Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JANUARY 2013
www.discoverpass.wa.gov
State Employee
INSIDE:
Taking the mystery out of the 2013 legislative session. See pages 2-6.
The official newspaper of the WASHINGTON FEDERATION OF STATE EMPLOYEES/AFSCME Council 28AFL-CIO
WASHINGTON
Weve taken a 3 percent cut and no costs of living... This is difficult. As a single parent, I find that basically means I have to work two jobs.
We have lost a lot of dynamic Community Corrections officers probation officers.... When is enough enough?
We have done many, many things to save the state money (on interpreter services).... Now were working on making the system (perform even better).
The impact on the students I work with has been really hard. To lawmakers: Just quit beating up on me and dont treat us as scapegoats.
Ive given a lot.... And then just the stress of layoffs and wondering if Im going to be next on the list....(We need) full funding...for Washington State Parks.
Our clients have suffered in ways because the turnover (of staff) is so high.... Its very disruptive in their life.
David Greenman, Local 341, Fircrest School (which cares for developmentally disabled citizens)
the states contractual obligation to contribute its full 85 percent share for health benefits, the grievance says. There was no similar reduction in the 15 percent share paid by employees.
The moneys put in for benefits you dont get to manipulate it for other purposes, Federation Executive Director Greg Devereux said after the meeting with the states representatives. In the end, the employer swept $118 million for things other than benefits. At press time, the state
had not responded yet. The grievance asks that affected employees be made whole, to specifically include but not limited to that the state pay each employee eligible for insurance their proportionate share of the $118 million subject to transfer, together with interest at the rate applicable to judgments. This was formally Step 1 of the grievance procedure in the Health Benefits Agreement covering all state bargaining unit employees. The procedure also allows (if needed) mediation (Step 2) and arbitration (Step 3).
WFSE/AFSCME member lobbyists wasted no time getting their message to lawmakers. This delegation was on hand for opening day of the 2013 legislative session Jan. 14 in Olympia.
More than a dozen members of Interpreters Local 1671 turned out for the Jan. 5 Lobby Training, one of the largest delegations to attend.
Rep. Paul Harris, R-17th Dist., greets Local 1253 Corrections member Shawn Bren at WFSE/AFSCME Lobby Training Jan. 5 in Seattle. Harris and several other House members took part in several real-time practice sessions to help members get their message across quickly when they visit legislators in Olympia or when lawmakers return home.
I would like to see the Legislature re-evaluate tax exemptions and loopholes on a merit basis saying what is our return on investment.... I think we need more oversight and accountability when it comes to the stuff that were giving away.
State Employee
WASHINGTON
Washington State Employee (USPS 981200) is published monthly, except February and July, for $5.08 per year by the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28 AFL-CIO, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E. Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501. Affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
7
20 22
OTHER OTHER
21
OTHER
OTHER
Periodicals postage paid at Olympia, WA and at additional offices. Circulation: 42,000. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Washington State Employee, 1212 Jefferson St SE Suite 300 Olympia WA 98501-7501 Carol Dotlich, President Greg Devereux, Executive Director
Editor Tim Welch e-mail: tim@wfse.org Internet: www.wfse.org Member, ILCA
ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OPTION. If youd like to save paper and postage, you can receive this newspaper electronically. Go to www.wfse.org and hover over NEWS & INFO, located in the top menu bar. Select from the drop-down list: WASHINGTON STATE EMPLOYEE - Newspaper. Use the form on this page to register for the electronic version. Or e-mail us at info@wfse.org, or write: WFSE/AFSCME, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501. If youre a represented non-member fee payer and you dont wish to receive this publication in any format, e-mail us at contactus@wfse.org, or write: WFSE/AFSCME, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501.
Page 2
January 2013
Weve boiled your issues down to make it easier to get your story and message across to legislators:
YOUR SACRIFICES SAVED THE STATE DURING THE GREAT RECESSION
Over the past four years, public employees have sacrificed more than $1.5 billion in pay and benefits to address budget shortfalls. Weve been placed on furlough, taken pay cuts, and agreed to pay a greater share of our health care costs. In addition, weve taken the brunt of budget cuts and agency consolidations through layoffs, job changes, and heavier workloads.
Name:
ITS TIME TO RESTORE -- BECAUSE DEMAND FOR QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES CONTINUES TO RISE
The number of state workers has dropped sharply Address: while the demand for services has continued to rise.
Phone: Message:
LEGISLATORS NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICES OF THE STATE EMPLOYEE PUBLIC SERVANTS WHOVE SAVED THE STATE
WAGES
State workers agreed to a 3% pay cut and furloughs. This was in addition to the 5% cuts taken by 1/3 of the workers in the middle on 2010 and no cost-of-living adjustments in 2008. Health premiums rose by 25% and out-ofpockets costs rose 100%, all while the state cut its share of contributions. Over the past 2 years, state employees have paid nearly 18% more for pensions, while the state has diverted $300 million in pension payments.
3
1. 2. 3.
HONOR THE SACRIFICES MADE BY PUBLIC SERVANTS things the Legislature can do to ensure there is no further erosion of benefits:
BENEFITS
FUND THE NEW CONTRACTS End the 3% pay cuts in General Government and Community Colleges. Dont block those contracts at 4-year higher education institutions with innovative compensation packages. HOLD THE LINE ON HEALTHCARE Let negotiation on the new health care agreement proceed with the new administration. Make adequate increases in overall state contribution to benefits, which was cut to $800/month last year. FIGHT AGAINST ATTACKS ON PUBLIC WORKERS The state needs a qualified, trained workforce to support the vital jobs we perform for our communities. We cant keep cutting the vital programs and positions that Washington families depend on to stay strong.
Page 3
PROGRAM CUTS
Vital funding for programs has been reduced and entire programs have been eliminated. Since 2008, more than 10,000 employees have been cut. Workloads have skyrocketed, mandatory overtime has increased significantly, and several institutions have been closed (Pine Lodge, Ahtanum View, Maple Lane School, Frances Haddon Morgan Center). Child welfare privatization, elimination of early retirement factors (ERFs), Consolidated Technology Services collective bargaining rights eliminated, Workers Compensation weakened
January 2013
Your story counts. Here are examples from 5 of our Middle Class Heroes:
The public needs to know we make a difference. Lets stop the attacks on middle class state workers.
Daze & amaze legislators (and co-workers) with all the info you can load on your PC, tablet, smart phone
A smart phone is all you need to get up-to-date information on the legislative session and the rest of the union. Go to wfse.org on your smartphone. You can get recent posts or click to view the full site. And you can use your smartphone -- or any phone -- to call for regular HOTLINE updates: 1-800-562-6102
SOURCES: 1. Revenues to Rebuild Washingtons Economy: A Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan for Washington, Economic Opportunity Institute, October 2011; 2. Washington State Department of Revenue; 3. Shared Sacrifices of State Employees, Office of the Governor, November 2011; 4. Washington News Service, Nov. 21, 2011; 5. Shared Sacrifice: Overall Compensation for Average State Employee is Falling, OFM, March 2011; 6. Three years into recovery, just how much has state and local austerity hurt job growth? Economic Policy Institute, July 6, 2012, http://www.epi.org/blog/years-recovery-state-local-austerity-hurt/; 7. College pay always low for select few, Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 20, 2012; 8. 2010 Salary Survey Summary, Washington State Department of Personnel (now Washington State Human Resources), June 4, 2010, http://www.dop.wa.gov/CompClass/Compensation/Pages/TotalCompensationSurvey.aspx
Page 6
January 2013
NEW LEADERS AT CWU LOCAL 330. Local 330 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg has elected its new Executive Board to meet the challenges on the job, at the bargaining table and for students. Local 330 officers and Executive Board (from left): Chris Stebbins (President); Laury Berner (E-Board); John Fukuzawa (E-Board); Chris Everett (E-Board); Skip Jensen (VP); Gini Letson (Secretary); and Pat Devlin (Treasurer).
AT KTSS: Dec. 20 Scrooge of the Year Award presentation from Jobs with Justice to KTSS CEO Mike Closser, in Bremerton. Kudos to John ONeill, a Local 1381 member at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, who donated $20 to the fund to help workers fired for their union activities at Kitsap Tenant Support Services.
Locals or members who want to donate to the KTSS Fired Workers Fund, make checks out to the
Foundation for Working Families and send to: KTSS Workers Relief Fund, c/o WFSE Organizing Department,
1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501 ATTN: Irene Smith.
Financial Wellness
Identity theft:
your human resource office. Roy Berry, a social service specialist 3 with DSHS in Mount Vernon and a member of Local 1060, is in need of shared leave to care for his daughter. Contact: your human resource office. Kari Jones, a social worker 3 with DSHS in Bellingham and a member of Local 1060, has been approved for shared leave. Contact: your human resource office. Benjohn Magcalas, a customer services specialist 2 with DSHS Home and Community Services in Seattle and a member of Local 843, has been approved for shared leave. Contact: your human resource office. Denise Roth, a social services specialist 3 with DSHS in Seattle and a member of Local 843, has been approved for shared leave. Contact: your human resource office. Sheryl Tiffany, a support enforcement officer 2 for DSHS in Tacoma and a member of Local 53, is in need of shared leave because of an ongoing medical condition and complications from it. Contact: your human resource office. Margaret Silva-Perry, a secretary senior with the Health Care Authority in Olympia, is recuperating from a serious illness and is in need of shared leave through March 11. Contact: Tracy Wynder, (360) 725-1027.
Call to schedule your appointment today! We promise you will leave our office feeling better!
1-888-BRIGHT NOW
www.brightnow.com
Questions? Contact your Bright Now! Dental Account Representative: Carrie.Magnuson@smilebrands.com 253-405-4547
Bright Now! Dental benefits apply to individuals receiving general dental care in these offices only and not to services referred to specialists. Pricing is subject to the limitations of your plan. Specialty services are not offered in all locations. Fees will vary for specialty care.
January 2013
WFSE_ad_10_12.indd 1
1/7/13 3:07 PM
Page 7
Now, Employment Security members have won another key victory Dec. 19 when an arbitrator upheld their layoff
At the UW:
Well, there they go again at the University of Washington. Last month, we told you how the union overturned the firing of a UW member accused of stealing his own soda pop. Now comes the story of another UW custodian, who was fired for allegedly stealing an empty bottle of hand sanitizer. An allegation an arbitrator later determined was never actually made and certainly never proven. The UW accused Local 1488 member Anna Tsui of taking the empty bottle while out of her assigned work area in the UW Tower.
This time it was a member fired over an empty hand sanitizer bottle!
Tsui said she simply had been doing her assigned work down the stairs and stopped off at the tenth floor to ask a co-worker for pain medication for a headache. She was there for several minutes while her co-worker finished a task. She did find an empty bottle of hand sanitizer, but denied ever taking it from a vacant cubicle or box. And what did she do with the empty bottle? Tsui simply re-used it in the custodians lounge where she filled it with hand soap and placed in on a sink. But in October 2011, the UW fired Tsui. The union filed a grievance that ended up at arbitration. And on Dec. 12, an arbitrator overturned Tsuis termination, noting it is not clear just exactly what Ms. Tsui was discharged for. In the end, the arbitrator found no just cause for Tsuis termination, but reduced it to a two-week suspension tied to her being outside her assigned area. Shell be made whole for the rest of the time she was off the job. WFSE/AFSCME Council Representative James Dannen and Labor Advocate Banks Evans assisted her.
UW custodian Anna Tsui (center) with WFSE/AFSCME Labor Advocate Banks Evans (left) and Council Representative James Dannen (right).
KUDOS TO Local 782 at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. Prompted by the fact that all too many Federation members use food banks in this economic era of pay cuts, the local made a big, $2,000 donation to Second Harvest to benefit local food banks in Medical Lake, Airway Heights, Cheney and Spokane. The remarkable thing: They made the donation Dec. 27 to expressly help when the general publics traditional holiday surge of donations starts to dry up. People are hungry year round, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Local 782 leaders reasoned. The donation will feed 65 families at each of the four locations or 260 overall. Local 782 is challenging other Federation locals to make such worthy post-holidays donations. And let us know!
Diane Blowers-Kohout to believe in themselves, to not be afraid, to stand up for justice and personal dignity. She has touched thousands of Earthquake, the 2007 Lewis County floods, winter disasters in 2006 and 2008 and this past summers Taylor Bridge Wildfire. He was instrumental in the organizing drive that in May 2005 brought non-supervisory employees in EMD into the union. In 2010, he served on the General Government Bargaining Team for the 2011-2013 contract.
There were a lot of thumbs up in Diane Blowers-Kohouts 20 years as a WFSE/AFSCME organizer. The pace picked up in 2004 as thousands of state employees rushed to join the union to gain contract protections under the new collective bargaining law. She is pictured above in July 2004 after non-supervisory employees in the Department of Fish and Wildlifes Business Services Program and Public Affairs Office voted for the union. With her are DFW members Jennifer Quartano and Chuck Bolland. The journey organizer retired Jan. 15. lives and hearts in her union work. She has planted seeds of activism and hope in thousands of people throughout Washington.
CORRECTION
Because of a production error, this photo of retired KTSS caregiver Jack Hopkins did not appear in last months story on the Bainbridge Island rally in support of Kitsap Tenant Support Services workers. We regret the omission.
Rob Harper
Page 8
January 2013