​WPEA members in General Government and Higher Education successfully negotiated contracts for the 2023-2025 biennium that include a total of 7% in general wage increases, a $1000 retention bonus, a $1.50-per-hour increase in shift premium, $4000 in lump sums for teachers at the school for the deaf and school for the blind, and targeted class increase for 63 job classes. While these increases are certainly not enough, they do add up to the largest compensation package in the history of statewide collective bargaining. 

Additionally, WPEA members joined with other state employees to successfully push the legislature to fully fund all state employee contracts, including 100% funding support for Higher Education contracts. Earlier versions of the budget funded only 83% of classified staff salaries, leaving our struggling colleges to make up the rest. But thanks to grassroots lobbying efforts by WPEA, other unions, and college administration, the legislature fully funded higher education contracts for the first time in 10 years.