Labor Neighbor, the Washington State Labor Council’s grassroots member-to-member political action program, engages union members to inform fellow union members and their families about the candidates and ballot measures that have earned labor’s endorsement — and why they earned it.
UNION VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED for neighborhood walks, phone banks, and other Labor Neighbor efforts. Even if you live outside the districts listed below, you can help in that area and/or phone banks. 

48th LD (Bellevue/Redmond)
Senator Patty Kuderer - Endorsed by WPEA
Representative Vandana Slatter
Amy Walen

Saturday, Aug. 4
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

REDMOND
8151 164th Ave. NE

After a breakneck 60-day legislative session, the legislature has adjourned sine die – finishing on time, without a special session, for the first time in four years. Here are just some of the bills the legislature passed this year that will benefit public employees and working people across the state.
 

• A bill ensuring that new public employees have a chance to meet with union stewards to learn about their contract and their rights.
• The Washington Voting Rights Act
• The Equal Pay Opportunity Act
• Same day voter registration
• A bill granting state employees access to shared leave for pregnancy disability or bonding with a newborn or newly adopted or fostered child.
• A bill establishing PTSD as an occupational disease.
• A bill expanding access to pension credits for public employee veterans.
• A bill granting collective bargaining rights for state employees who work fewer than 350 hours per year.
• A capital budget that saves state employee jobs and invests in forest health and new schools.
• A budget that invests in K-12 education, including pay raises for teachers at the Washington State School for the Blind and the Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss.
• A 1.5% COLA for PERS 1 retirees.

 
Unfortunately, some of the bills we worked for this year did not pass successfully. Here are some of the bills we’ll keep working on next year:

• A bill protecting the birthdates of state employees from public disclosure.
• A bill protecting the identities of state employees who file sexual harassment complaints.
• A bill increasing accountability and transparency if the state contracts out public services.

Exempting public employee birthdates from disclosure under the Public Records Act is a significant priority to protect public employees’ privacy and safety. There is a bill in the Senate to add birthdates to the list of exemptions, and we need a big push to pass it. The bill is SB 6079, sponsored by Senator Patty Kuderer. It was voted out of committee in the Senate, and is ready for a vote on the Senate floor. 
In order to get this bill passed, we need letters to the editor
 
The single best thing members can do to protect fellow public employees’ birthdates is to submit letters to the editor, as soon as possible.
 
WHAT TO SAY
Write about your personal experiences with public records requests, or that of your coworkers. Speak about your experience as someone who does public service, and why you shouldn’t have to give up all your rights to privacy.

Here are some more talking points:

• The Public Records Act was written over 40 years ago, long before we faced issues such as identity theft or cyber security. It’s time for an update.
  
• Public service employees already face harassment - especially those in law enforcement, child welfare, or health inspection. Why make it easier for our harassers?
  
• The Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2, recently ruled that the Public Records Act doesn’t justify the violation of public employees’ right to privacy under Washington’s constitution.  
  

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER
Here are the links to some papers around the state:

• Bellevue Reporter: http://www.bellevuereporter.com/submit-letter/
• The Columbian http://www.columbian.com/lettertotheeditor/
• Ellensburg Daily Record: https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/site/forms/submit/letters/letter_to_the_editor/
  
• The Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/
• Seattle Times http://old.seattletimes.com/html/editorialsopinion/
• Spokesman-Review: http://www.spokesman.com/letters/submit/
• Tri-City Herald: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/
• Wenatchee World: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/opinion/submit/
• Yakima Herald: https://www.yakimaherald.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/
  

Please consider writing a letter yourself, and pass this on to any member who might be interested. If anyone has any questions, please contact seamus@wpea.org or 360-561-8066.
 
Again – letters to the editor will be a key piece of getting this legislation passed and keeping public employees’ personal information secure from the Freedom Foundation, harassers, and identity thieves.

The 2018 legislative session starts Monday, January 8, and is scheduled to last 60 days. With the election of Manka Dhingra to the senate, Democrats have narrow majorities in both houses. This should mean an end to the legislative gridlock and seemingly endless special sessions of the last several years.
Here are some of the major issues to look for in the next two months:

Capital Budget
Republican Senators held the capital budget hostage last year, which has held up funding for school construction and forest health projects. Bonding authority for construction projects requires a 60% supermajority, so even with Democrats in control of both houses, a capital budget is not guaranteed. Failure to pass funding for construction and maintenance will result in job losses and increased costs in the future.

Collective Bargaining
With the Supreme Court poised to enact the biggest attack on public employee union rights in history, our allies in the state legislature are working to strengthen and protect public employees’ rights to organize and negotiate.
 
Do you want to get involved? Got an issue that you want to raise with your legislator? Contact Seamus Petrie, your WPEA lobbyist, at seamus@wpea.org.
.

With the election of Manka Dhingra to the state Senate, the legislature has the chance to end the years of partisan gridlock, near-shutdowns, and anti-public employee budgets. So now is a great time to raise our voices and get the legislature to really listen.
The Washington State Labor Council will be holding its annual Legislative Reception and Lobbying Conference on February 1 & 2. Come meet fellow union members and join together to engage with your legislators.
Contact Seamus Petrie if you'd like to attend, or to get more information.

A critical election this fall for state senator in the 45th Legislative District — which includes Kirkland, Sammamish, Duvall and surrounding King County communities — could break the gridlock in Olympia that has stymied progress on funding public education, tax break accountability, infrastructure, voting rights, and many other critical working families issues.

Manka Dhingra — a King County prosecutor, a union member, a public employee, and a PTA Mom — has been endorsed by the Washington Public Employees Association and a lengthy list of unions, elected officials, community organizations and progressive groups. She is running against Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund, a young protégé of Washington’s most conservative member of Congress, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5th). (Union members can access more information about the candidates here.)

The Washington State Labor Council’s Labor Neighbor program is the grassroots political action effort featuring union volunteers talking to other union members about labor-endorsed candidates like Manka. Several volunteer opportunities have been scheduled and all union members are urged to participate in this critical effort. (Download and share a flier listing the following volunteer opportunities.)

The following neighborhood walks are all from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

► SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 in REDMOND — Meet at 8151 164th Ave NE, Redmond
► SATURDAY, OCT. 7 in WOODINVILLE — Meet at 8151 164th Ave NE, Redmond
► SATURDAY, OCT. 21 in KIRKLAND — Meet at Teamsters Local 117, 14675 Interurban Ave in Tukwila for the Ballot Drop Walk and BBQ. Union volunteers will be dispatched for a neighborhood walk in Kirkland on behalf of Manka Dhingra and return to the Teamsters Building for a delicious BBQ sponsored by the WSLC, UA 32, and local building trades unions. For details or to RSVP, email Leanne or call her 206-290-7710.

► SATURDAY, NOV. 4 in SAMMAMISH — Meet at Teamsters 117, 14675 Interurban Ave, Tukwila, WA
Plus, phone banks are happening every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. between now and Election Day at the following locations:
► OLYMPIA — WSLC office, 906 S. Columbia St. SW #300
► SEATTLE — WFSE office, 6363 7th Ave. S. #220
► SPOKANE — WFSE office, 222 W. Mission Ave. #201
► TACOMA — WFSE office, 6003 Tacoma Mall Blvd.
Mark your calendars to volunteer! If you have any questions, or to RSVP, email April Sims, WSLC Field Mobilization Director, or call her at 253-441-5113.

The final 2017-2019 operating budget details are out, with just hours to go to avoid a state government shutdown. This compromise budget fully funds and approves our state employee collective bargaining agreements. It includes the COLAs, the increased vacation accrual, and the specific increases for targeted job classes that our bargaining team negotiated last summer.
The budget still must pass the Senate, pass the House, and be signed by Governor Inslee before midnight tonight in order to avoid a shutdown. 

The budget also includes:
 - A 6% cut to the number of management positions in General Government.
 - A reduction in the B&O tax rate for manufacturing
 - A fund shift transferring money from the budget stabilization account (rainy day fund) to fund pensions.

​More details are still emerging. Stay tuned for updates. 

Thousands of state employees are facing potential temporary layoffs because the Senate has failed to take action on funding a real state budget. The House passed a budget that fully funds our state employee contracts months ago. But the Republican-controlled Senate has refused to fund our contracts. In fact, every single Republican senator voted to reject our contracts and cut funding for higher education and other vital public services. Now, despite getting a 4% pay increase, they’re refusing  to negotiate as a potential state government shutdown looms. 

Call your Senator TODAY and tell them it's time to come to the table and pass a budget that supports public service and invests in Washington. 

Here's a sample script:

“I work as a ______ (job) at _______ (agency) and I’m a member of the Washington Public Employees Association. I’m one of thousands of state employees who provide critical services for the citizens of Washington. I’m proud to do this work, even though the state pays a salary that is below market rate, according to the state’s own salary survey. Now the Senate has released a budget that plays political games with the collective bargaining agreements we negotiated in good faith. Don't play games with public services and public employees. Vote to enact the House budget and invest in Washington.

​

​The legislature wraps up a 30-day special session Tuesday without coming to an agreement about education funding or whether to approve public employee contracts. Governor Jay Inslee is calling for a second special session to begin immediately.
​We’re getting perilously close to a potential July 1st government shutdown.
The House has already passed a budget that funds our contracts and invests in public service. The problem is in the Senate, where they passed a budget that would reject our contracts and cut public services.
So the thing to do now is to call your Senator to urge them to adopt the House budget and invest in Washington!

Here's a sample script:

“I work as a ________________ (job) at ___________________ (agency) and I’m a member of the Washington Public Employees Association. I’m one of thousands of state employees who provide critical services for the citizens of Washington. I’m proud to do this work, even though the state pays a salary that is below market rate, according to the state’s own salary survey. Now the Senate has released a budget that plays political games with the collective bargaining agreements we negotiated in good faith. Don’t play games with public service employees. Please adopt the House budget, invest in Washington and fully fund our contracts.”

​The legislature has ended its 105-day regular session without passing a two-year budget. The divided legislature could not come to an agreement on whether to approve the state employee contracts. The Democratic-led House released a budget that fully funds our collective bargaining agreements, while the Republican-led Senate offered a budget that rejects our contracts and cuts vital public services.
As lawmakers start a 30-day special session, they still need to hear from state employees. Call your legislators and tell them to invest in Washington by enacting the House budget and fully funding our contracts!
​
​Call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and ask your senator to adopt the House's budget,  invest in Washington, and fully fund our contracts.  ​Find your legislator here.

​​How to call

1. Call your senator directly, or the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.
2. Leave a message. You may get a person or a recording.

If you get a person:
“I’d like to leave a message for my senator.”

They’ll ask you for your name, address, and phone number. Then they’ll ask for your message and transcribe it for you. Here’s a sample message you could leave:

“I work as a ________________ (job) at ___________________ (agency) and I’m a member of the Washington Public Employees Association. I’m one of thousands of state employees who provide critical services for the citizens of Washington. I’m proud to do this work, even though the state pays a salary that is below market rate, according to the state’s own salary survey. Now the Senate has released a budget that plays political games with the collective bargaining agreements we negotiated in good faith. Don’t play games with public service employees. Please adopt the House budget, invest in Washington and fully fund our contracts.”
 
If you get a recording:
“Hello, my name is _____________ (name).  I work as a ________________ (job) at ___________________ (agency) and I’m a member of the Washington Public Employees Association. I’m one of thousands of state employees who provide critical services for the citizens of Washington. I’m proud to do this work, even though the state pays a salary that is below market rate, according to the state’s own salary survey. Now the Senate has released a budget that plays political games with the collective bargaining agreements we negotiated in good faith. Don’t play games with public service employees. Please adopt the House budget, invest in Washington, and fully fund our contracts.” ​​