HOTLINE 2/2/18

This is the Federation Hotline updated Feb. 2.

AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) members join in Moment of Silence

From Ecology Headquarters in Lacey to the Executive Board meeting of the Washington State Labor Council, Federation members organized and took part in the Feb. 1 nationwide “Moment of Silence” to honor the 50th anniversary of the tragic deaths of Memphis sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker. They’re deaths sparked the strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to their aid – and his tragic death.

See just some of the photos that have come in from around the state: https://wfse.org/news/moment-silence-feb-1


Public Safety Conference RSVP deadline is Feb.16

AFSCME Northwest Region Public Safety Conference
March 10-11, 2018, Vancouver, Wash.
(reception on March 9)

This is an opportunity for Law Enforcement members to join with other LE union brothers and sisters at the Biennial AFSCME Northwest Public Safety Conference. Attendees will hear about issues important to public safety employees, discuss what’s going on around the Northwest, and hear advice to help deal with stresses encountered in a law enforcement or public safety career.

For more information and to sign up, go to: https://wfse.org/news/public-safety-conference-march


Social worker loan repayment bill needed to address “epidemic” turnover

AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) priority bill to help Children’s Administration social workers repay their college debt is an innovative way to address the recruitment and retention crisis there.

That’s what the bill’s sponsor and Federation members told the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday night (Feb. 1) on SSB 6259.

“The Children’s Administration social worker turnover is at an epidemic,” said Joyce Murphy, a social services supervisor in Vancouver and member of Local 313.

Murphy and other social workers care for abused, neglected and at-risk children. They see things every day none of us can even imagine. But they work years to get the master’s degrees to take on this valuable public service. Yet lagging pay, high caseloads and student debt often take their toll. Many move on.

It doesn’t have to be that way, said Sen. Kevin Ranker of the 40th Dist.

“The bill recognizes that we need to keep these incredible employees who are doing absolutely critical work,” Ranker told the committee.

The social worker student loan repayment bill would help to do what Ranker envisions, said Nolan Manion, a social worker with the Children’s office in Kent and a member of Local 843.

SSB 6259 would “incentivize state workers to persevere through these exertions and to encourage the next generation to pursue careers in social work,” Manion said.

SSB 6259 must clear the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Tuesday (Feb. 6).

Interpreter services bill saves money, members tell Senate budget committee

The AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)’s priority bill to expand the successful interpreter services program came before the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday night (Feb. 1) where WFSE/AFSCME Interpreters United Local 1671 President Leroy Mould said the 7-year-old program won for medical interpreters has streamlined scheduling and services and been cost-effective.

“These savings are the consequence of using our web-based scheduling system,” Local 1671 Secretary Milena Waldron added.

“The result has been that we have significant reductions in administrative costs and that’s enabled the interpreters to gain higher pay,” the AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)’s Dennis Eagle told the committee.

The bill they testified on, SSB 6245, would expand that successful model to interpreters tied to other agencies, like Labor and Industries. SSB 6245 must clear the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Tuesday (Feb. 6).

Also:

AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) Lobbyist Matt Zuvich on Friday (Feb. 2) registered support for a bill to define military veteran status and urged that it be expanded to other retirement systems. SB 6377 came before the Senate State Government Committee.


Here’s what’s on the tap for the week ahead

Next week, the focus turns to the fiscal committees, which have until Tuesday to pass bills and then to the Senate and House floors for action on all those bills that pass their committees.

And remember, every day is Lobby Day. RSVP HERE.

Before we run down the schedule for next week, here is a quick update on our priority bills that still need to pass committee and if there is a bill or bills that you’re following, blanket call to action is call the Legislative Message Center at 1-800-562-6000 and urge your House member or senator to support that bill.

Here goes:

  • Outsourcing transparency (Taxpayer Protection Act) – 2SHB 1851 has a hearing Saturday (Feb. 3) in the House Appropriations Committee. It needs to pass that committee by Feb. 6.
  • Social worker loan repayment bill – SSB 6259 had a hearing Thursday (Feb. 1) in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It needs to pass that committee by Feb. 6.
  • Interpreter services expansion – SSB 6245 had a hearing Thursday (Feb. 1) in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It needs to pass that committee by Feb. 6.
  • Expanding the Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS) to include institutions workers – SHB 1558 needs to pass the House Appropriations Committee by Feb. 6.
  • Affordable housing/rent control – HB 2583 is in the House Judiciary Committee and SB 6400 is in the Senate Financial Institutions Committee. Today is the deadline for both those to pass their respective committees, but neither committee is meeting today.
  • Peer support group confidentiality for Community Corrections members – HB 2611 passed the House Judiciary Committee Feb. 1 – clearing that important hurdle.
  • Re-establishing the state Productivity Board – SSB 6332 has until Feb. 6 to pass the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
  • The bill adding part-time workers to civil service – HB 2669 has a hearing tomorrow (Feb. 3) in the House Appropriations Committee; it has until Feb. 6 to pass that committee. SB 6184 has until Feb. 6 to pass the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
  • Workplace bullying – HB 2888 passed the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee Thursday (Feb. 1), so has cleared its first hurdle. – SSB 2778 passed the Senate State Government Committee Jan. 31, so has cleared its first hurdle.

Bills that earlier cleared this first committee cut-off:

  • Shared leave for pregnancy/parental bonding – SHB 1434 passed the House; SSB 5295 is in the Senate Rules Committee;
  • Binding interest arbitration for campus police – SHB 1559 passed the House;
  • PERS 2 default – SHB 1560 passed the House; and
  • Protecting privacy of state employees’ dates of birth – SB 6079 is in the Senate Rules Committee.

And here’s what’s on tap for next week:

Saturday, Feb. 3

  • In a rare Saturday hearing, the House Appropriations Committee takes up 2SHB 1851, the Taxpayer Protection Act, and HB 2669, adding part-time workers to state civil service.

Monday, Feb. 5

  • The Senate Ways and Means Committee takes up a bill of concern, SSB 6160, the age 25 juvenile rehab bill.
  • The House Appropriations Committee also meets on bills that still need to pass that committee by Feb. 6.

Tuesday, Feb. 6

  • It’s a day of action for Action DD – Advocates for People with Developmental Disabilities. Why? Because everyone has a right to a life of dignity. Action DD Day will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Pritchard Building, Lower Level, Washington Room. RSVP to Julianne Moore, [email protected].
  • The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee both meet on bills that still need to pass their respective committees by Feb. 6.

Wednesday, Feb. 7

  • The House Early Learning and Human Services Committee holds a work session on promising practices for child welfare and juvenile justice services.
  • Both the House and Senate have extensive floor action.

Thursday, Feb. 8

Friday, Feb. 9

  • Both the House and Senate have extensive floor action.

In memoriam:

Sad news from our Tri-Cities Local 1253 members. Harold Schatz, the husband of Julie Schatz, a financial services specialist 3 with DSHS in Richland and a member of Local 1253, died Jn. 27. He was 62. He was a retired Teamster. Graveside services are today, Friday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m., at Riverview Heights Cemetery in Richland. The entire Federation family extends condolences to Julie and her family.

That’s it for now.

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