February 26, 2010

FEDERATION HOTLINE 2/26/10: CRITICAL DAYS AHEAD—KEEP THE PRESSURE ON

2/26/10

    This is the Federation Hotline for Friday and the weekend.

CRITICAL DAYS AHEAD—KEEP THE PRESSURE ON

    You know we’ve made progress, especially on changing the Legislature’s mindset on raising revenue and closing tax loopholes. How far we’ve gotten.

    But there are still legislators in both parties who want to stick it to state employees just for the sake of setting an example.

    They forget or pooh pooh the $1 billion you sacrificed last year.

    So, here’s where we stand:

The basic message is that we've already made a lot of sacrifices. 

The question is: How much more is the Legislature going to take from state employees? 

On the table right now are massive health care cuts, furloughs, hundreds of jobs lost, and privatization. 

When will they be satisfied that we've given enough?  The answers to those questions will be determined in the coming days. And you can help shape that answer. It’s largely because of you that revenue and loopholes have become one part of the answer.

You are the most powerful tool the union has. You make the biggest impact with direct communication to your elected representatives: “I am your constituent and I believe the Legislature is going too far in its punitive treatment of state employees.” Personal visits are most effective, personal e-mails are also very effective, and hotline calls are helpful, too.

If we can really generate a lot of contacts it will give pause to our enemies and encouragement to our friends.

Remember, the Legislature’s hotline is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Legislature is set to adjourn in just 13 days, on March 11.

So…


CRITICAL CALL TO ACTION ON HEALTH CARE

STOP HEALTH CUTS! Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell legislators to fund state worker health care at a fiscally responsible level in the supplemental budget (SB 6444/HB 2824). They will know what you mean. They want to triple your health care costs—that is unacceptable on top of the $1 billion you’ve already sacrificed and the average hike of $1,100 a year in health care costs imposed on you this past Jan. 1.



KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE KEY ISSUES:

Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

• STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell legislators to fund state worker health care at a fiscally responsible level in the supplemental budget (SB 6444/HB 2824).

• CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes. It will recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

• OPPOSE FURLOUGHS!
OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

• OPPOSE INSTITUTIONS CLOSURES!


• OPPOSE SENATE PROPOSAL TO MERGE NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS AND FISH AND WILDLIFE.

• PASS INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL, ESSB 6726. Give state Medicaid interpreters a voice on economics and workplace issues and a seat at the table on a reform-oriented work group. It needs to pass out of the House Ways and Means Committee.

NOTE: The governor on Feb. 24 signed into law ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues.


UPCOMING RALLIES

    “Stop the Madness/Closures Rally,” next Saturday, March 6, 1-4 p.m., Denny’s Foods, N. Lefevre St. and Hwy. 902, Medical Lake. Hotdogs and soft drinks will be provided. Come show your support to those who provide quality services to the citizens of Washington. Increase revenues, not decreased services.


CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW

    Nugget No. 1: The Federation Friday morning indicated support for SHB 3181, the Clean Water Act of 2010, in a hearing before the House Finance Committee. The measure would increase the Hazardous Substance Tax rate from 0.7 percent to 2.0 percent to fund water pollution programs and other general state programs. It will go a long way to restore funding to help our Ecology members in water resources do their job. It also creates jobs.

    Nugget No. 2: Federation members swelled this week’s Revenue Coalition town hall meetings in Vancouver, Everett and Bellingham. Green “WE ARE THE SAFETY NET” t-shirts took up half the crowd at Thursday’s session in Bellingham, where members from Corrections, Higher Ed, DSHS, L&I and Interpreters got their messages across.

FOR CORRECTIONS MEMBERS, DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE DOC SUMMIT

    Corrections members have an opportunity to shape their future on a number of issues at the Federation’s DOC Summit

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:    SeaTac Doubletree Hotel                     
Who:           This summit is open to the first 200 DOC members who register.
Registration deadline:      March 1, 2010
The goal of the summit is to gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices, institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help shape our future. 
The summit will include:
An open conversation about what we’ve learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union. 
AFSCME staff from “the other Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will reimburse registered members’ travel expenses. Carpooling is encouraged.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at WFSE.org > DOC Summit. Look for the DOC Summit icon in the upper right corner of the webpage. Questions? Contact Pam Herrick at 800-562-6002 or pamh@wfse.org.


SHARED LEAVE REQUESTS:

    Finally, four shared leave requests:

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Sandra Keck, a food service worker at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake and a member of Local 782, has been approved for shared leave. To help Sandra with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Janie Dowd in ESH Human Resources at (509) 565-4000.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Treca Young, a residential/student life counselor at the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver and a member of Local 1225, will be off the job an undetermined amount of time for a serious medical condition that may require surgery. To help Treca with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Jessica Sydnor at (360) 696-6321, Ext. 129.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Kendra Hogenson, a medical assistance specialist 3 with DSHS in Olympia and a member of Local 443, is facing a serious medical condition and is in need of share leave. To help Kendra with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Jennifer McCaslin at (360) 725-2058.

IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Cheryl Drake, an administrative assistant 3 with the Department of Transportation in King County, has been approved for shared leave. To help Cheryl with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Jennifer Wagner at (360) 705-7056.

    That’s it for now. Call Monday for the next message.

###

February 24, 2010

2/24/10 HOTLINE: State employees have been punished enough, WFSE/AFSCME tells legislators contemplating a tripling of health care costs

2/24/10

    This is the Federation Hotline updated Wednesday, Feb. 24. We’re leaving this message on through Thursday because of information and calls to action on the supplemental budget.


CRITICAL CALL TO ACTION ON HEALTH CARE

STOP HEALTH CUTS! Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell legislators to fund state worker health care at a fiscally responsible level in the supplemental budget (SB 6444/HB 2824). They will know what you mean.


STATE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN PUNISHED ENOUGH, WFSE/AFSCME TELLS KEY BUDGET COMMITTEES REVIEWING SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET PLANS

    The Senate and House both held hearings late Tuesday on their respective supplemental budget plans, both unveiled Tuesday. Both plans raise revenue and close tax loopholes, but they balance the remaining deficit on the backs of state employees and the people they serve through skyrocketing health costs, closures, cuts and consolidations.

    “It’s bordering on, frankly, irresponsibility to continue to expect that we can balance the budget on the backs of the people that provide services to our citizenry,” the Federation’s Dennis Eagle told the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

    Eagle told that panel and moments later the House Ways and Means Committee that while both budgets are a step in the right direction, they still ask state employees to sacrifice more on top of the more than $1 billion sacrificed last year in terms of lost pay raises, health care cuts, diversion of pension contributions and 2,500 lay offs and counting.

“And this year, this January, the average state worker is now paying $1,100 more annually for their health insurance,” Eagle testified in the House. “These are cuts that have already been imposed on state workers. Economic takeaways that we’ve already sacrificed.”

But both 2010 supplemental budget proposals assume $50 million in savings from furloughs, another 700 job cuts for a two year total of nearly 3,700 and more health cuts to fill a $200 million gap caused when lawmakers diverted health insurance funds in 2008, Eagle said.

“Absent corrective action … we would be looking at a tripling of health care costs for employees next January, which I believe exceeds the recommended punitive treatment from the Seattle Times,” Eagle told the House panel.

“We know that state workers are going to be making sacrifices. We did last year. We didn’t like it. We did it. We know we’re not coming out of this session unscathed either. But we have yet to see the limit. We have yet to see the point where we can all agree that public servants have been punished enough and we can move onto somebody else for a while.”

That drew a polite rebuke from the House chair, Rep. Kelli Linville of the 42nd District.

“And Dennis just so you know we are facing a tough budget time and our intent is not to punish state employees,” Linville said.

Eagle said Linville shouldn’t take his remark personally, to which Linville responded: “I knew you didn’t but I just thought I’d clarify.”

Because of time limits in the House, Eagle could not go as much into depth on other concerns with the budget. That wasn’t the case in the Senate where his defense of state institutions sparked a sharp debate with committee Chair Sen. Margarita Prentice of the 11th District.

“We strongly object to the proposed closure of Maple Lane School and it simply does not make sense on a policy basis, it’s putting the entire juvenile rehabilitation continuum at risk for minuscule savings,” Eagle told the Senate budget committee.

“We also object to the proposed closure of the Frances Haddon Morgan Center, particularly in light that there are not community placements and supports in place now for those folks….” at which point Prentice cut off Eagle.

“Why would they need to be in place if we don’t need them?” Prentice asked. “The point is we are going to be transitioning and particularly it’s the families that don’t want to see a change but I think if we need to do any, that’s the one we need to do.”

“We would ask you,” Eagle responded, “to perhaps consider that the $2 million in savings is small compared to the disruption and discomfort that would cause a number of…”

“…to the parents,” Prentice interjected. “What we’re concerned is the client themselves and the very negative approach that this took from 1972. Times have changed. And we know more about this now.”

(Prentice earlier encouraged the public to contact her office to get a DVD about how to treat autism or watch it online. Her website says: “Sen. Prentice secured $65,000 to provide funding for a DVD produced by the Univ. of Washington Autism Center.” We provide this information to you to provide context to the Prentice-Eagle debate.)

After this exchange, Eagle’s allotted time ended and he could not voice the union’s objections to other closures and cuts.

It’s unclear when the respective budgets will be voted on in committee. Technically, it’s the Senate’s turn to move first. But it’s likely the dueling versions will be rolled into one vehicle. When is anybody’s guess. The House Ways and Means Committee has a possible vote in today’s meeting.


KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE KEY ISSUES:

Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

• STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell legislators to fund state worker health care at a fiscally responsible level in the supplemental budget (SB 6444/HB 2824).

• RAISE REVENUE! Call 1-800-562-6000 to urge the governor to sign ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues.

• CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes. It will recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

• OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

• OPPOSE INSTITUTIONS CLOSURES!

• OPPOSE SENATE PROPOSAL TO MERGE NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS AND FISH AND WILDLIFE.

• PASS INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL, ESSB 6726. Give state Medicaid interpreters a voice on economics and workplace issues and a seat at the table on a reform-oriented work group. It passed the House Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday and now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee.


MORE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THIS WEEK

    The Revenue Coalition holds additional town hall meetings with legislators this week:

Today, Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Everett (38th and 44th Districts), 6:30-8:30 p.m., Weyerhaeuser Room, Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett, WA  98201.

And tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 25, in Bellingham (40th and 42nd Districts), 6:30-7:30 p.m., Bellingham Senior Activity Center, 315 Halleck St., Bellingham, WA  98225.


FOR CORRECTIONS MEMBERS, DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE DOC SUMMIT

    Corrections members have an opportunity to shape their future on a number of issues at the Federation’s DOC Summit

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:    SeaTac Doubletree Hotel                     
Who:           This summit is open to the first 200 DOC members who register.
Registration deadline:      March 1, 2010
The goal of the summit is to gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices, institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help shape our future. 
The summit will include:
An open conversation about what we’ve learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union. 
AFSCME staff from “the other Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will reimburse registered members’ travel expenses. Carpooling is encouraged.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at WFSE.org > DOC Summit. Look for the DOC Summit icon in the upper right corner of the webpage. Questions? Contact Pam Herrick at 800-562-6002 or pamh@wfse.org.

    That’s it for now. Call Friday for the next message.

###

February 23, 2010

HOTLINE BULLETIN 2 P.M. 2/23/10

2/23/10 2 p.m.

    This is a special update of the Federation Hotline at about 2 p.m. Tuesday.

HOUSE UNVEILS BUDGET; DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS FROM SENATE’S

    The state House majority Democrats by just three hours followed the Senate and unveiled its version of the budget (HB 2824).

    Many of the details on revenue, tax loopholes and state employee health care will follow.

    The House plan would cut another 692 state employees, for a two-year total of nearly 3,700 layoffs.

    As with the Senate, here is a quick summary based on a quick review. [for comparison, what the Senate proposed earlier today will be in brackets].

    Hearings on both the House budget plan (HB 2824) and the Senate plan (SB 6444) take place Tuesday afternoon and evening. Expect changes before a final plan is agreed to.

Health care: The House will look at a number of options, but they appear to be close to the Senate, that is charging you more rather than reinstating the $200 million-plus legislators diverted from your benefits fund in 2008. House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Kelli Linville said the state employee health care system has to change, saying “We have to redo our system.”
[The Senate plan puts some money into your plan, but still foresees a $200 million deficit, largely caused by their diversion of those funds in 2008. So if this prevails, we would see skyrocketing costs.]

Furloughs: The House plan assumes passage of SSB 6503 to achieve $48.2 million in savings through voluntary and mandatory layoffs, with the default of 11 furlough days.
[The Senate plan calls for $49.4 million in savings based on the provisions of SSB 6503, which calls for voluntary and mandatory furloughs, which now stands at a default of 11 furlough days between June 2010 and June 2011 if agencies can’t find other compensation adjustments.]

Revenue/loopholes:
The House will raise $857 in revenue, with details to come Wednesday.
[The Senate raises $313 million from a three-tenths of a penny increase in the sales tax, $86 million through a $1 a pack increase in taxes on cigarettes and $518 million through closing tax loopholes.]

Natural resources:
The House does not merge natural resources agencies. However, Linville said she was “very interested” in the Senate plan to merge three natural resources agencies.
[The Senate merges the Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which achieves only about $11 million in savings. This is a pet project of Sen. Rodney Tom, vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.]

Residential Habilitation Centers:
The House plan does not close RHCs, but does downsize institutions through cottage consolidations and the like.
[Close Frances Haddon Morgan Center in Bremerton. Sen. Margarita Prentice, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, used the example of her autistic son to say FHMC had outlived its usefulness. Rainier School and other RHCs would be spared for now, but Prentice said the Democrats are still “tussling” over which others to close. So this is not the last we’ve heard of this.]


Juvenile Rehabilitation:
The House plan does not close any JRA facilities, but it would reduce Naselle Youth Camp to 50 beds, cutting 25.1 positions, and cut 43.2 positions at other institutions.
[The Senate plan would close Maple Lane School in south Thurston County.]

Corrections: The House would close both Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women in Medical Lake and Ahtanum View Corrections Center in Yakima.
[In the Senate plan, Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women would be cut to 86 beds “to allow the Department to evaluate options for housing female offenders from eastern Washington.”]

PALS/Mental Health: The House saves the Program for Adaptive Living Skills at Western State Hospital, but  cuts 51.7 positions at WSH, Eastern State Hospital and the Child Study and Treatment Center.
[It’s unclear if the Senate budget closes the Program for Adaptive Living Skills at Western State Hospital, but the plan cuts funding for the Western Washington Regional Support Networks to purchase services at PALS by 19 percent.]

Interpreters: As with the Senate, the House budget appears to retain funding for the Medicaid provider interpreter services.
[It appears the Senate budget restores funding for the Medicaid provider interpreter services.]

Higher Education: The House plan restores the Basic Needs Grants to cover the same number of students, but with lower dollar amounts for each grant. The House also cuts the University of Washington by 4 percent, other four-year institutions by 3 percent and the community and technical colleges by 2.2 percent.
[The Senate plan cuts 6 percent from colleges and universities—on top of any cuts from furloughs, layoffs and other compensation reductions.]

Information Technology:
The House plan assumes passage of HB 3178 that consolidates IT functions, and opens the door to contracting out those services.

    Again, budget hearings take place this afternoon and evening.


HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL


    The House Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday morning passed out ESSB 6726, the bill granting DSHS Medicaid interpreters collective bargaining rights and creates a workgroup to look at wider reforms, including possibly ending the current money-sapping system of middleman brokers. The committee defeated an attempt to strip the bill of the collective bargaining rights. ESSB 6726 passed the committee 5-3. It now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it has until March 1 to pass.


KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE KEY ISSUES:


Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

• STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds to the two budget bills, HB 2824 and SB 6444. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds. Both Senate and House budgets come out Tuesday.

• RAISE REVENUE! The Senate on Monday concurred with House amendments to ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. It now goes to the governor for her signature into law. Call 1-800-562-6000 to urge the governor to sign ESSB 6130.

• CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes. It will recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

• OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

• PASS INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL, ESSB 6726. Give state Medicaid interpreters a voice on economics and workplace issues and a seat at the table on a reform-oriented work group. It passed the House Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday and now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee.

• SUPPORT THE SIGNATURE GATHERER ACCOUNTABILITY BILL, ESSB 6449. It’s needed to keep our initiative process free of fraud and forgery. It’s scheduled for a key committee vote Tuesday.


THREE MORE TOWN HALL MEETING THIS WEEK

    The Revenue Coalition holds town hall meetings with legislators this week in three cities:

Today, Tuesday, Feb. 23, in Vancouver (17th and 49th Districts), 6:30-8 p.m., Marshall Community Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98663.

Tomorrow Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Everett (38th and 44th Districts), 6:30-8:30 p.m., Weyerhaeuser Room, Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett, WA  98201.

And Thursday, Feb. 25, in Bellingham (40th and 42nd Districts), 6:30-7:30 p.m., Bellingham Senior Activity Center, 315 Halleck St., Bellingham, WA  98225.


FOR CORRECTIONS MEMBERS, DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE DOC SUMMIT


    Corrections members have an opportunity to shape their future on a number of issues at the Federation’s DOC Summit

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:    SeaTac Doubletree Hotel                     
Who:           This summit is open to the first 200 DOC members who register.
Registration deadline:      March 1, 2010
The goal of the summit is to gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices, institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help shape our future. 
The summit will include:
An open conversation about what we’ve learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union. 
AFSCME staff from “the other Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will reimburse registered members’ travel expenses. Carpooling is encouraged.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at WFSE.org > DOC Summit. Look for the DOC Summit icon in the upper right corner of the webpage. Questions? Contact Pam Herrick at 800-562-6002 or pamh@wfse.org.

    That’s it for now. Call Wednesday for the next message.

###

February 22, 2010

2/23/10 HOTLINE: Both Senate and House budget bills due out Tuesday; call legisalators to support interpreters' bill, which has key committee vote Tuesday; more

2/23/10

    This is the Federation Hotline for late Monday and Tuesday.

TUESDAY KEY DAY IN LEGISLATURE ON BUDGET, MOVING KEY BILLS

    Tuesday is a key day as both the majority Democrats in the Senate and House roll out their respective budget proposals.

    It’s also the day committee action is needed on the Federation-initiated interpreters’ collective bargaining bill and the signature-gathering accountability bill.

The budget

    The Senate will unveil its budget plan Tuesday at 9 a.m., with a 3:30 Tuesday afternoon hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, in Senate Hearing Room 4 in the Cherberg Building on the Capitol campus. Your attendance is encouraged.

    Meanwhile, the House will roll out its plan at about noon on Tuesday, with a 6 o’clock hearing Tuesday night in the House Ways and Means Committee, House Hearing Room A in the O’Brien Building on the Capitol campus. Your attendance is encouraged.


Interpreters’ collective bargaining bill

    Tuesday is the deadline for most Senate bills to clear House committees. One key bill up for action before the deadline is the Federation-initiated interpreters’ collective bargaining bill, ESSB 6726. It’s scheduled for a committee vote in the House Commerce and Labor Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday in House Hearing Room B in the O’Brien Building

CALL TO ACTION ON INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL

    Call your legislators at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to support ESSB 6726, to give state Medicaid interpreters collective bargaining rights and a seat at the table on a reform-oriented work group.


Signature-gathering accountability bill

    As we told you in our weekend message, the Federation-supported bill to bring accountability to the practice of paid signature gathering in initiative drives is scheduled for a vote Tuesday in the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee. It must get out of committee to survive.

    ESSB 6449 is fairly simple. It requires that signature gatherers sign the back of each petition to attest all signatures were collected in accordance with state law. In addition, all paid signature-gathering firms would have to register with the state Public Disclosure Commission. The provisions in ESSB 6449 are similar to those in 19 of the 24 states with an initiative process.

CALL TO ACTION ON SIGNATURE-GATHERING ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

    Call your two House members at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to support ESSB 6449, the signature gatherer accountability bill. It’s needed to keep our initiative process free of fraud and forgery.


CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW

    Nugget No. 1: In the ongoing fight to save state institutions, the Bremerton City Council last week voted unanimously to demand that the Legislature keep Frances Haddon Morgan Center open. The Morgan Center is a residential habilitation center caring for autistic citizens. City councils and mayors in cities as widespread as Buckley, Medical Lake and Yakima have also taken stern action to support their local state institutions.

    Nugget No. 2: As we told you in Monday’s message, Federation-produced radio commercials supporting the work done by members and calling for closing tax loopholes and raising revenue started airing on 35 stations around the state Monday.



KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE KEY ISSUES:

Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

• STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds. Both Senate and House budgets come out Tuesday.

• RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues.

• CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

• OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

• PASS INTERPRETERS’ COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL, ESSB 6726. Give state Medicaid interpreters a voice on economics and workplace issues and a seat at the table on a reform-oriented work group. It has a key committee vote Tuesday.

• SUPPORT THE SIGNATURE GATHERER ACCOUNTABILITY BILL, ESSB 6449. It’s needed to keep our initiative process free of fraud and forgery. It’s scheduled for a key committee vote Tuesday.


FOR CORRECTIONS MEMBERS, DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE DOC SUMMIT

    Corrections members have an opportunity to shape their future on a number of issues at the Federation’s DOC Summit

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:    SeaTac Doubletree Hotel                    
Who:           This summit is open to the first 200 DOC members who register.
Registration deadline:      March 1, 2010
The goal of the summit is to gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices, institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help shape our future.
The summit will include:
An open conversation about what we’ve learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union.
AFSCME staff from “the other Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will reimburse registered members’ travel expenses. Carpooling is encouraged.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at WFSE.org > DOC Summit. Look for the DOC Summit icon in the upper right corner of the webpage. Questions? Contact Pam Herrick at 800-562-6002 or pamh@wfse.org.

    That’s it for now. Call late Tuesday for reports on the Senate and House budget bills.
###

2/22/10 HOTLINE: WFSE/AFSCME radio commercials ("We can't afford to lose these services") start airing on 35 stations statewide

2/22/10

    This is the Federation Hotline for Monday, Feb. 22.


FIRST PHASE OF YOUR MEDIA PUSHBACK CAMPAIGN STARTS

    You sometimes take a beating in the media—or those who don’t like you use the media to try to keep you down.

    Rallies, job actions, press releases and talking to media outlets are great, but they don’t guarantee placement on the air or in print.

    So, today, the Federation launches a multi-phased paid media campaign to spotlight what you do and why we need to close tax loopholes and raise revenue. It comes at just the right time. The state Senate majority Democrats will unveil their proposed supplemental budget within the next few days, followed by the House. There are only 17 days left in the session.

    So here is the 30-second spot airing on 35 radio stations around the state over the next week to two weeks (depending on the radio station):

State Legislators are considering devastating cuts to public services provided by people you know, caring people.  People who protect abused kids, the elderly, the disabled and protect our neighborhoods from dangerous offenders.  We can’t afford to lose these services.  Legislators need to make the hard choices: Close the tax loopholes! And, yes, raise revenue.  Call 1-800-562-6000.  A message from the Washington Federation of State Employees.


The spots are airing on the following stations:

Seattle: KOMO, KIRO-AM (ESPN Radio), KIRO-FM, KMPS, KZOK and KPTK.

Tacoma: KLAY

Olympia: KGY-AM, KGY-FM, KRXY, KXXO.

Yakima: KXDD, KRSE, KARY, KUSA.

Spokane: KXLY-AM, KXLY-FM, KXLX (ESPN Radio), KSBN.

Wenatchee: KZPH

Tri-Cities: KALE

Goldendale: KLCK

Centralia: KELA

Longview-Kelso: KLOG

Pullman: KQQQ

Ellensburg: KXLE

Ephrata: KULE-AM and KULE-FM.

Astoria, Ore: KAST

Chelan: KOZI

Bellingham: KPUG

Anacortes: KLKI

Forks: KVAC

Walla Walla: KTEL

Lewiston, Idaho: KATW


KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE FOUR KEY ISSUES:

Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

• STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.

• RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. The House passed ESSB 6130 Wednesday night on a vote of 51-47. It now goes back to the Senate.

• CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

• OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

You can also take online action at www.wfse.org > Action Center.


FOR CORRECTIONS MEMBERS, DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE DOC SUMMIT

    Corrections members have an opportunity to shape their future on a number of issues at the Federation’s DOC Summit

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10 AM - 4:00 PM
Where:    SeaTac Doubletree Hotel                    
Who:           This summit is open to the first 200 DOC members who register.
Registration deadline:      March 1, 2010
The goal of the summit is to gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices, institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help shape our future.
The summit will include:
An open conversation about what we’ve learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union.
AFSCME staff from “the other Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will reimburse registered members’ travel expenses. Carpooling is encouraged.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE at WFSE.org > DOC Summit. Look for the DOC Summit icon in the upper right corner of the webpage. Questions? Contact Pam Herrick at 800-562-6002 or pamh@wfse.org.


HELP NEEDED FOR LOCAL 308 MEMBER WHO LOST HOUSE IN FIRE


    Rebecca Powell, a member of Corrections Local 308 in Seattle, recently lost virtually all her possessions in a house fire. She’s back to work and is in dire need of a few items: three to four upright dressers, and toys for her 9-year-old granddaughter. We’re sure she’d take other offers of assistance. If you can help, contact Rebecca directly at (206) 516-7715 or WFSE/AFSCME Council Rep Britt Kauffman at 1-800-924-5754.


    That’s it for now. Call Tuesday for the next message.
###

February 20, 2010

Keep the momentum going; and more Capitol nuggets you need to know.

Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:
STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.

RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. The House passed ESSB 6130 Wednesday night on a vote of 51-47. It now goes back to the Senate.

CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.

CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Nugget No. 1: The Federation urged passage of HB 2751, the member-generated bill to add a labor representative to the boards of trustees of community colleges. The measure would bring boards in line with technical colleges, which already have labor reps. HB 2751 would bring a “new level of equity and collaboration to the governance of community colleges,” the Federation’s Pam Carl told the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee Friday. Carl, who formerly worked at Centralia College, said the labor reps would be a “great aspect and addition” to the boards.

Nugget No. 2: The Federation voiced concerns about a bill mandating certain qualifications for the social work profession—including state social workers. But Federation Lobbyist Alia Griffing told the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee Friday the union will work with committee staff and a social worker professional association to address those concerns. The main problem with 2SHB 1357 is it could potentially end-run the current General Government contract that includes a memorandum of understanding spelling out a process of negotiations for any proposed changes to the social worker job class.

Help needed for Local 308 member who lost house in fire

Rebecca Powell, a member of Corrections Local 308 in Seattle, recently lost virtually all her possessions in a house fire. She’s back to work and is in dire need of a few items: three to four upright dressers, and toys for her 9-year-old granddaughter. We’re sure she’d take other offers of assistance. If you can help, contact Rebecca directly at (206) 516-7715 or WFSE/AFSCME Council Rep Britt Kauffman at 1-800-924-5754.

Interpreters collective bargaining bill gets another good hearing in the House

This time it’s on the version that passed the Senate, but the Federation-initiated interpreters collective bargaining bill got another good reception back in the House.

Rep. Alex Wood of the 3rd District even gave the AFSCME Interpreters United activists an over-the-head, double thumbs up before they testified Friday in the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

ESSB 6726 would give the interpreters collective bargaining rights and convene a work group to look at other reforms, including possibly ending the middleman system of brokers that siphons off millions of dollars before it ever reaches the DSHS interpreters.

“Under this state policy, interpreters’ wages have been going down, not just in the short-term because of a crisis, but systematically over the years,” the Federation’s Dennis Eagle told the committee. “Wages are going down under the tutelage of the state in the DSHS system.

“As independent contractors, the interpreters are powerless to do anything about this. They can’t complain, or they just don’t get hired anymore.

“So they’re voting with their feet, leaving the field, the pool of qualified interpreters for medically needy people is diminishing, the department’s forced to lower standards in order to get enough people into the pool….and it’s having an adverse impact on the 160,000 users of this service every year.

“And that’s why the collective bargaining piece is so important to the interpreters. Sure, their wages need to improve, there’s more to it than that. It’s about having a voice, about being part of a team, and banding together to solve problems and promote their industry.”

Mental health members reassure Senate commitee that effective steps have been taken in wake of last summer's Eastern State Hospital escape

Mental health members Greg Davis (Eastern State Hospital, Local 782) and Craig Gibelyou (Western State Hospital, Local 793) assured the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee Friday that effective, “old school” steps have been taken to protect the public in the wake of last September’s escape of an Eastern State Hospital criminally insane patient on an outing to the county fair.

The comment came during consideration of a SHB 2717 to restrict such outings in the future.

Davis told senators the risk assessments of patients considered for such outings had been reinstated. Had one been done on escapee Phillip Paul, he probably would have not been allowed to leave the hospital, Davis said.

Paul was captured without incident a few days later.

In the wake of the escape, the union joined with DSHS, DOC and others on a special work group to find out why Paul was let out and how to prevent such incidents in the future.

“We reviewed every single one of our policies and every single one of the recommendations from the union and others have been implemented…,” Davis said.

“We believe we’re back to what I call ‘old school’ and we take a very serious look before anyone leaves our wards, with or without a conditional release.”

The risk assessments procedure “is full re-implemented and the tool is being revised and will do a good job,” Davis said.

Help needed to pass the bill to make Tim Eyman and others accountable on initiative signature gathering

The Federation-supported bill to make the practice of paid signature gathering to put initiatives on the ballot needs your help to pass the Legislature.


ESSB 6449 has already passed the Senate and is scheduled for a Feb. 23 vote in the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee.


ESSB 6449 is fairly simple. It requires that signature gatherers sign the back of each petition to attest all signatures were collected in accordance with state law. In addition, all paid signature-gathering firms would have to register with the state Public Disclosure Commission. The provisions in ESSB 6449 are similar to those in 19 of the 24 states with an initiative process.
As you can imagine, Tim Eyman and others whose bread and butter is gathering petition signatures, oppose ESSB 6449. So if Tim Eyman doesn’t like it, it must be good.


So call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators to support ESSB 6449, the signature gatherer accountability bill. It’s needed to keep our initiative process free of fraud and forgery.

February 18, 2010

Town Halls on Saturday, Feb. 20 - updated information

Fight back against program cuts and attacks on state employees.  Attend a Town Hall scheduled in your district on Saturday, February 20th.

UPDATED 2/18/10
Legislative District 6 (Spokane) Senator Chris Marr and Rep. John Driscoll.
1) 10 AM - Noon at Northwood MS, 13120 N Pittsburg;
2) 2-4 PM at Hamblen Elem, 2121 E Thurston Ave. 


Legislative District 11 (Seattle) Rep. Bob Hasegawa
11 AM - Noon at Georgetown SSC Campus, 6737 Corson Ave S, Seattle


Legislative District 21 (Emonds) - Senator Paull Shin, Rep. Marko Liias, and Rep. Mary Helen Roberts
1) 10 -11:30 AM at Edmonds Woodway High School
2) 1:30-3 PM at Mukilteo City Hall, Mukilteo


Legislative District 22 (Olympia) Rep. Brendan Williams
4 PM at Mark Restaurant, 407 Columbia St SW, Olympia

Legislative District 23 (Kitsap) Rep. Christine Rolfes, Rep. Sherry Appleton, and Senator Phil Rockefeller
1) 9:30 - 11 AM at Bainbridge Island High School
2) 1-2:30 PM at the Eagles Nest, Bremerton


Legislative District 25 (Puyallup) Rep. Dawn Morrell (D)
10 AM - Noon at Puyallup City Hall, Council Chambers


Legislative District 26 (S Kitsap) Rep. Larry Seaquist (D)
1) Noon-1:30 PM at Olympic College Stu Ctr, Bremerton
2) 2-3:30 PM at Givens Comm. Ctr Rm 1026, Port Orchard
3) 4-5:30 PM at Peninsula High School, Purdy


Legislative District 32 (Shoreline) Rep. Darlene Fairley, Rep. Maralyn Chase, and Senator Ruth Kagi
10 AM - Noon at 3rd Place Books, Lake Forest Park
1-3 PM at Shoreline Historical Museum, Shoreline


Legislative District 37 (Seattle) Rep. Eric Pettigrew, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, and Senator Adam Kline
10 AM-Noon at Zion Prep Acad., 4730 32nd Ave S, Seattle


Legislative District 41 (Seattle) Rep. Judy Clibborn, Rep. March Maxwell, and Senator Randy Gordon
9:30-11 AM at Hazelwood Elem., Newcastle
1:30-3 PM at Eastgate Elem., Bellevue


Legislative District 43 (Seattle) Rep. Frank Chopp, Rep. Jamie Pedersen, and Senator Ed Murray
1:30-3 PM at Seattle First Baptist Church, 111 Harvard Ave 


Legislative District 45 (Kirkland) Rep. Larry Springer, Rep. Roger Goodman, and Senator Eric Oemig
10:30 AM - Noon at Kirkland City Hall


Legislative District 46 (Seattle) Rep. Scott White, Rep. Phyllis Kenney, and Senator Ken Jacobsen
10 AM-Noon at Meadowbrook Community Center, Seattle


Legislative District 48 (Bellevue) Rep. Ross Hunter, Rep. Deb Eddy, and Sen. Rodney Tom
11 AM-1 PM at Crossroad Community Center, 16000 NE 10th Street, Bellevue


Press will be a component of these meetings
Do you have a sympathic story that can help - or know someone who does?  Contact Tim Welch at 800-562-6002.

*Town Hall information is being updated daily.  Don’t see your home town? 
Go here: http://fusewashington.org/budget

       

DOC Summit - March 20th. Deadline for registration looming.

This summit is open to the  first 200 members who register.

Registration  Deadline: March 1, 2010

The goal of the summit is to  gather a diverse group of DOC members from as many field offices,  institutions, and represented job classifications as possible to help  shape our future. 

The summit will include:
  • An open conversation about what we’ve  learned this past year and where we are headed now as a union. 
  • AFSCME staff from “the other  Washington” will share Corrections and Law Enforcement presentations  from other parts of the country.
Lunch will be provided only  for members who register prior to the March 1st deadline.  WFSE will  reimburse registered members’ travel expenses.

Keep the momentum going in upcoming rallies


 
  • UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, to fight program cuts and attacks on state employees, 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m., tomorrow, today, Feb. 18, Red Square (near Suzzallo Library).

    Download flyer here.
  • RALLY TO SAVE PALS (PROGRAM FOR ADAPTIVE LIVING SKILLS) at Western State Hospital, Noon, Wednesday, March 3, near the flagpole at the main entrance.

    Download flyer here.






  • SAVE PINE LODGE, TBA. Watch for details.

Concerns raised about IT bill

The Federation on Wednesday raised serious concerns about HB 3178, the bill creating efficiencies in the use of technology in state government.

Local 443 member Tim Young of the Department of Fish and Wildlife told the House Ways and Means Committee the bill would not provide all the streamlining intended because the state budget office could potentially review and veto every single request to upgrade an operating system, for instance.

“Our advice is to allow agencies more discretion with upgrades, which are considered routine,” Young said.

Workers are also troubled by contracting out, he said.

“We oppose outsourcing to private contractors as encouraged in the bill,” Young said. “We feel, though, that IT work can be better performed by the state’s dedicated IT professionals.”

Governor's revenue plan good start, but RHCs, JRA, DOC still chopped

Gov. Gregoire on Wednesday unveiled her plan to raise revenue to help with the deficit.  While it’s a good start, the $605 million plan falls short.

The governor proposes closing only $11.3 million of some $14 billion in easily accessible tax loopholes.

And in a letter to legislative leaders, she still advocates closing Frances Haddon Morgan Center and Rainier School, downsizing the four juvenile rehabilitation facilities (Maple Lane, Green Hill, Naselle and Echo Glen) and “closing underperforming” facilities in Corrections—a reference to Ahtanum View and Pine Lodge (which supposedly has been put on hold).

On the RHC closures, Gregoire said: “I believe our citizens with developmental disabilities need to be served in the communities.” So much wrong with that statement, but luckily our members in RHCs have been countering that position with solid data provided to legislators.

So, now it’s in the hands of the Legislature. This is not the final word.

In the end, the governor’s package is not large enough to preserve all of the services critical to our long-term economic future. We call on legislators to close more tax loopholes and identify other sources of revenue, on top of what the governor proposed, to ensure those services, programs and facilities are not lost.

HOUSE PASSES MAJORITY RULE REVENUE BILL

The House Wednesday night passed ESSB 6130, the bill lifting the I-960 lid and allowing majority votes of the Legislature to raise revenue. It passed 51-47. It now goes back to the Senate. This is necessary to enact revenue and close tax loopholes. It’s hoped this empowers the Legislature to go much farther than the governor.

SPEAKING OF CLOSURES….

It’s hard to say for sure, because there’s always a lot of buzz on the budget this time of year. But it appears the majority Senate Democrats’ budget to be released early next week will call for the full closure of Maple Lane School, the acclaimed juvenile rehabilitation facility in south Thurston County.

The governor did not call for its closure, but the 2009 Legislature commissioned a consultant to recommend a JRA facility to close and the consultants’ report reluctantly picked Maple Lane. The consultants even said closing Maple Lane was “a bad idea.”

So, call your senator at 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to save Maple Lane and all JRA facilities in the Senate budget coming out next week. It’s vital for the continuum of care in JRA.

KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE FOUR KEY ISSUES:

Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:
  • STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.
  • RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. The House passed ESSB 6130 Wednesday night on a vote of 51-47. It now goes back to the Senate.
  • CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
  • OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.
You can also take online action at WFSE.org > Action Center.

February 17, 2010

Bill to eliminate Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Parks and Recreation Commission gains only support of DNR

A bill to eliminate the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Parks and Recreation Commission and move their programs into the Department of Natural Resources gained only the support of DNR at Wednesday’s hearing before the Senate Natural Resources, Oceans and Recreation Committee.

Senate Bill 6813 is meant to save money, but a wide range of speakers said it wouldn’t be cost-effective, harms programs and many of the efficiencies are already in the works thanks to the governor’s natural resources reform report and an executive order.

“The current bill is the wrong approach at the wrong time…,” said Tim Young, a Local 443 member at Fish and Wildlife. “With last year’s round of cuts, these agencies are already operating on fumes.”

Parks Commissioner Joe Taller, a former state budget director in a Republican administration, was more blunt.

“This is a bad bill,” Taller said.

Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, the Wildlife Federation, the snowmobilers association, the Nature Conservancy, the Yakama Tribe, and other advocates for parks, recreation and resources all joined the Federation in opposing the bill.

At the end of the hearing, committee chair Sen. Ken Jacobsen of the 46th District said he, too, was skeptical.

This is a bill to keep an eye on, though.

Keep momentum building by turning out for Saturday's Town Hall meetings; more Capitol nuggets you need to know

You overwhelmed Tim Eyman at last Saturday’s revenue hearing and you swamped the Teabaggers at Monday’s rally.

Now it’s time to take that momentum into this weekend’s legislative town hall meetings around the state. If you live in the following districts, plan to turn out with your questions about why we can’t raise revenue and close tax loopholes instead of closing caring institutions, slashing public safety and cutting jobs? 

The districts with town hall meetings this Saturday, Feb. 20, are: 6, 11, 23, 25, 26, 34, 37, 45 and 48.
For a full schedule with times and locations, go to WFSE.org > Action Center.

In addition, three Revenue Coalition town hall meetings with legislators have been set for next week: Tuesday, Feb. 23, in Vancouver; Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Everett; and Thursday, Feb. 25, in Bellingham. 
KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING IN UPCOMING RALLIES
  • UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, to fight program cuts and attacks on state employees, 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m., tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 18, Red Square (near Suzzallo Library).
  • RALLY TO SAVE PALS (PROGRAM FOR ADAPTIVE LIVING SKILLS) at Western State Hospital, Noon, Wednesday, March 3, near the flagpole at the main entrance.
  • SAVE PINE LODGE, TBA. Watch for details.
    KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH CALLS ON THE FOUR KEY ISSUES:

    Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:
    • STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.
    • RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. The House debated this bill Wednesday morning, but has deferred a final vote until at least 8 p.m. Wednesday. 
    • CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
    • OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.
      You can also take online action at www.wfse.org > Action Center.

      CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW
       
      Nugget No. 1: The Senate late Monday night passed the Federation-initiated interpreters’ collective bargaining bill on a vote of 29-19. It now comes over to the House, where it has a hearing Friday in the House Commerce and Labor Committee.

      Nugget No. 2: The governor has signed into law SHB 2998, the good bill that suspends bonuses and other special pay for those in the Washington Management Service and exempt service. The new law also suspends WMS “growth and development” increases. Awaiting the governor’s signature is SSB 6382, extending the freeze on WMS and EMS salary and wage increases.

      Nugget No. 3: The Federation supported bill to add a labor representative on the boards of trustees at state community colleges has a hearing Friday in the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. SHB 2717 passed the House 52-37 on Feb. 13.

      Nugget No. 4: Up for hearing Friday in the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee are two troubling bills: SHB 2717, the legislative response to last fall’s Eastern State Hospital escape; and 2SHB 1357, the bill licensing social workers.

      Nugget No. 5: Tuesday was the deadline for most House bills to pass the House and most Senate bills to pass the Senate. In coming days, we’ll recap what should be dead and what is still alive. The next major deadlines are Feb. 23 for most Senate bills to clear House committees and Feb. 26 for most House bills to pass Senate committees.

      February 16, 2010

      Call to action on revenue and closing tax loopholes

      Legislators have heard you and have introduced legislation on revenue and closing tax loopholes we hope will go a long way to avoid deep cuts to the safety net of programs that you provide.


      UPDATE 2/13/10:   The House Finance Committee then voted out ESSB 6130 to temporarily suspend the Initiative 960 two-thirds vote requirement and allow majority votes by the Legislature on revenue bills. The vote was 6-3.

      It now goes to the full House.

      We should note that this is the vehicle the committee chose to consider for a number of reasons. 

      So - ESSB 6130 replaces SB 6843 on our all to action sheets. We now need to generate support for ESSB 6130.

      The committee also heard but did not take action on HB 3176 to close hundreds of millions of dollars in tax loopholes.

      BACKGROUND (edited 2/15/10): 

      ESSB 6130 amends Initiative 960 to allow a simple majority vote to enact revenue increases. Right now, a two-thirds vote of the Legislature is required to approve revenue increases.

      ESSB 6130 would temporarily suspend that requirement to allow more flexibility in dealing with the deficit. Because the reality is, the current super-majority requirement encourages California-style deal-making instead of sound-policy making. That's not responsible governance.

      HB 3176 closes some tax loopholes, updates the tax code and makes other fixes to keep the tax code current and fair. In all, HB 3176 would protect or reclaim $363 million in state funding for 2009-2011 and $954 million in 2011-2013.  

      CALL TO ACTION:  Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and:
      • Urge your legislators to support ESSB 6130 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues. We must protect the long-term investments in education and preserve the basic safety net for thousands of working families.
      • And urge legislators to support HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
      The Legislative Hotline will be open until 8 p.m. Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.

      Calls needed to stop health care cuts!

      We have learned that the Legislature is considering a series of drastic cut to fill the funding deficit in your health insurance plans.

      DOWNLOAD FLYER HERE.

      Legislators themselves caused the problem when they underfunded your PEBB health benefits in 2008, causing a $220 million deficit. That translates into an additional $78 million in 2011, for a total of nearly $300 million.

      But instead of putting back what they took, legislators are considering a range of drastic cuts, like:
      • Increasing your share of premiums by 250 percent from 12 percent to 30 percent!
      • Jacking up your deductibles to $3,000 a person!
      State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has already taken the Legislature to task for what they did. Kreidler said in a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire that if the Health Care Authority were a private insurer, “the HCA would be subject to receivership proceedings.”
      Unacceptable!

      CALL TO ACTION:  Call legislators at 1-800-562-6000.
      • Tell them to do the right thing.  Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds.
      • Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.
      In coming days, we will give you more background on this now that it has been exposed. And now is the time to make plans to attend Monday’s rally (details below) and Saturday’s hearings (see next item).

      February 14, 2010

      Majority rule revenue bill passes committee

      Dozens of Federation members turned out to pack the main hearing room and four overflow hearing rooms Saturday morning during the public hearing on two good bills to give legislators the flexibility to deal with the fiscal crisis.
      The House Finance Committee then voted out ESSB 6130 to temporarily suspend the Initiative 960 two-thirds vote requirement and allow majority votes by the Legislature on revenue bills. The vote was 6-3.

      It now goes to the full House.

      We should note that this is the vehicle the committee chose to consider for a number of reasons. So this replaces SB 6843 on our all to action sheets. We now need to generate support for ESSB 6130.

      The committee also heard but did not take action on HB 3176 to close hundreds of millions of dollars in tax loopholes.

      In Bremerton, members gather to support Frances Haddon Morgan Center.



      Fiftyfive-plus of Federation members turned out for the peaceful picketing along Kitsap Way to save Frances Haddon Morgan Center. This despite the rain, wind and cold and the budget hearing in Olympia.

      Help needed in state trooper shooting

      Another blatant attack on a state employee took place early Saturday when an unidentified man shot State Trooper Scott Johnson near Long Beach. The shooting came while Johnson was dealing with a vehicle towing on the side of the road.

      Trooper Johnson is alert and conscious in a Portland hospital.

      The State Patrol is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 1-800-283-7808.

      February 12, 2010

      Bargaining Updates


      HIGHER EDUCATION COALITION.
      The coalition of 12 Community Colleges, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College and Western Washington University met Feb. 10 to review contract language ideas submitted by members, appoint committees and do other prep work for bargaining on the 2011-2013 contract, which will likely start sometime in late spring. Some supplemental bargaining is also possible.

      RENTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
      RTC, which negotiates under a different collective bargaining law than for all other Federation members, continues to make progress. In a joint statement, the RTC team says negotiations have been completed on several articles: Staff In-service Day; Training; New Employee Orientation; RIF/Layoff Procedure; Unusual School Closures; Seniority; Position Descriptions; and Union-Management Meetings. Other articles/topics discussed: Reporting System; Personal Convenience Leave; Safety; Hiring/Transferring/Posting; Position Reclassification; Alternate Work Schedules; and contract language clean up.

      Real collaboration needed in any talk of natural resources reform

      The Federation’s Natural Resources Policy Committee Chair Scott Mallery told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Thursday, February 11, that the reform effort in natural resources agencies needs a new kind of collaboration.

      The governor this past fall came out with a series of recommendations on streamlining functions in such agencies as Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, Ecology and Natural Resources. That resulted in five bills forwarded to the Legislature, plus two requested budget actions.

      “Reform is about getting more efficiency and providing the public better customer services (so) the government, Legislature and agency management should treat state employees with dignity and respect and transparency,” Mallery said.
       
      That includes good pay, benefits and working environment, he said.
       
      Mallery urged lawmakers to trim the growing ranks of management. He said in Ecology alone, reducing the staff-to-management ratio of 6-1 to 10-1 could be used to deploy 90 more Ecology employees to serve the public.

      Turnout needed at revenue hearing Saturday; calls needed on keys bills; bodies needed at rallies

        • REVENUE, TAX LOOPHOLES HEARING.    The hearing is on 2ESB 6843, temporarily suspending Initiative 960 to allow majority votes in the Legislature on revenue increases, and HB 3176, the bill to close tax loopholes. The hearing is in the House Finance Committee, 9 a.m., this Saturday, Feb. 13, in Hearing Room A in the John L. O’Brien Building. Come to the Federation Building by 8 a.m. Saturday morning and breakfast is on us. We’ll deck you out in AFSCME green. We’ll leave at 8:30 to proceed to the hearing. Questions? Call April Sims or Diana Whitmore at 1-800-562-6002. 
          .
        • MONDAY’S PUBLIC EMPLOYEE/REVENUE RALLY.  Come out this Monday, Presidents’ Day, Feb. 15. The rally will be at noon on the Capitol steps. But you can get a pre-rally briefing, lunch and lobbying appointments by showing up at the cafeteria in the Natural Resources Building (across the street from Federation Headquarters) starting at 9 a.m. 
          .
        • KEEP THE CALLS COMING:   Call 1-800-562-6000. Tell your legislators:

          STOP HEALTH CUTS! Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds. They created the problem when they underfunded your health plan in 2008. Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.


          RAISE REVENUE! SUPPORT 2ESB 6843 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues.


          CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES! SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.


          OPPOSE FURLOUGHS! OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.
           
          .
        • OTHER RALLIES COMING UP:

          SAVE FRANCES HADDON MORGAN CENTER, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., this Saturday, Feb. 13, along Kitsap Way in Bremerton. Gather at Arnold’s Home Furnishings parking lot, 3506 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, 98312.


          UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, to fight program cuts and attacks on state employees, 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, Red Square (near Suzzallo Library).


          SAVE PINE LODGE, TBA. Watch for details.

        February 11, 2010

        Two of the bad RHC bills are dead, unless -

        It appears two of the bad RHC bills are dead, unless they are later deemed necessary to implement the budget. 

        But as it is, they did not clear Tuesday’s deadline to pass out of a fiscal committee. 

        Those apparently dead bills are SB 6780, the RHC closure bill, and SB 6423, the bill wiping out the statutory authority for the RHCs. 

        But stay tuned.

        Keep calls coming; upcoming rallies need you!

        Call 1-800-562-6000. 

        Tell your legislators:
        1. RAISE REVENUE!
          SUPPORT SB 6843 to amend I-960 and allow majority rule on revenue issues.
        2. CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES!
          SUPPORT HB 3176 to close tax loopholes to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
        3. OPPOSE FURLOUGHS!
          OPPOSE SSB 6503, the state employee furlough bill. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.
        You can also take online action at www.wfse.org > Action Center. 

        DON’T FORGET—NEXT MONDAY, FEB. 15, IS THE BIG RALLY!

        There’s still time to make plans for the Public Employee/Revenue Rally and Lobby Day on the Presidents’ Day Holiday, Monday, Feb. 15. The rally will be at noon on the Capitol steps. But you can get a pre-rally briefing, lunch and lobbying appointments. Register now. Go to the Federation website at www.wfse.org and click on the RALLY icon in the upper right corner.
         

        OTHER RALLIES COMING UP:
        • SAVE FRANCES HADDON MORGAN CENTER, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., this Saturday, Feb. 13, along Kitsap Way in Bremerton. Gather at Arnold’s Home Furnishings parking lot, 3506 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, 98312.
        • UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, to fight program cuts and attacks on state employees, 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, Red Square (near Suzzallo Library).
        • SAVE PINE LODGE, TBA. Watch for details.

        Big turnout needed for Saturday hearing on raising revenue, closing tax loopholes

        We need to show the House Finance Committee the Federation supports the good bills to raise revenue and close hundreds of millions of dollars in tax loopholes.

        The bills are:
        • ESB 6843, temporarily suspending Initiative 960 to allow majority votes in the Legislature on revenue increases, and 
        • HB 3176, the bill to close tax loopholes.
         You’ve been calling on these bills and they’re finally getting a hearing in the House Finance Committee, 9 a.m., this Saturday, Feb. 13, in Hearing Room A in the John L. O’Brien Building.

        Come to the Federation Building by 8 a.m. Saturday morning and breakfast is on us. 

        We’ll deck you out in AFSCME green. We’ll leave at 8:30 to proceed to the hearing. Questions? Call April Sims or Diana Whitmore at 1-800-562-6002.

        Urgent! Calls needed to stop health cuts!


        We have learned that the Legislature is considering a series of drastic cut to fill the funding deficit in your health insurance plans.

        Legislators themselves caused the problem when they underfunded your PEBB health benefits in 2008, causing a $220 million deficit. That translates into an additional $78 million in 2011, for a total of nearly $300 million.

        But instead of putting back what they took, legislators are considering a range of drastic cuts, like:
        • Increasing your share of premiums by 250 percent from 12 percent to 30 percent! 
        • Jacking up your deductibles to $3,000 a person!
          State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has already taken the Legislature to task for what they did. Kreidler said in a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire that if the Health Care Authority were a private insurer, “the HCA would be subject to receivership proceedings.”
           

          Unacceptable!

          CALL TO ACTION

              Call legislators at 1-800-562-6000.

          • Tell them to do the right thing. Restore the $300 million in state employee health insurance funds.
          • Tell them that only half of that needs to be state funds—the rest would be from federal and other funds.
          In coming days, we will give you more background on this now that it has been exposed. And now is the time to make plans to attend Monday’s rally (details below) and Saturday’s hearings (see next item).

          Download flyer here.

          February 10, 2010

          Pension bill passes Senate committee

          UPDATE:

          IT’S WAIT AND SEE AFTER SENATE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE VOTE ON PENSION
           
          We’re taking a wait and see attitude after the Senate Ways and Means Committee’s Tuesday night vote on SB 6045, the bill to privatize state pensions by turning them into defined contribution plans.
           
          Right now, PERS 1 and 2, LEOFF 2 and half of PERS 3 are defined benefit plans.
           
          But SB 6045 had gone nowhere for more than a year and quickly came to a vote with little discussion. Some senators didn’t know what they were voting on. So we need to see if it will move to the floor for a vote of the full Senate. It would still have to pass the House anyway.
           
          So, at this point, we’re holding off on a call to action. But this is definitely a bill to keep an eye on. Many bills are put under the radar like this, but now that it’s been exposed, it may not have such an easy go of it. 

          So stay tuned.

          Earlier today:

          Just when you thought there were no other ways to stick it to state employees, the Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday night unanimously passed a plan that sets the wheels in motion to contract out your pension plan.
           
          It’s in Senate Bill 6045, an obscure measure introduced nearly a year ago by Sen. Joseph Zarelli of the 18th District—a measure that sat dormant with no hearing or action. The Senate Ways and Means Committee dusted it off, used it as a vehicle for the pension privatization plan, held a little known hearing Monday night, then tacked on the outrageous amendment and passed it out of committee Tuesday night.
           
          Republican Zarelli seemed as surprised as anyone that the majority Democrats even brought up his bill.
           
          We’re still getting details on the offending amendment and we will have a call to action later Wednesday morning. Watch for details, but we wanted to give you a heads up.

          Senate Ways and Means passes out watered-down Interpreters bill

          UPDATE:

          SORTING OUT COMPETING INTERPRETERS BILL
           
          There are now two competing versions of the interpreter’s bills. Rather than getting bogged down in the ins and outs and what may or may not happen, we have a simple call to action below.
           
          The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday night voted out an amended 2SSB 6726 to make it a study measure. Collective bargaining rights and ending the brokerage system would be on hold pending findings back to the Legislature from a work group.

          Over in the House, the House Ways and Means Committee voted out an amended version of their interpreters’ bill, 2SHB 3062. This House version corrects the deadline for the first collective bargaining agreement to July 1, 2011. It keeps the brokerage system. But a work group looking at other reforms would move on a parallel track, so eventually ending the brokerage system would not be out of the question.
           
          The key is collective bargaining. So here’s the simple call to action. Call the Legislature’s toll-free message hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Urge your legislators to preserve collective bargaining rights for DSHS interpreters in the final versions of 2SHB 3062 and 2SSB 6726.

          Earlier today:

          The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday night voted against hope for this state’s underpaid and poorly treated DSHS interpreters when they amended SSB 6726 to make it a study measure. 

          Gone are the provisions to end the brokerage system of middlemen and gatekeepers who siphon off millions of dollars while the interpreters get less and less on their end. Also gone are the provisions to make the interpreters part of the solution in reforming the system by granting them collective bargaining rights.
           

          We are getting details on the amended SSB 6726 and whether it will yield to the House version, which came up for a vote Tuesday night in the House Ways and Means Committee.