VOL. 42 NO.

10

www.discoverpass.wa.gov

DECEMBER 2014

State Employee
WFSE/AFSCME MEMBERS-ONLY BENEFITS 2015
Pages 6-7

The official newspaper of the

WASHINGTON FEDERATION OF STATE
EMPLOYEES/AFSCME Council 28AFL-CIO

WASHINGTON

Now good on either

of two vehicles!

Using your strong

voice matters.
See 4-5.

3
e
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our

Inslee proposes funding for

negotiated pay raises, boosting
mental health, Childrens, parks
Gov. Jay Inslee on Dec. 18 proposed a two-year budget that funds
all of the negotiated pay raises you
ratified this past fall for most the first
general wage increases since 2008 the
longest state employees have gone
without one since at least 1960.

5
1
20

Gov. Jay Inslees proposed

upgrades to mental health came
after he toured Western State
Hospital Nov. 13 with WFSE/
AFSCME Council 28 President
Sue Henricksen (left) and Local
793 President James Robinson.
Inslee came to the mental health
facility at the urging of the union.

The governor is recommending

the modest cost-of-living adjustments
(COLAs) negotiated by all the Federation bargaining teams.
For state agency and higher educa-

See BUDGET, page 8

OUR VALUES MATTER

60th anniversary for Local 482 spotlights decades of service for veterans
For Marine Corps veteran
Jeff Slayton, last months 60th
anniversary of Local 482 at

the state Veterans Home in

Retsil was more than a birthday party.
It was affirmation that
the hundreds of Federation
members today and for the
past six decades have made a
difference in lives of men and
women whove risked their
lives so we could be free.
Slayton now works as
a licensed practical nurse at
Retsil, a veteran dedicated to
veterans.
It wasnt until I discovered a passion for helping
people that needed help that
I really wanted to become a
nurse, Slayton said at the 60th
anniversary celebration Nov.
13.
Then I became a nurse
and I thought the best people
that I could help were the
people most closely related to
me and those are my brethren,
my fellow Marines and other

WFSE/
President Sue
Henricksen (center)
during presentation
of special 60th anniversary plaque to
Local 482 President
Lyn Hofland (far
left). Holding the locals charter is Local
482 member Jeff
Slayton.
INSIDE: Former
Local 482 President
John Jackson dies
See 2
service members.
Local 482 members noted
that one of the freedoms the
veterans stood for is the right
to form unions and negotiate
contracts that value worker
rights and a voice at work.
We take pride in taking care of our veterans

if it werent for them, we

wouldnt have our voice,
WFSE/AFSCME Council 28
President Sue Henricksen
said before presenting a commemorative plaque to local
members.

See a digital short on the celebration. go to wfse.org, click on the YouTube icon at the top of the page and
thatll take you to the Retsil video.
Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=HmjO0QxpCeg&list=UUZe
TTLogivLrWtvayDTIOdA

UNION NEWS
SHARED LEAVE
REQUESTS
To place approved shared
leave requests: tim@wfse.org,
or 1-800-562-6002.
Dolena Grivell, a student
life counselor at the Center
for Childhood Deafness and
Hearing Loss in Vancouver
and a member of Local 1225,
has been approved for shared
leave. Contact: April Lynch at
(360) 418-4326, or video phone
(360) 334-5780, or your human
resource office.
Rebecca Haney, a
rehabilitation technician 1
for the DSHS Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation
in Cowlitz County and a
member of Local 1400, has
an emergent health situation
and has exhausted all her
leave. Contact: Toni Costa at
costatl@dshs.wa.gov, or your
human resource office.
Jennifer Squire, a fiscal
analyst 2 with DSHS in
Olympia and a member of
Local 443, has been approved
for shared leave for surgery
and recovery. She is scheduled
to be off the job from Dec. 23
to Jan. 23. She has exhausted
all leave. Contact: Claudette
Mitzel at (360) 725-5835, or
your human resource office.
Annie Rosario, a
management analyst 2 with
the Department of Enterprise
Services in Lacey, has been
approved for shared leave.
Contact: Kristin Kaphan at
(360) 407-9218, or your human

resource office.

2503.

Cathy Coleman, a WorkFirst

program supervisor with
DSHS in Walla Walla and
a member of Local 396,
is in need of shared leave
because of a serious medical
condition. Contact: your
human resource office.

Christy C. Reed, a Fiscal

technician 2 with the
DSHS Office of Accounting
Services (Financial Services
Administration) in Olympia
and member of Local 443,
has been approved for shared
leave. She has exhausted all
of her leave to care for her
mother, who had ovarian
cancer. Contact: Claudette
L Mitzel, (360) 725-5835 in
the DSHS Human Resource
Department, or your human
resource office.

Dan Joy, a financial services

specialist 3 with DSHS in
Spokane (Maple CSO) and
a member of Local 1221, has
been approved for shared
leave because of serious
medical condition affecting a
family member. Contact: your
human resource office.
Erin Sullivan, an investigator
2 with DSHS in Monroe and
a member of Local 948, has
been approved for shared
leave while recovering from
shoulder surgery. She has
exhausted all of her available
leave. Contact: Maria
Thornton of DSHS human
resources or your human
resource office.
Rachel Clifton, a support
enforcement office 2 with
DSHS in Everett and a
member of Local 948, has
been approved for shared
leave because of a medical
condition. Contact: your
human resource office.
Brenda Sorrick, a licensed
practical nurse 2 at Western
State Hospital in Lakewood
and a member of Local 793,
is currently out on medical
leave and is desperately in
need of shared leave. She
has no leave to cover her
insurance benefits. Contact:
Kelli Goodspeed, (253) 756-

Vonda Lettries, a stockroom

attendant 2 at Harborview
Medical Center in Seattle and
member of Local 1488, has
been approved for shared
leave. Vonda had a heart
attack in May followed by
two strokes. Her recovery will
be lengthy. She has exhausted
all her available leave.
Contact: your human resource
office.
Narendra Lochan, a social
service specialist 3 with DSHS
in Snohomish County and
member of Local 948, has
been approved for shared
leave. Narendra was in a
serious car accident Sept.
22. His recovery will be
lengthy and require that he
continue only to work partial
days during his extensive
therapy and multiple
doctor appointments.
He has exhausted all his
available leave. Contact: Lisa
Bonorden (425-339-3987)
at DSHS Human Resource
Department, or your human
resource office.

Tracie Forler, a forms/records

analyst 3 with the Department
of Natural Resources in
Olympia and a member
of Local 443, has been off
work since Sept. 30 for a reoccurring medical issue and
is in need of shared leave.
Contact: your human resource
office.

Olympia and a member of

Local 443, has had her shared
leave request extended to
Dec. 5 as she continues to
recover from surgery. She is
still in need of leave because
she has depleted all her leave
and existing shared leave
donations. Contact: Kathleen
Young, (360) 725-9416.

Harvey Means, a workers

compensation adjudicator 2
at the Department of Labor
and Industries in Tumwater
and a member of Local 443,
is undergoing chemotherapy
for lymphoma, which will
last at least through the end
of December. Contact: your
human resource office.

Catherine Gaul, a claims

intake specialist at the
Department of Labor and
Industries in Tumwater and
a member of Local 443, is in
need of shared leave to care
for her son who has a serious
illness requiring several trips
a week to Seattle. Contact:
Michelle Weitzel, (360) 9025689.

Richard Peterson, an
agricultural inspector 4
with the Department of
Agriculture in the Tri-Cities
and a member of Local 1253,
has been approved for shared
leave. Contact: Laurie DeJong,
(360) 902-1858.
Angel M. Jackson, a financial
services specialist 3 at the
DSHS Rainier Community
Service Office in Seattle and
a member of Local 843, is in
need of shared leave. She is
on medical leave and will
be off the job for some time.
Contact: your human resource
office.
Craig Danforth, a
maintenance mechanic
with the Department of
Transportation in Tumwater
and a member of Local 443,
has been approved for shared
leave. Contact: your human
resource office.
Susan Boyd, a tax specialist
3-ES with the Employment
Security Department in

IN MEMORIAM
John Jackson, former Local 482 president;
led effort saving Retsil Veterans Home
Just four days before the
Local 482 60th anniversary (see
page 1) came news that John
Jackson, longtime local president and beloved mentor for
dozens of shop stewards and
leaders, had died.
Jackson, 78, died Nov. 9
at Harrison Medical Center in

State Employee
WASHINGTON

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and July, for $5.08 per year by the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME
Council 28 AFL-CIO, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E.
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the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Washington State Employee, 1212 Jefferson
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Member, ILCA

Page 2

Bremerton.
Jackson, too,
was a veteran
who helped the
residents at the
Jackson
state Veterans
(1998 photo)
Home in Retsil,
Kitsap County.
He joined the Navy in
1953. He served in the Korean
and Vietnam wars. He was
the recipient of two Purple
Hearts, a Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citations and other
service pins.
At the Veterans Home in
Retsil, Jackson was a medical
records administrator.
He was local president in
1999 and spearheaded a grassroots campaign that stopped
a plan that could have closed

the facility.
He served on the WFSE/
AFSCME Executive Board
from 1999-2000.
After he retired, he became the president of Retired
Washington Public Employees-Chapter 19 and was active
in the Executive Committee
Board in Olympia.
He is survived by wife,
Gloria, a daughter, two stepsons, a granddaughter, two
nieces and a brother.
Services for longtime Green
Hill School and ChehalisCentralia Local 862 member
Robert William Boneham
were held Oct. 30 in Bellevue
with commitment at Tahoma
National Cemetery.
He died peacefully in his
Chehalis home Oct. 16. He
was 53. The former U.S. Marine found his calling work-

ing toward
the rehabilitation
of troubled
youth, at
Echo Glen
Childrens
Center and
Maple Lane
Boneham
School before Green
Hill. Memorials suggested to DAV
(Disabled American Veterans)
Charitable Service: www.dav.
org

Dustin Nicholas Meyer, a

custodian at Centralia College
and Local 862 member, died
Dec. 6 from injuries suffered
in an automobile accident.
He was 25. He is survived by
wife Leslie and two children,
Colby and Ariyah.

Shayna Southwick
Thompson, an attendant
counselor 3 at Lakeland
Village (DSHS) in Medical
Lake and a member of Local
573, is in need of shared leave
to care for her son, Daniel.
Daniel was born premature
and just recently was released
from the hospital. Shayna
needs to be home to care
for him. Contact: Lakeland
Village Human Resources or
your own human resource
office.
Marie Ramirez, a social
service specialist 3 with DSHS
in Arlington and a member of
Local 948, is in need of shared
leave as she recovers from
surgery to remove a brain
tumor. She will have a lengthy
recovery. Contact: Wendy
Jones Pitch, (360) 756-5772 or
your local HR representative.
Rebecca Ashby, a social
service specialist 3 with DSHS
in Seattle and a member of
Local 843, is still in need of
shared leave. She has been
recovering from a traumatic
illness since May. Rebecca is
again requesting donations of
shared leave to cover the time
she misses while recovering.
Contact: Sandy Gump, (206)
341-7246 or your own human
resources office.

PERS 1 case
dismissed
The slim glimmer
of hope on the PERS 1
uniform cost-of-living
adjustment (UCOLA) court
case faded to black Dec. 4
when the Thurston County
Superior Court dismissed
one procedural issue
remanded to it by the state
Supreme Court, which
ruled against public sector
retirees in August.

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.

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

December 2014

UNION NEWS
utsourcing
atch

How innovation by WFSE/AFSCME

members saved the state money

utsourcing
atch

Office of Administrative Hearings

One group of Federation members in the Office of
Administrative Hearings in
Olympia stepped up to fix an
unanticipated consolidation
problem and saved time and
money doing it.
The problem came from
what was supposed to he the
money-saving and efficient
merger of the state Health
Care Authority and the former
DSHS Medicaid Purchasing
Administration in 2011.
That consolidation transferred thousands of cases to
HCA which spun off into
a big problem for the Office
of Administrative Hearings.
Thats the agency that offers
Washington citizens a convenient and easy way to navigate the process for independent review of local and state
actions including the Health
Care Authority.
The problem: The Office
of Administrative Hearings
had been using a different
case management system for
the two programs that merged

If you see possible outsourcing of state programs, facilities or work, tell WFSE/AFSCMEs Outsourcing Watch.
Go to:
http://www.wfse.org/outsourcing-watch/
to download a form or use an
online form to give us details
about any possible outsourcing you suspect.

They innovated and saved time and money at the Office of Administrative Hearings. From left, standing: Chief
Information Officer Brian Thomas and WFSE/AFSCME bargaining unit members Bob Murphy, Chris Cassidy, Robert McConnel, Rob Henry, Casee Ariss, and, front, Loree Hawkens, Brad Jones and Sue Rayho.
under the HCA umbrella.
The Health Care Authority used software developed
in the 1990s for its caseload
and it wasnt designed to
handle the 2,000-3,000 new
cases that came over in the
Medicaid Purchasing merger.
There were slowdowns
and stoppages and a steady
stream of calls to the help

desk.
The Office of Administrative Hearings could have outsourced a fix.
But an innovative group
of information technology
professionals had a better
idea: using existing resources
to design a new case management system.
The OAH-developed so-

lution increased the Health

Care Authoritys case management productivity by 75
hours a year and avoided
$150,000 a year in licensing
fees if the agency had gone
with an outside product.
As state employees,
were stewards of taxpayer
dollars, said Local 443 member Chris Cassidy.

QUESTIONS? Jeanine Livingston, WFSE/AFSCMEs

contract compliance manager,
1-800-562-6002 jeaninel@
wfse.org

Outsourcing Watch is a
project of the WFSE/AFSCME
Skilled Labor and Trades
Committee.

http://www.wfse.org/get-involved/skilled-laborand-trades/
https://www.facebook.com/WFSE.Skilled.
Labor.and.Trades

Department of Enterprise Services Fleet

Management
Keeping more work in-house instead of outsourcing proved a moneysaving enterprise for the fleet maintenance crew at the Department of Enterprise Services motor pool in Lacey.
The Local 443 members won a
five-month pilot program where employees would be assigned an hour of
overtime to do vehicle maintenance
work before it was outsourced to an
outside vendor.
And they now have another fulltime position fixing the cause of much
of the outsourcing understaffing.
The overtime-before-outsourcing
pilot saved the state $5,500.
It was a common-sense solution,
the motor pool members say.
We can do the work better and
cheaper, Local 443 member Tony

RPEC
CORNER

Kennish said.
Were not in the business to make

money like outside vendors, said Coy

Chappell, another Local 443 member.

Local 1326 takes steps to increase

power of retired state employees

pon retirement, most people

want to relax and get away
from anything having to do
with their past jobs. While that makes
sense, it is important for them to
remember that their benefits can still
be threatened.
Local 1326 in Yakima understands
the importance of keeping their
retirees connected and empowered.
Their local has just taken the
unprecedented step of gifting
memberships in Retired Public
Employees Council of Washington
(RPEC) to every member of their local

December 2014

From left, Local 443 DES members Tony Kennish, Justin Kyllonen, Coy Chappell, Kent Winger and Tony Dempsey.

who retired in the last few years.

We have maintained a close
relationship with the RPEC chapter in
our area, stated local 1326 president,
Julianne Moore. When our members
retire, RPEC will ensure that they
continue to have a potent political
voice to protect themselves.
At their November meeting, the
local invited RPEC to come and speak
about their organization and their
current legislative battles. A list of
those who retired from the area in
the last few years was provided,and
the Local decided that they would

send a check for first years dues to

the RPEC office. RPEC has therefore
created a gift membership program
for locals who are willing to pay first
years dues for new retirees. Gift
membership applications will be
provided to locals upon request.
In order to ensure the security
of retirement for workers of today
and tomorrow, we need to invest in
retirees now so they receive regular
updates, have access to monthly
meetings if they live in state, and have
representation in Olympia.
Online: rpecwa.org

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

Were here to provide a quality service for our customers.

Workers comp
rates wont go up as
much as expected
The Department of Labor and
Industries on Dec. 2 announced
that workers compensation
rates will not go up as much
as originally announced in
September.
The average increase in
workers comp premiums for
2015 will be 0.8 percent less
than half the original estimate of
1.8 percent.

Page 3

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our

2015

The WFSE/AFSCME movement is about giving

members a strong voice.
Members have used that voice to send loudand-clear messages at the workplace and in the
days leading to the start of the 2015 legislative
session.

Childrens members advocate for action

Budget cuts, reduced
staff and reduction in
services have put vulnerable children and
families at risk

delegation of DSHS
members earlier
this month presented solid evidence that
at-risk children face even
greater risk if funding is
again slashed and crushing
workloads and caseloads
arent fixed.
Childrens Administration members delivered about 1,000 petition
cards to Gov. Jay Inslees office today
Dec. 4.
The message was clear: Budget
cuts, reduced staff and reduction in
services have put vulnerable children
and families at risk. Support for additional staff, reduce caseload sizes,
more resources to help place foster
children and recruit more foster par-

Childrens Administration members march 1,000-plus petition cards into the governors office Dec. 4 (left) and then delivered them to Andi Smith, one of
the governors top aides (right)
ents.
Right now the state is really
struggling to serve kids and families,
said Michelle Hetzel, a member of Local 843 in King County. And there are
a lot of ways where we arent doing
nearly as well as we could.
And the primary reason for the
problems right now is the budget situation and the lack of sufficient resources to be able to do the job efficiently

and effectively.
And Im really concerned about
it.
Brian Osborne, a social service
specialist 3 in Moses Lake and a member if Local 1299, said front-line workers have too many cases way beyond
national and court-mandated levels.
Its a crisis where you have too
much to do and you have too many
cases to oversee, Osborne said.

The delegation from around the

state presented the cards in a meeting
with top Inslee aide Andi Smith. The
members earlier visited their respective legislators offices with similar
petition cards. It was part of a special
pre-session Lobby Day during the
state House of Representatives December committee weekend.
CA Lobby Day is Jan. 14: http://www.wfse.org/
protect-at-risk-children/

Human touch at stake

as members challenge
computer monitoring
Local 1488 members at Harborview
town hall meeting.

Members voice
need for reforms
at Harborview

rontline workers used

their voice and gave
the unvarnished truth
about working conditions at
Harborview Medical Center
in Seattle at a no-holds-barred
town hall meeting Nov. 7.
The town hall meeting
without management present came as part of the King
County Councils comprehensive review of its contract
with the University of Washington to run the county-

See HMC, page 5

Page 4

Those in need
of a hand up
deserve better,
CSO, Working
Connections
members say

embers in
DSHS Community Services Offices and Working
Connections Childcare
who help those in need
of a hand up in life have
sent a loud-and-clear
message about a computer scheduling and monitoring program they believe takes the human
out of human services.

At a demand to bargain
meeting Oct. 30 in Olympia,
they presented management
with petitions signed by 904

workers calling for a halt to

the program and no further
rollouts of other offices.
At issue is the controversial Work Force Optimization
program in the division of
DSHS that provides those in
dire need of safety net services for such things as food
and childcare.
But the program in effect penalizes workers who are trying to help real human beings.
Members rightfully dont
want to hang up on those in
need of a hand up.
It monitors keystrokes. It
also has rigid standards about
when breaks and lunch can
be taken with little flexibility
if workers are still helping clients when break time starts.
I feel disrespected, said
LaToya McFarland, a Local
443 member at the Olympia
CSO. I am trying to help my
community and help my clients.

The demand-to-bargain team and some of the 904 petition signatures (from
left): Rhonda Nichols, Local 948, Everett; LaToya McFarland, Local 443,
Olympia; and James Crouse, Local 1301, Ellensburg.
DSHS wouldnt agree to
stop the rollout, but affected
members gained an important
forum -- a special ad hoc
union-management communication committee at each
test site location that will meet
by mid-December to discuss
workflow and coverage in the
pilot offices and the new rollout office.
This and other agreements from the Oct. 30 meeting were spelled out in a Nov.

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

3 memorandum.
Meanwhile, grievances filed
by members stay alive. As
the controversial program is
rolled out, other efforts will
go forward to challenge the
Workforce Optimization program.
So for WFSE members doing these vital safety net jobs,
clients are still No. 1 and the
effort to treat them as humans
continues.

December 2014

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Dont be a turkey on comp time, Eastern State members say

ight before Thanksgiving, Eastern State

Hospital members
served up a heaping helping
of loud-and-clear messages on
managements table:
Dont be a turkey reinstate comp. time!
The Local 782 members
took this job action to show
why management should reinstate compensatory time at
the acclaimed mental health
facility in Medical Lake where
the direct-care and line-level
members make all the difference.
That common sense plea for
fairness made it to management on 127 messages collected in just five days.
In the spirit of the season,
members wrote out their messages on feathers on a huge

LEFT: Local 782 members with hospital Chief Executive

Officer Dorothy Sawyer.
RIGHT: One of the feather messages.

turkey poster presented to

hospital Chief Executive Officer Dorothy Sawyer Friday
(Nov. 21).
Having comp time makes it

easier to stay home with my

husband who suffers from a
mental illness when my sick
leave balance is low, one Local 782 member wrote.
The job action paid off

Nov. 24 when after face-toface talks, Eastern State Hospital workers were given back
Thanksgiving and Heritage
Day as comp time earning opportunities.

ESH has not had comp

time-earning capabilities
since March of this year.
The local is looking to
make even more progress on
the issue.

Lawmakers urged to expand pension

plan for those in dangerous jobs

ederation members on Dec. 16

urged legislators to dust off and
embrace a humanitarian pension
measure that passed the House earlier
this year but not the Senate.
The Select Committee on Pension
Policy once again got an ask from a
group of Federation mental health
members to expand the Public Safety
Employees Retirement System (PSERS) to include more institutions
workers in dangerous jobs that provide direct care, custody or safety.
That would include workers in
state mental health hospitals, residential habilitation centers caring for
developmentally disabled citizens and
juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
Supporters say expanding PSERS
would recognize that state workers
doing jobs susceptible to high rates
of on-the-job injuries and assaults in
state institutions deserve the same
earlier retirement consideration as
those with limited law enforcement
authority whove been included since
PSERS began in 2006.
For Craig Gibelyou, a licensed

HMC, from page 4

owned hospital on Seattles
First Hill.
Consultants hired by the
county to help refine the issues that should go into any
new management contract
listened intently. Local 1488
members -- along with other
stakeholders from SEIU, an
immigrants coalition and others spoke bluntly about why
the county should insist on a
set of values in any renewed
agreement with the UW to
run Harborview.

December 2014

practical nurse 4 at Western State

Hospital in Lakewood, the proposed
expansion is long overdue.
During the entirety of my employment, we have always known this
is an extremely dangerous environment with a high sustained rate of injury, the Local 793 member said.
It wears us down and beats us
down to the point where were no longer able to work.
He said mental health workers, for
instance, face severe economic hardship when injuries force them off the
job before qualifying for full or earlier
retirement.
We manage mental health patients who are criminals as well,
Gibelyou said.
Federation-backed legislation that
would have expanded PSERS to include high-danger institutions job classifications passed the House in March
on an overwhelming bipartisan vote
of 94-3. But Senate leadership refused
to even give the bill (EHB 1923) a committee hearing.
But in the wake of recent high-

The town hall meeting came

because of pressure from Local 1488 members and the
Federation so the consultants
from Alvarez and Marsal
could get direct input from
members.
The county council in
July adopted a blueprint with
principles on what the county
expects from the UW if the
county grants another 15-year
contract to run Harborview.
The current management contract between King County
and the UW expires June 30,
2015.
The council adopted a

From left: Local 793 President James Robinson; WFSE/AFSCME Lobbyist Matt Zuvich; Rick
Hertzog and Craig Gibelyou, both Local 793.
visibility assaults, supporters hope
any PSERS expansion bill doesnt get
stiff-armed again. The 2015 legislative
session begins Jan. 12.
Expanding PSERS would provide relief to an aging workforce caring for
patients and clients who sometimes
lash out, Federation Lobbyist Matt
Zuvich said.
It would also help the state attract
and keep workers in those dangerous
jobs.

blueprint that requires any

renewed contract emphasize
commitment to community,
valuing employees, financial
stewardship, environmental
stewardship and fair and just
treatment for all residents of
King County.
As you can see, a number of
our members have joined us
today to share their experiences working at Harborview,
said Mark Hamilton, the Federations Higher Education
strategic coordinator. We
know that you will find their
testimony compelling, and
illustrative of the great need

Under PSERS, members with at

least 20 years of service will be eligible
for full retirement benefits from age
60, five years earlier than the regular
retirement age in Public Employees
Retirement System Plans 2 and 3.
Members of PSERS with 20 years
of service may also early retire beginning at age 53 with a 3 percent reduction in benefits per year of early retirement.

for King County to continue

increasing its oversight of
Harborview.
Theres a lot of intimidation,
bullying, said one Harborview shop steward, Nate

Wilson, Local 1488. Were

required to give good quality
services to the patients, but
we cant give good quality
service to the patients when
were in terror.

WFSE Higher Education members took part in a summit Oct. 25 in Tacoma.

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

Page 5

MEMBERS-ONLY BENEFITS 2015

Union Plus Mortgage Veterans Grant
Veterans of the armed
forces who are Federation members have added
value from their duespaying membership the
new Union Plus Mortgage
Veterans Grant. This members only benefit provides
qualified dues-paying union
member veterans with a

$1,000 grant that never needs

to be repaid to help offset the
costs of a down payment.
If youre a veteran of the
United States Armed Forces
and an active or retired union
member, who obtained a
Union Plus Mortgage through
Wells Fargo to finance your
primary residence after Octo-

ber 31, 2014, youre eligible to

apply for this special $1,000
grant; normal processing time
for award checks is 60-90 days
after we receive a complete
application package. Funding
is limited so apply today.
Download the eligibility
guidelines, instructions and
application here:
http://www.unionplus.
org/statics/0000/7427/2014_

Veterans_Grant_Application.
pdf
If youre unable to download the application and need
one mailed to you, please call
1-800-472-2005, ext. 836, to request an application by mail.
For more information:
http://www.unionplus.org/
home-mortgage-programs/

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

WFSE and AFSCME offer numerous educational scholarships for the benefit of members and their families.

Members Only Benefits

Neville B. Crippen Grant-in-Aid Award

A quarterly award established to help members advance their education or improve

skills.

Norm Schut Scholarship Awards

These scholarships allow eligible members or

members of their families to pursue studies
at an accredited vocational school, college
or university. Three $1,000 scholarships
awarded each year; one is earmarked for a
WFSE/AFSCME member. Application deadline April 30.

Jerry Beckendorf Community Service

Scholarship

Recognizes outstanding student volunteerism and encourages future generations

of union advocates. Open to high school
graduates in Pierce County whos parent or
guardian are verifiable union members. AFLCIO Community Services and United Way
Partnership. Application deadline Feb 28.

AFSCME

A $2,500 scholarship awarded to an eligible member or family member to pursue

studies at an accredited vocational school,
college or university. Application deadline
April 30.

A $5,000 scholarship awarded to an eligible

for use towards higher education.Application deadline Jan. 31.

William Lucy Labor Scholarship Fund

The Harvard Trade Union Program (HTUP)

is a six-week executive program designed
to provide labor leaders with outstanding education and training in the political,
economic, and organizational challenges
confronting labor unions. Deadline: Nov. 15.

Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship

Available to children of AFSCME members,

one scholarship in the amount of $5,000
will be awarded annually to two students
for his/her junior and senior years of study.
Deadline: April 30.

Jerry Wurf Memorial Fund

Ten $2,000-a-year scholarships for children

and financially dependent grandchildren of
AFSCME members. Application deadline:
Dec. 31.

The Jerry Wurf Memorial Fund continues to

provide three scholarships for the 6-weekHarvard Trade Union Program. The program
is conducted at the Harvard campus in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is organized
around the theme Preparing Leadership for
the Challenges of the Future.

Gerald McEntee Scholarship

Union Plus Scholarships

http://www.afscme.org/members/scholarships

Younglove & Coker Scholarship

Althea Lute Memorial Scholarship

member or family member to pursue studies in

a degree program at a public college or university in Washington state. Application deadline
July 31.

AFSCME Family Scholarships

In honor of former AFSCME Pres. Jerry

McEntee this one-time $5,000 scholarship is
awarded annually to an AFSCME member

More than $150,000 in awards for members,

spouses and dependent children. Application deadline: Jan. 31.

http://www.wfse.org/scholarship-info/

Donations for school kids in the wildfire

zone make big difference in Pateros
The WFSE/AFSCME
Womens/Equal Partners
Committee presented $150
and a small pink backpack
to Pateros Elementary
School last month.
It was part of the committees drive at Policy Committee and throughout
the union to help school
children in the region in
North-Central Washington
devastated by last summers wildfires.
Carol Van Arnam, a
committee member from

Page 6

Local 1299 in that region,

said the school secretary reported the funds will make a
big difference as the weather
turns colder and colder.
Many kids who lost
homes and possessions are
coming to school without
gloves. The school will buy
gloves and pass them out.
This is another warm example of how the Federation
gives back to the community.

Look for the new

wfse.org in the
new year
Were heard you and have
built a site that is mobile
friendly -- in technical terms,
its reactive to your mobile
devices.
Weve streamlined how the information is organized so you
can find what you need much
quicker and easily.
Watch for the launch in January.
The website is a project of the
WFSE/AFSCME Communications Committee.

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

December 2014

MEMBERS-ONLY BENEFITS 2015

Gain more power with Members Only Benefits
WFSE/AFSCME COUNCIL 28 MEMBERS ONLY BENEFITS PROGRAM
When you become a full dues-paying member of WFSE/AFSCME
Council 28, you can save thousands of dollars on goods and services
through the Members Only Benefits Program.
Representation feepayers get the protection of strong contract;
but by taking the step to become full dues-paying members of the
union, they gain much more economic power by qualifying for the
discounts and consumer information offered by the Members Only
Benefits Program.

HOUSE & HOME

MORTGAGES A mortgage program to help members and their children buy a home. Special WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 contacts.

REAL ESTATE PROGRAM To help members and their families buy or

www.wfse.org/member-benefits/
WFSE/AFSCME Members Only Benefits
Program

(includes links to AFSCME Advantage and

UnionPlus at the national
level)

www.afscme.org/members/
advantage
AFSCME Advantage
www.unionplus.org
Union Plus

sell a home. Union Home Services just for WFSE/AFSCME Council

28 members.
ALSO Save My Home Hotline: provided through the non-profit
Money Management International (MMI) - is accredited to provide
counseling for labor union members facing foreclosure.

LEGAL

FINANCIAL WELLNESS & PLANNING

LEGAL SERVICES Speak to a lawyer free about any legal question. Free

document review and 30% off additional services. Additional option for
members in the South Sound.
LEGAL DEFENSE PROGRAM Just for WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 Law
Enforcement members.

AUTO ADVANTAGE
mo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Dollar and Thrifty.
MOTOR CLUB Get emergency roadside assistance and locksmith
services.
AUTO BUYING SERVICE Save time and money when you buy a new or
used car or truck.
TIRES AND CAR SERVICE Save 10% off all Goodyear tires and 5% off
all sales tires. Save up to 10% off all car service.
ALSO Auto Insurance; A Guide to Union-Made Vehicles; more.

SHOPPING & TRAVEL

AT&T WIRELESS DISCOUNTS Save 15% off select monthly wireless

service plans from AT&T, the only nationwide unionized wireless

company,.
COMPUTER DISCOUNTS Save up to 30% on Dell and HP laptops and
desktops.
CLOTHING DISCOUNTS Buy union-made apparel and save 5%-10% on
everything you buy.
PET SERVICES Pet insurance, veterinary services; save 10% on pet
food, toys and supplies.
ALSO Checks and Address Labels; Entertainment; Flowers and Gift
Baskets; Travel Center; Super Shuttle Discount; Vacation Tours;
more.

December 2014

Just for WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 members:

Washington State Employees Credit Union Program
Modern Woodmen of America (retirement savings)
Money Management Educators (financial education)
AFLAC (supplemental insurance)
Colonial Life (supplemental insurance)
ALSO AFSCME Advantage Credit Card; debt help; credit counseling;
layoff hotline; Consumer Reports; Retirement Planning Center

DISASTER/HARDSHIP RELIEF GRANTS

CAR RENTALS Save up to 25% on car rentals with discounts from Ala-

Neville B. Crippen Grant-in-Aid

Awards for Fall Quarter 2014 went to:
Kathryn Akeah, Local 443,
Health, Tumwater; Valarie
Beecher, Local 782, Eastern
State Hospital, Medical Lake;

MONEY & CREDIT

Kristina Bell, Local 443, Health,

Tumwater; Jessica Hausman,
Local 872, Ecology, Lacey;
Regina Graw-Crockett, Local
304, Green River Community

Foundation for Working Families, a program underwritten in part

by WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 with the Washington State Labor
Council.
ALSO UnionPlus Hardship Grants.

DENTAL HEALTH
Just for WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 members and their families Free and
discounted dental benefits with Bright Now! Dental, Pacific Dental Alliance, Sunrise Dental and Frontier Family Dental. For members in the
Uniform Dental Plan.
ALSO Special discounts for Local 1671 members (interpreters independent providers).

RECREATION
FAMILY CAMPOUTS Just for WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 members and

their families: Annual Howard Ocobock Memorial Family Campouts at

state parks for family fun and solidarity.
UNION SPORTSMENS ALLIANCE Union community for improved hunting
and fishing access and preservation of wildlife habitat.

College, Auburn; Stacy Lang,

Local 782, Eastern State Hospital,
Medical Lake; Melissa Randles,
Local 53, DSHS, Tacoma;
Amanda Owens, Local 443,

Health, Tumwater;
Nicole Rice, Local 948, DSHS,
Arlington; Jami Rider, Local 443,
DSHS, Olympia; Alicia Sigala,
Local 793, Child Study and
Treatment Center, Lakewood;

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

Sean Southworth, Local 1225,

Washington State School for the
Blind, Vancouver; and Cynthia
Varley, Local 1225, Washington
State School for the Blind,
Vancouver.

Page 7

ITS ABOUT OUR STRONG CONTRACTS

TCC Student Support Staff unanimously ratify first contract
Groundbreaking victory came after
years of unprecedented staff, student,
allies collaboration

tudent Support Staff

at Tacoma Community College this Dec. 8
made history by unanimously
ratifying their fair, first-ever
contract.
In onsite voting, the TCC
Student Support Staff Bargaining Unit members, it was
a unanimous vote to accept
the contract. (The TCC Student Support Staff Bargaining
Team determined the format
of reporting of the voting results.)
It gives us more protections, said bargaining team
member Kari Twogood. And
we get respect from management.
The TCC Board of Trustees OKd the tentative agreement the next day.
The now-ratified contract
gives compensation increases
and new workplace rights to
some of the most familiar and
trusted faces on the TCC campus, such as: academic advisors, educational planners,
the Running Start coordinator,
support specialists and the
Career Center coordinator.
The compensation package includes:
3% across the board increase effective 7/1/15
1.8% across the board
increase effective 7/1/16
$650 dollar addition to
base pay for those who have
achieved their Masters Degree in a relevant discipline,
effective upon submission of
documentation.
A memorandum of
Understanding to address 2%
Adjustment for certain job
classes to do salary survey

ABOVE: Bargaining team member Kari Twogood (left) with Nadine Brown, a Tacoma CC student leader who helped in
the group effort to win a fair first contract. In the end, its all about the students.
LEFT: Job actions to break the logjam in negotiations included a thank you pizza feed (top) and equity support action
(below).

with apples to apples comparisons.

The tentative agreement includes articles and new rights
that many Federation members with contract protections
have enjoyed for years, including:
a first-ever grievance
procedure; a discipline article
that includes the just cause
(due process rights) standard
for discipline and a process to
remove negative information
from an employees personnel
file; and a layoff and recall article that honors years of ser-

BUDGET, from page 1

tion members, thats 3 percent on July
1, 2015, and 1.8 percent on July 1, 2016.
(Some contracts may have additional
compensation.)
Inslee also proposes funding the
new Health Care Agreement that goes
in all contracts. This affects premium
costs in 2016 and 2017. The Health
Care Agreement would continue the
current premium split under which
the state pays an average of 85 percent
and the employee pays an average of
15 percent.
Inslee also proposes reinvesting in
the infrastructure and resources that
Washingtons citizens need to keep
this state a good place to live and raise
families.
That includes:
Increasing mental health funding, including boosting bed capacity
to prevent inappropriate boarding of
psychiatric patients.
Inslee proposes: 145 more mental
health beds to prevent inappropriate
boarding of patients a practice the

Page 8

vice at the community college.

These statutorily defined
exempt employees have
faced a tenuous at-will employment status, explained
WFSE/AFSCME Labor Advocate Sherri-Ann Burke, the
chief negotiator.
Before this first-ever contract, every year exempt staff
had to wonder if they will
continue to be employed, if
they stepped on someones
toes and didnt realize it, their
career could suddenly be over
without warning, Burke said.
WFSE/AFSCME Organiz-

state Supreme Court ordered must

end; a new 30-bed forensic ward at
Western State Hospital, five more beds
at Eastern State Hospital and 49 more
staff to address rising mental health
demands; a new 30-bed civil admissions ward at Western State Hospital
to prevent psychiatric boarding;
funding to improve ability to keep
up with mental hospitals demand
for competency evaluations; a psychiatric intensive care unit at Western
State Hospital; and hiring of 23 staff
to expand the psychiatric emergency
response team at Western.
Hiring more than 100 child
protective and child welfare services
workers to speed up investigations
of abuse and neglect, and ensure safe
conditions for children in foster care.
The governor asks for 50 more
Child Protective Service staff to address the number of reports of child
abuse or neglect, quicker contact and
allows all investigations to be completed within 90 days. Inslee also wants
57 child and family welfare staff to
improve the conditions and treatment

er Rosemary Sterling called

the TCC Student Support Staff
a groundbreaking victory
that sends a sign of hope to
similar higher education exempt staff across the state.
We demonstrated that
we can reach a fair contract
for these workers, Sterling
said.
We now have an opportunity to organize exempt
staff around the state. That
will build upon our existing
power at each of our higher
education institutions.
The tentative agreement
at TCC came after a months-

long push by members and

allies in the Classified Staff at
TCC, other Federation members, other unions and community groups. That burst of
public activity helped break a
logjam in negotiations.
This contract was won
with the combined collaboration of Federation staff in strategic campaigns, organizing,
negotiations, field services
and legislative and political
action, Sterling said.
I am so proud to be part
of the united efforts that our
union demonstrated in this
first contract campaign.

of children in the state foster care system, and allows for compliance with
measures required under the Braam
settlement.
Boosting staffing levels at State
Parks to restore services and catch up
on a backlog of maintenance work.
Inslee proposes 91 more staff at
state parks to benefit campers and
day-use visitors, preserve historical
and cultural assets and increase parks
maintenance.
The governor proposes investing
in these resources by using a mix of
spending cuts, new revenue (including closing five tax loopholes) and
reserves. An all-cuts budget would be
devastating, Inslee said.
One major change he proposes
in General Government is to align central information technology services
now done within the Office of the
Chief Information Officer, Consolidated Technology Services and the Department of Enterprise Services.

WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee

Local 443 members and their families gave

back to the community as they pitched in at the
annual Thanksgiving meal served up by Barbs
Friends and Families today (Nov. 26) at United
Churches in Olympia.

December 2014