The 2019 Spring/Summer newsletter is now available!  View it here: 

On Wednesday, May 8, we celebrated National Third Shift Workers Day to honor all of our members who work late and sacrifice sleep to provide for their families and serve their communities across the country.

Whether it’s working through the night to prepare fresh food for the morning, restocking store shelves, or taking care of our loved ones in the hospital, the hard-working men and women of the UFCW who work the third shift provide an incredible value that too often goes unnoticed or is taken for granted.

For many members, working the third shift allows them to make time to further their education and make scheduling easier for family or child care. One of those hard-working night owls focused on going to school is Kathy of UFCW Local 1428 in Southern California, who worked nights so she could get her master’s degree. Her coworker, Sharon, also reminds us that many dedicated employees build their careers working nights – she’s spent the past 35 years as a third shifter. The stability of third shift work allowed her to balance work and family responsibilities. Read more about their story here.

The UFCW is proud to negotiate premium pay for third shift workers to help provide them with the better life they’ve earned and deserve. 

WPEA would also like to thank all the late night members across the state. We realize your work is performed while most of us sleep, but your sacrifice does not go unnoticed! Your service to the citizens of Washington State is vital.  WPEA recognizes the value of your work. as do your Union brothers and sisters.

Thank You for what you do for all of us!

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its 27th annual national food drive on Saturday, May 11. The Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, the country’s largest single-day food drive, provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need.
Customers simply leave their donation of non-perishable food items next to their mailbox before the delivery of the mail on Saturday, May 11. Letter carriers will collect these donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes, and distribute them to local food banks, pantries, shelters and churches. Visit stampouthungerfooddrive.us to learn more.

To Read More Please Visit: The Stand

Washington state lawmakers passed a two-year operating budget and adjourned sine die right at midnight on Sunday night, the 105th day of the 2019 session. The final budget includes the 2019-2021 state employee contracts WPEA members negotiated, featuring 3% across-the-board Cost of Living Adjustments on July 1 of 2019 and 2020, 5% assignment pay for members who work in King County, and pay increases for targeted job classes. The budget also invests $24 million in new money for wildfire prevention and suppression, including money to hire 15 new permanent firefighters and to add inmate crews.

Here are some of the other bills WPEA worked on that the legislature passed:
 
Establishing PERS 2 as the default pension plan
Senate Bill 5360 (Conway) / House Bill 1308 (Stanford)
WPEA Stance: Pro. Status: PASSED
Senate Bill 5360 will change what retirement plan public employees are defaulted into. As of now, new public employees who don't pick a pension are defaulted after 90 days to a PERS 3 retirement account. This bill changes it so that new public employees who don't pick a pension are defaulted into a PERS 2 retirement account instead. 

Strengthening the rights of public employees to form unions after Janus
House Bill 1575 (Stonier) 
WPEA Stance: Pro. Status: PASSED
House Bill 1575 is a Janus decision cleanup bill. It codifies current practices for signing up members, union recognition, and dues deduction.

Protecting personal information of state employees who have filed a claim of harassment
House Bill 1692 (Jinkins) 
WPEA Stance: Pro. Status: PASSED
House Bill 1692 gives more protections to state agency employees who have filed a claim of harassment.

Exempting the disclosure of names in employment investigation records
House Bill 2020 (Dolan)
WPEA Stance: Pro. Status: PASSED
House Bill 2020 keeps the names of employees private in employment investigation records. The bill applies only to the public records act, and would not affect members’ rights to an investigation or due process under the contract.

Bills to give legislative employees collective bargaining rights, to increase accountability when contracting out state employee work, and to provide substantial new investment in community colleges failed to get enough support this year, but we will work on those bills and bring them back next session, along with bills to grant DNR police officers general law enforcement authority and pay equity for teachers at the school for the blind and the center for childhood deafness and hearing loss. 

Thanks for all the members who visited the legislature or contacted their lawmakers this year, and special thanks to the bargaining team members who negotiated the contracts!