ECOLOGY MEMBERS’ TENACITY HEADS OFF WATER QUALITY LAYOFFS

Ecology members around the state stood shoulder-to-shoulder the past few weeks as they stood with their Water Quality Division colleagues who faced layoffs because of the agency’s budget mismanagement.

But we’re glad to report that thanks to that tenacity and solidarity, the agency on Monday told a delegation of Federation Ecology leaders no Water Quality staff would lose their job and no one would face a loss of pay.

The Ecology leaders met with agency director Jay Manning at the headquarters in Lacey. Federation President Carol Dotlich and Executive Director Greg Devereux joined in pushing for more transparency on budget issues to prevent what almost happened in Water Quality.

Kerry Graber, a Local 443 Ecology member in the meeting, reports that Manning and his team said the last two people slated for layoff had been successfully transferred without having to take demotions or a loss in pay.

Before the meeting, about 25 members gathered in Ecology headquarters lobby to collect the last of 160 signatures on a petition to Manning. They then escorted their representatives up three flights to stairs to Manning’s office.

Meanwhile, Ecology members around the state gathered in their worksites to sign the petition and show support for their team in Lacey. At the Northwest Regional Office in Bellevue, members gathered for both a noontime lunch ‘n learn and a later solidarity break timed to coincide with the meeting in Lacey. At the Eastern Regional Office in Spokane, co-workers wore AFSCME green t-shirts and gathered at 3 p.m. to present a petition to ERO Director Grant Pfeifer.

More than 13 percent of Ecology members took part in some part of these job actions, all on very short notice.

“This is truly a great step for Ecology—let’s build on it,” said Scott Mallery, a Spokane Local 1221 Ecology member who chairs the Federation’s Natural Resources Policy Committee.