1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300
Olympia, WA 98501
(360) 352-7603

With roots dating back to the 1930s, WFSE counts among its many accomplishments the replacement of state government's old "spoils system" of employment patronage with a merit-based civil service system in the 1950s; the attainment of non-discriminatory "comparable worth" pay for women employees in the 1970s; and, most recently, the achievement of full-scope collective bargaining rights for state employees, which led to state employees' first-ever master contracts covering wages and benefits.

Our members include secretaries, custodians, data entry operators, clerical workers; fiscal technicians; social workers; financial services specialists; environmental engineers; human services workers; correctional employees; law enforcement officers; transportation maintenance workers; job service specialists; accountants; juvenile rehabilitation workers; mental health hospital workers; developmentally disabled facilities workers and food service staff, among many other trades, service, clerical and professional job classes.

FEDERATION HOTLINE 10/12/07

    This is a special update of the Federation Hotline on Friday, Oct. 12.

URGENT CALL TO ACTION NEEDED FOR EMPLOYMENT SECURITY WORKERS

    Our Employment Security members, whose programs are largely funded by the federal government, need your help sending a message to United States Senator Maria Cantwell right away.

    We’ll give you the message and then the explanation as provided by our ES leadership.

    THE MESSAGE:

    Please e-mail, write or call Sen. Maria Cantwell. Tell Sen. Cantwell that her Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) bill needs to support the position taken by AFSCME and the Washington Federation of State Employees Council 28 to support our Employment Security workers. Tell her to include requirements that state employees administer these programs. Don’t privatize Washington’s Employment Security jobs!

    HOW TO GET THIS MESSAGE TO SEN. CANTWELL:

1. Go to the Federation website at www.wfse.org and click on the link in the “Action Center” in the upper right corner of the main page.

2. From your home computer, e-mail Sen. Cantwell at Maria_cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov.

3. Call one of her offices:

a. Washington, DC, (202) 224-3441.
b. Seattle, (206) 220-6400
c. Spokane, (509) 353-2507
d. Vancouver, (360) 696-7838
e. Richland, (509) 946-8106
f. Tacoma, (253) 572-2281
g. Everett, (425) 303-0114

4. And if you can’t do any of those, please write her: Sen. Maria Cantwell, 717 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC  20510.

WHAT THIS IS ABOUT

Here’s an explanation for those of us not in Employment Security. The Trade Adjustment Assistant (TAA) services are provided by Employment Security Department employees in WorkSource offices across the state. U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) draft rules for the TAA program written last fall clearly showed the administration’s intent to allow the TAA program to be privatized or block granted with Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds. WIA funds, when passed through Workforce Development Councils have routinely been given to private companies such as Arbor and Career Path Services to administer. Many public employee jobs have been lost to these private companies.

The Federation and ESD employees have some friends in this battle. Congressman Adam Smith of Tacoma this week unveiled his version of the bill to reauthorize TAA, which specifically contains protections for state employee jobs in WorkSource centers. While this is good news, Sen. Cantwell needs a strong message from all Federation members.

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FEDERATION HOTLINE 10/8/07

    This is a special update of the Federation Hotline on Oct. 8.

CONVENTION DELEGATES TAKE THOUGHTFUL ACTIONS ON REVENUE, ETHICS, DIVERSITY

    More than 400 delegates to the Federation’s biennial convention this past weekend in Spokane voted to raise dues for the first time in nine years to continue the union’s growth.

    After hours of debate over two days, the delegates opted for a modest dues increase, with more money coming back to locals, effective Jan. 1.

Delegates took the action to cover the national per capita dues increase approved at the 2006 AFSCME convention. The Federation had absorbed the first year of that increase--$800,000. But delegates determined that the union would have to cut programs, lay off staff and stall progress to absorb the $1.1 million needed next year to cover the AFSCME increase.

    Under the constitutional amendment approved by the Federation delegates, dues will increase 0.13 percent, from 1.37 percent to 1.5 percent. The share of dues that come back to locals will increase from $3.69 per member per month to $4.08 per member per month. And for fairness, the delegates raised the maximum dues cap from the current $57.67 a month to $75 a month. (The dues cap is the level at which higher-paid members’ dues payments plateau so they actually pay a lower percentage of dues; under the constitutional amendment, more higher-paid members will pay the full 1.5 percent share of dues.)

    This all takes effect Jan. 1, 2008.

    It was the first dues increase since 1998.

    Delegates worked on the original measure (Constitutional Amendment No. 2) to reach a compromise that the convention could approve.

    Sunday’s vote not only capped hours of floor debate but months of discussion at the local and worksite level. The vote to raise dues came after an unprecedented series of local and regional meetings where members could review the data and ask pointed questions of staff, Finance Committee members and rank-and-file members who had been at the 2006 AFSCME Convention.

    The 2006 AFSCME increase came because the national convention delegates—including delegates elected from WFSE/AFSCME locals-- adopted the recommendations of the 21st Century Committee to grow the union, build political power and build the strength to win.

    But that call for more revenue to fund those national goals meant affiliates, like WFSE/AFSCME Council 28, had to come up with revenue to cover the greater share of revenue going to the national union. In the first year, WFSE/AFSCME absorbed the loss with no increase in dues. But as the AFSCME per capita increase phase-in continues over the next few years, Council 28 here could not absorb that loss without a revenue increase or severe budget cuts.

    The Federation dues increase enacted by the delegates means that a member earning $38,000 a year will see monthly dues increase by about $4.12.

    Delegates said the price was worth it.

    Now, we have a long tradition in Council 28 of healthy debate at conventions. But once the decision is reached, delegates leave the hall united with one voice. They don’t disparage the views of the majority or misrepresent the actions taken.

In that light, we don’t pass along any direct quotes from the debates. But it might be helpful to share some common themes that came up.

Delegates acknowledged that members back home may be concerned about what happened. But several delegates urged their colleagues on the floor to have the courage to go back to their locals and members and explain the reasons for the increase and that it was the right thing to do.

Some said members could pay now or pay later but they’d have to pay sometime. It would be better to approve the modest increase and face members’ questions now rather than face harder questions a year or two down the line when there isn’t staff available for representation or other vital union services.

Delegates said members should continue to hold their leaders accountable to ensure members get value for the money they spend.

Before the vote, the delegates reviewed the value they’ve received from WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 in Washington and AFSCME at the national level. Here is a summary of the facts they reviewed:

FACTS About the Dues Increase Amendments

COUNCIL 28:
-- Over the last 7 years Council 28 and its locals have:

• Double field staff from 18 to 36 field representatives and senior field representatives
• Establish a Classification unit to support negotiation teams and members on classification and salary survey issues.
• Establish a Contracting Compliance unit to support negotiating teams and members on contracting out issues
• Hire a full time, in-house attorney
• Increase lobbying staff and efforts
• Involve more members in union actions, activities, governance

• Grants and interest-free loans for collective bargaining
• Grants and staff support for organizing and decertification fights
• Grants for political action
• Grant for 2001 strike actions
• Staff support for negotiations and training
• Education programs

• Grow the Union
• Build Political Power
• Build the Strength to Win