members in action

Workplace Meeting

Bothell Office from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

January 9, 2008

Pizza and Soft Drinks Provided to WPEA Members

Mark your calendar and plan to attend your scheduled workplace meeting and learn what the union is
working on for you. For more information, contact WPEA Staff Rep Cari Trussell.

One Person CAN Make A Difference

by Nadine Jardine, Department of Revenue

In 1997, I became a volunteer fire fighter and EMT at the Shelton Fire Department. My coworkers and supervisors were very supportive and understood that there may be times when an emergency will take me away from work. And, when my Civil Duty Leave exceeded the 150 hours that can be used in one year, I would use my Annual Leave, without any problems from the Agency.

Then in July of 2004, a massive wildfire raged out of control in Kittitas County. I was all set to respond to the emergency, when my supervisor refused to grant me Annual Leave because it was not requested “two weeks in advance!” I decided I had to do something to fix this policy.

When my district Senator, Tim Sheldon, attended a Fire Commissioner’s meeting, I took the opportunity to present my issue to him. And, much to my delight, in January of 2006, Senate Bill 6289 was introduced, requiring agencies to allow emergency responders to respond and be compensated for leave. Unfortunately, the bill did not make it through the legislative process and “died.” But I was not going to give up!

WPEA Staff Representative Lou Baker encouraged me to submit a resolution for the new bargaining contract. We took the wording from the bill and were successful in getting it accepted. It was a start, but I wanted this to be a law for all state workers.

In 2007, Senator Sheldon reintroduced the bill as SB 5511 with some slight changes to the original. Luis Moscoso, WPEA Government Relations, and I testified in front of the Senate Government Committee. I had done a little research on where each committee member lived, and was able to talk about fires I had worked in each of their districts.

The bill began getting a lot of attention, with business cards being exchanged and interviews requested. Was this going to be the year it passed? I couldn’t believe what started out as a “No, you can’t go!” was getting all this recognition. Many e-mails and phone calls transpired as cutoff dates came and went and the bill continued to move through the process.

Amended to include medical emergencies, the bill and passed out of committee, went to the Senate floor, and passed! The bill then moved on to the House Government Committee, where once again I testified with a strong focus on the personal safety of each committee member’s community. Representative Joel Kretz commented that he lived in the district that was burning when I was not allowed to respond. The committee voted and unanimously passed the bill that day!

While the bill went to the House Floor, I continued to communicate with Representatives through e-mail, phone calls and in person about the bill. On April 4, 2007, the bill unanimously passed the House and was sent to the Governor for signing on April 18.

It was such a great feeling to know that my hard work paid off and I was there to witness the birth of the new law I had created!

Want to know what's going on in your union?

• Contact your Staff Rep today about scheduling a lunch meeting in your workplace.

• Attend your Quarterly Membership Meetings and scheduled workplace meetings.

• Give WPEA your home e-mail so you can receive up-to-the-minute news on important union issues and actions.

• Be a Member Leader -- signup for the Bulldog Action Team.

• Check the web site weekly for all the latest news, actions, bargaining, and work-related information you need to know!