What happens when your staffing gets cut in half but the workload doesn't get cut in half with it?The work doesn't disappear, friends. It piles on to the people who remain. They are asked to do more with less while vacancies are never filled. 

"So workers are asked to do more with less again, and again, and again, and eventually something breaks. Sometimes that thing, it's a human being, my friends. It's a worker. They burn out, they leave. They find another job where they can breathe. 

"And what happens then? The service slows down. The lines get longer. The wait times increase. The paperwork takes longer, and those delays, yeah, we hate them, too. We are the people trying to fix the problem from the other side of that counter with a management system who doesn't listen to its workforce." 

It's About Respect

“This is about not just money,” said WFSE President Mike Yestramski, who works at Western State Hospital. “This is about respect and dignity in our workplace. Respect for the work that you do so that you can do it safely, so that you have the tools and equipment you need to do the job. 

"We know the budget is bad, right? But the inability for the state to manage their budget doesn't mean that we should have to shoulder the responsibility. It doesn't mean that you can't respect your workforce.

"To those people who think that we don't deserve a fair contract, I invite you to come work a shift with me at Western State Hospital. Jump in a rig and go clean the road after an avalanche. Or get your saw out and start cutting trees during an active wildfire. We do that because we care. 

"We care about our communities, we care about our state, and we care about each other."

With Federal Attacks, Demand for Our Work is Growing

"You show up around the clock," said April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council and a former employee at Western State Hospital. "You show up during emergencies. You show up when caseloads are overwhelming, when staffing is inadequate, when the resources you have do not match the responsibility you've been given. You show up because Washington depends on you.

"And the demands are growing. Federal cuts and policy changes are already making your jobs harder. The Washingtonians who will be hurt first and worst are the same people who rely most heavily on the services that you all provide.

"The state cannot claim they want to protect Washington families from federal attacks and at the same time refuse to fund the workers who provide the services those same families rely on. You cannot protect a safety net without protecting the people who hold it together."

The State Ecomony Runs on Our Work

"I got to climb to the State Capitol cupola," said Lisa Parshley, the state representative from the 22nd Legislative District, which covers Olympia and its sorroundings. "I was shown all the amazing craftsmanship. And then I asked, "How did they get all these stones to the top?" Guess what their answer was? Labor. 

"So when you look at this building, and you look at that building, and you look at every other state building, who makes it happen? Labor. And I have never forgotten that as an LD 22 rep. 

"Do you guys know Beth Doglio, right? And you know Sam Hunt, right? These are my mentors. My first session, Beth Doglio took me aside on the floor when there was a risk of furloughs, and she said, "LD 22's main job is to make sure the state is the best employer it can be." I live by that.

"And you can bet LD 22 is going to be opposing any budget that doesn't have a fair collective bargaining agreement. 

"I brought some other elected officials with me because I want them to see what WFSE's about, that our county runs by state labor. Our county runs by how state labor spends their money, and I think the governor has forgotten that. We have to lift everybody up. And that means providing living wages, fair workplaces, good benefits.

"If we don't do that, our economy's gonna be crap going forward."

We're Not Backing Down

"This is a moment where we tell OFM what kind of union we are," said Dan Andreason, a WFSE Community College Coalition Bargaining Team member and Whatcom Community College employee.

"Are we the kind of union that accepts stalling tactics? No. Are we the kind of union that lets OFM run out the clock? No. Are we the kind of union that's gonna accept scraps?

No. No, we are not. So help me God. 

"We're the kind of union, we're the kind of union that stands together. We're the kind of union that fights together. We're the kind of union that wins together.

"Let me be absolutely clear one more time. We're not stopping. We're not backing down. We're not going away. Not today, not next week, not in October, not ever. Because when we show up We win. When we stand together, we win. And when we fight, we win."

The Great 2026 Call Bob-A-Thon! Make Your Call Today!

Have you called Governor Ferguson demanding a fair union contract for Washington's public workers?

It takes just a couple of minutes:

1. Call 360-902-4111 Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, to be connected to the Governor's Office

2. Tell them your name, that you're a WFSE member who works at ____, and that you're demanding a fair union contract.

That's it! 

Find more details in the flyer here or by texting FAIR to 237-263.