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!

A tentative agreement between the 31,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in New England and management at Stop & Shop supermarkets has been reached, effectively ending the historic strike that captured the country’s attention.
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The proposed deal will preserve health care and retirement benefits, provide wage increases and maintain time-and-a-half pay on Sundays for members of UFCW locals 328, 919, 1459, 1445 and 371.
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Workers walked off the job on April 11 after management proposed cuts to their health care benefits and wages, despite the company receiving a $225 million tax break in 2017.
The entire labor movement stood behind the workers, with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (IBEW) visiting picket lines last week. 

Our fellow UFCW members need your help.
 
Last Thursday, 31,000 hardworking UFCW men and women who work at Stop & Shop grocery stores in New England walked off the job to protest the company’s proposal to slash their health care, retirement, sick days, and take-home pay.  They have been holding and growing picket lines across the region and need your help.
 
Sign and share the petition today to support the 31,000 members who are fighting for affordable health care and better wages.
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Stop & Shop’s corporate owner made 2 billion in profits last year and now they are asking men and women who have made them a success to take a health care and take-home pay cut. 
 
Enough is enough.  Please sign the petition and share with your friends, families, coworkers and as many allies as you can.
 
It is time we send a clear message to irresponsible companies like Stop & Stop. 
  
Finally, always remember that when we stand together we have the power to change our lives for the better and to send to clear a message to corporations like Stop & Shop that hardworking union members have earned and deserve better.

The coordinated negotiations between Stop & Shop and our local unions in Region 1 has reached a breaking point.  As of 1 p.m. EDT today, fellow UFCW members have gone on strike.  This will affect 31,000 Stop & Shop workers and their families.  This strike is primarily over Stop & Shop’s attempt to severely reduce health and welfare and pension benefits.  To follow the news coverage as it unfolds please click here.