We have gotten word that the proviso to save state parks in both the House and Senate budgets may be in trouble.
The proviso creates a new “opt out” funding option where drivers renewing license tabs would voluntarily pay $5 to the parks fund unless they checked a box to opt out of the payment.
That would raise the $23 million necessary to keep all parks open. Without it, up to 50 state parks would close.
So, call your legislators at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to support the “opt out” funding plan in both SB 5600 and HB 1244 to keep state parks open.
OTHER CALLS TO ACTION
With so many cuts, there’s another one we want to make you aware of.
The House budget cuts half the staff in the DSHS Family Reconciliation Services (FRS). That means the loss of some 29 jobs. Staff there provides voluntary services to youth ages 13 to 17 who are in crisis.
So, call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your two House members to oppose the cuts in Family Reconciliation Services in the House budget, HB 1244.
ALSO:
• ESHB 2049, the Federation-initiated bill bringing accountability and transparency to the Washington Management Service, has moved from the Senate Rules Committee to the full Senate. Continue to get your calls into your senator at 1-800-562-6000 urging him or her to support ESHB 2049.
• Also moving out of Senate Rules was SHB 1953, the Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers service credit transfer bill.
• Still in Senate Rules: ESHB 1792, the Community Corrections search and arrest authority bill.
April 9, 2009
BARGAINING UPDATE
• The Eastern Washington University Bargaining Team on Tuesday (April 7) had a frustrating day of negotiations with management. The upshot: They will return to the table April 14 on the re-negotiation of their contract for these tough economic times.
• The UW bargains today, WSU tomorrow.
• The UW bargains today, WSU tomorrow.
April 7, 2009
HOUSE BUDGET CLEARS COMMITTEE; GET CALLS IN ON BUDGET PLANS
The House Ways and Means Committee today voted out its version of the budget for these tough economic times, SHB 1244.
There are still cuts that we need to mitigate. But the budget has a number of good parts we need to support when budget negotiators work out a final, compromise budget.
The biggest plus: The House committee OK’d an amendment to control Washington Management Service and the Exempt Management Service.
Under the amendment sponsored by Rep. Larry Seaquist from the 26th District, when agencies make administrative reductions, there will be statewide reduction in WMS and EMS positions of 8 percent in each year of the 2009-2011 biennium. No fewer than 800 positions must go under this amendment.
The committee also adopted amendments funding crisis residential centers important to our Children’s Services social workers.
And in a big victory, the House Ways and Means Committee OK’d $200,000 in funding to save the Labor Education and Research Center at The Evergreen State College.
Also adopted:
• an amendment taking the Voight Creek, fish hatchery off the closure list.
• a study of the disability benefits in PERS 2 and PERS 3, with a report back to the Select Committee on Pension Policy by Nov. 1, 2009.
• increasing Department of Natural Resources funding by $3.8 million to partially restore the fire suppression program, corrections camp, recreation sites program and administrative reductions.
• in the Department of Ecology, reducing the transfer of the Waste Reduction/Recycling/Litter Control account to the state general fund by $3.1 million and increases the expenditure authority from that account by $3.1 million.
• clarifying that the transfers from the natural resources funds are intended to support natural resource agencies.
• removing the state support enrollment targets for the four-year universities and colleges and community and technical colleges.
• shifting the federal child care stimulus funds in the Department of Early Learning from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
The House budget now goes to the floor for a vote of all representatives. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has not yet acted on its version of the budget, SB 5600.
CALL TO ACTION ON THE BUDGET:
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to support these parts of the House budget (SHB 1244):
• Funding for state employee health care—the House plan has more to head off any point-of-service cuts.
• The amendment reducing the Washington Management Service and exempt positions.
• The amendment on crisis residential centers and Voight Creek.
• Keeping Yakima Valley School and Green Hill School open.
And urge legislators to support these parts of the Senate budget (SB 5600):
• Funding for Community Corrections—the Senate plan saves more jobs than the House ‘s or governor’s budget proposals.
• Keeping Naselle Youth Camp open.
There are still cuts that we need to mitigate. But the budget has a number of good parts we need to support when budget negotiators work out a final, compromise budget.
The biggest plus: The House committee OK’d an amendment to control Washington Management Service and the Exempt Management Service.
Under the amendment sponsored by Rep. Larry Seaquist from the 26th District, when agencies make administrative reductions, there will be statewide reduction in WMS and EMS positions of 8 percent in each year of the 2009-2011 biennium. No fewer than 800 positions must go under this amendment.
The committee also adopted amendments funding crisis residential centers important to our Children’s Services social workers.
And in a big victory, the House Ways and Means Committee OK’d $200,000 in funding to save the Labor Education and Research Center at The Evergreen State College.
Also adopted:
• an amendment taking the Voight Creek, fish hatchery off the closure list.
• a study of the disability benefits in PERS 2 and PERS 3, with a report back to the Select Committee on Pension Policy by Nov. 1, 2009.
• increasing Department of Natural Resources funding by $3.8 million to partially restore the fire suppression program, corrections camp, recreation sites program and administrative reductions.
• in the Department of Ecology, reducing the transfer of the Waste Reduction/Recycling/Litter Control account to the state general fund by $3.1 million and increases the expenditure authority from that account by $3.1 million.
• clarifying that the transfers from the natural resources funds are intended to support natural resource agencies.
• removing the state support enrollment targets for the four-year universities and colleges and community and technical colleges.
• shifting the federal child care stimulus funds in the Department of Early Learning from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
The House budget now goes to the floor for a vote of all representatives. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has not yet acted on its version of the budget, SB 5600.
CALL TO ACTION ON THE BUDGET:
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to support these parts of the House budget (SHB 1244):
• Funding for state employee health care—the House plan has more to head off any point-of-service cuts.
• The amendment reducing the Washington Management Service and exempt positions.
• The amendment on crisis residential centers and Voight Creek.
• Keeping Yakima Valley School and Green Hill School open.
And urge legislators to support these parts of the Senate budget (SB 5600):
• Funding for Community Corrections—the Senate plan saves more jobs than the House ‘s or governor’s budget proposals.
• Keeping Naselle Youth Camp open.
BARGAINING UPDATE
• The Eastern Washington University Bargaining Team returned to the table today, April 7.
• UW goes back Thursday, April 9.
• WSU re-negotiates starting Friday, April 10.
• Coalition re-negotiation of the health care article that goes in all contracts will take place sometime in May after the Legislature adopts a budget. Ratification when you’ll vote on your contract will follow that.
• Three teams have already reached settlements on re-negotiated contracts: General Government, Higher Education Coalition and UW Police Management.
• UW goes back Thursday, April 9.
• WSU re-negotiates starting Friday, April 10.
• Coalition re-negotiation of the health care article that goes in all contracts will take place sometime in May after the Legislature adopts a budget. Ratification when you’ll vote on your contract will follow that.
• Three teams have already reached settlements on re-negotiated contracts: General Government, Higher Education Coalition and UW Police Management.
April 6, 2009
CHILD WELFARE BILL RAISES FUNDING, OTHER CONCERNS
The Federation also told the House Ways and Means Committee the amended bill on Child Welfare privatization is still an “alarming gamble.”
Federation Lobbyist Alia Griffing said even though the bill has been scaled back from the original Senate version—it now calls for two pilot projects to privatize—E2SSB 5943 still has fiscal problems.
It’s hard to fix the costs when the bill doesn’t specify the size of the demonstration projects, she said.
The bill also jeopardizes an unknown amount of federal dollars and an oversight committee also adds costs, she said.
Federation Lobbyist Alia Griffing said even though the bill has been scaled back from the original Senate version—it now calls for two pilot projects to privatize—E2SSB 5943 still has fiscal problems.
It’s hard to fix the costs when the bill doesn’t specify the size of the demonstration projects, she said.
The bill also jeopardizes an unknown amount of federal dollars and an oversight committee also adds costs, she said.
LOWERING SUPERVISION OF CRIMINALS COST MORE THAN JUST DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUDGET WRITERS TOLD
AT RIGHT: Ginger Richardson, Local 308, and Federation Lobbyist Matt Zuvich testifying April 4 against ESSB 5288.House budget writers got a dose of reality Saturday as the Federation continued its session-long fight against ESSB 5288, the bill to cut Community Corrections supervision of 12,000 dangerous criminals.
The hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee came a day before the Tacoma News Tribune verified what the Federation had been telling legislators all session long: Budget plans and ESSB 5288 would cut more than half of all Community Corrections officers and endanger community safety.
“I think when you start cutting half the forces that are protecting the public with offenders getting out of prison, you’re flirting with disaster in that area,” Federation Lobbyist Matt Zuvich told the committee.
Zuvich said the bill and the House budget would take more than 300 Community Corrections officers off the street.
“That in effect is half the public safety component workforce of Community Corrections,” Zuvich said. “I ask you, if you had a bill before you today that took half the State Patrol troopers off the street, would you do it?
Ginger Richardson, president of King County State Corrections Local 308, told the committee the bill and the budget assumptions are based on a faulty assessment tool that misclassifies high-risk offenders as low- and moderate-risk offenders who would no longer have supervision.
“So, are you putting the community at risk in passing this legislation?” Richardson asked. “You bet, without a doubt.”
The Federation is fighting to save Community Corrections officers’ jobs because what they do makes a difference.
“Community supervision does work,” Richardson said. “I know because I work there on the front line. And it takes that human intervention to be able to sit down with an offender and make the cognitive thought process and change happen and make that person change.”
April 4, 2009
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED ON RE-NEGOTIATED HIGHER EDUCATION COALITION CONTRACT
The Federation’s Higher Education Coalition Bargaining Team Friday night reached tentative agreement on a re-negotiated contract brought on by these tough economic times.
It has a few provisions similar to the General Government contract agreement reached Thursday. But it has several gains. And it retains all the non-economic gains negotiated the first time around and ratified by those members last fall.
The Higher Education Coalition covers about 3,000 workers at 12 Community Colleges, Central Washington University, The Evergreen State College and Western Washington University.
We will summarize the agreement here. The detailed articles and FAQs are being prepared and will be available as soon as possible.
A health care article will wait until the Legislature approves language in the budget. If the Legislature adjourns as scheduled April 26, then the Super Coalition of all state employee unions led by the Federation will convene, probably sometime in May, to negotiate the health care article.
Ratification, when Higher Education Coalition members get to vote on all the changes, will take place after that. If ratified, the contract will take effect July 1.
As with General Government, the re-negotiated Higher Education Coalition contract has no economics. But it preserves important protections negotiated and ratified last fall, makes some important gains in non-economic articles and provides a process for re-visiting economic issues if the economy improves during the term of the 2009-2011 contract.
Here then is a summary of the Higher Education Coalition agreement reached at 8:05 p.m., Friday, April 3:
• PRESERVED GAINS MADE LAST FALL
The Higher Education Coalition Bargaining Team preserved important gains made in the first round of negotiations that ended Sept. 16, 2008, including: one new personal leave day, with the caveat that it has to be cost-neutral for positions requiring backfill; and the new article on Workplace Behavior that came from your campaign against bullying.
• ECONOMIC PROCESS
The parties acknowledged that the economic terms agreed to in September 2008, including across-the-board raises and salary survey adjustments, are not funded based upon the state budget director’s December 2008 finding that those terms were not economically feasible. However, under a memorandum of understanding, if the economy improves during the 2009-2011 biennium, the Federation and state can re-visit the economic terms of the Higher Education Coalition contract agreed to in September 2008.
• HEALTH CARE
As with General Government, health care is now in the Legislature’s court. Once lawmakers approve a budget, the Super Coalition of state employee unions led by the Federation will negotiate a health care article. Right now, the current split where the state picks up 88 percent of health premium costs and employees pay 12 percent looks good in the budget deliberations. And we have to keep it that way. So call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your legislators to support the 88/12 split in employer-employee premium share costs in the two budget proposals, SB 5600 and HB 1244.
GAINS:
• LAYOFF AND RECALL
• A three-year layoff list for Community Colleges and The Evergreen State College.
• Enhanced outplacement services for Western Washington University and Central Washington University.
• Seattle and Spokane community college districts added district-wide options.
• Widens the layoff unit for supervisors at many colleges.
• WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR
The re-negotiated Higher Education Coalition agreement includes new language adding additional people an employee can complain to about inappropriate behavior. Specifically, a manager in the employee’s chain of command.
• TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES
This article enhanced the grievance procedure for hourly employees by allowing access outside a college or university, namely the pre-arbitration review meeting (PARM) overseen by the state Labor Relations Office.
• WORK RELATED INJURY OR ILLNESS
This article was changed to reflect a 2007 law allowing use of sick leave and time-loss benefits at the same time without a buy-back requirement.
• SHARED SERVICES
Under a new article, the union can suggest ways that one agency may expand operations to provide services to other state agencies, colleges and universities—a way to mitigate budgetary constraints.
• ALSO:
• For TESC employees, allows employee-requested schedule changes to participate in wellness activities.
• A memorandum of understanding for WWU to work out police services 7(k) schedule issues by May 1.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY…
…After months of controversy—and pending ratification—those covered by the Higher Education Coalition contract will have a contract come July 1. That is vitally important, especially when it comes to the contract provisions on layoffs and grievance procedure. That ultimately is the best outcome of these negotiations.
It has a few provisions similar to the General Government contract agreement reached Thursday. But it has several gains. And it retains all the non-economic gains negotiated the first time around and ratified by those members last fall.
The Higher Education Coalition covers about 3,000 workers at 12 Community Colleges, Central Washington University, The Evergreen State College and Western Washington University.
We will summarize the agreement here. The detailed articles and FAQs are being prepared and will be available as soon as possible.
A health care article will wait until the Legislature approves language in the budget. If the Legislature adjourns as scheduled April 26, then the Super Coalition of all state employee unions led by the Federation will convene, probably sometime in May, to negotiate the health care article.
Ratification, when Higher Education Coalition members get to vote on all the changes, will take place after that. If ratified, the contract will take effect July 1.
As with General Government, the re-negotiated Higher Education Coalition contract has no economics. But it preserves important protections negotiated and ratified last fall, makes some important gains in non-economic articles and provides a process for re-visiting economic issues if the economy improves during the term of the 2009-2011 contract.
Here then is a summary of the Higher Education Coalition agreement reached at 8:05 p.m., Friday, April 3:
• PRESERVED GAINS MADE LAST FALL
The Higher Education Coalition Bargaining Team preserved important gains made in the first round of negotiations that ended Sept. 16, 2008, including: one new personal leave day, with the caveat that it has to be cost-neutral for positions requiring backfill; and the new article on Workplace Behavior that came from your campaign against bullying.
• ECONOMIC PROCESS
The parties acknowledged that the economic terms agreed to in September 2008, including across-the-board raises and salary survey adjustments, are not funded based upon the state budget director’s December 2008 finding that those terms were not economically feasible. However, under a memorandum of understanding, if the economy improves during the 2009-2011 biennium, the Federation and state can re-visit the economic terms of the Higher Education Coalition contract agreed to in September 2008.
• HEALTH CARE
As with General Government, health care is now in the Legislature’s court. Once lawmakers approve a budget, the Super Coalition of state employee unions led by the Federation will negotiate a health care article. Right now, the current split where the state picks up 88 percent of health premium costs and employees pay 12 percent looks good in the budget deliberations. And we have to keep it that way. So call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your legislators to support the 88/12 split in employer-employee premium share costs in the two budget proposals, SB 5600 and HB 1244.
GAINS:
• LAYOFF AND RECALL
• A three-year layoff list for Community Colleges and The Evergreen State College.
• Enhanced outplacement services for Western Washington University and Central Washington University.
• Seattle and Spokane community college districts added district-wide options.
• Widens the layoff unit for supervisors at many colleges.
• WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR
The re-negotiated Higher Education Coalition agreement includes new language adding additional people an employee can complain to about inappropriate behavior. Specifically, a manager in the employee’s chain of command.
• TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES
This article enhanced the grievance procedure for hourly employees by allowing access outside a college or university, namely the pre-arbitration review meeting (PARM) overseen by the state Labor Relations Office.
• WORK RELATED INJURY OR ILLNESS
This article was changed to reflect a 2007 law allowing use of sick leave and time-loss benefits at the same time without a buy-back requirement.
• SHARED SERVICES
Under a new article, the union can suggest ways that one agency may expand operations to provide services to other state agencies, colleges and universities—a way to mitigate budgetary constraints.
• ALSO:
• For TESC employees, allows employee-requested schedule changes to participate in wellness activities.
• A memorandum of understanding for WWU to work out police services 7(k) schedule issues by May 1.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY…
…After months of controversy—and pending ratification—those covered by the Higher Education Coalition contract will have a contract come July 1. That is vitally important, especially when it comes to the contract provisions on layoffs and grievance procedure. That ultimately is the best outcome of these negotiations.
April 3, 2009
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED ON RE-NEGOTIATED GENERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT
The Federation’s General Government Bargaining Team late this afternoon reached tentative agreement on a re-negotiated contract brought on by these tough economic times.
We will summarize the agreement here. The detailed articles and FAQs are being prepared and will be available as soon as possible.
A health care article will wait until the Legislature approves language in the budget. If the Legislature adjourns as scheduled April 26, then the Super Coalition of all state employee unions led by the Federation will convene, probably sometime in May, to negotiate the health care article.
Ratification, when you get to vote on all the changes, will take place after that. If ratified, the contract will take effect July 1.
You have seen the worldwide headlines and the news from other states and public employers. So you know the contract has no economics. But it preserves important protections negotiated and ratified by you last fall, makes some important gains in non-economic articles and provides a process for re-visiting economic issues if the economy improves during the term of the 2009-2011 contract.
Here then is a summary of the General Government agreement reached shortly before 5 p.m., today, Thursday, April 2:
• PRESERVED GAINS MADE LAST FALL
The bargaining team preserved important gains you made in the first round of negotiations that ended in September 2008, including: one new personal leave day in each year of the agreement; overtime after 8 for those in the Department of Transportation Highway Maintenance Bargaining Unit and employees who do inspections in the Fruit/Vegetable Inspection Bargaining Unit within the state Department of Agriculture; and the new article on Workplace Behavior that came from your campaign against bullying.
• ECONOMIC PROCESS
The global economic crisis transcended the economic package the state and union agreed on last fall. The parties acknowledged that the economic terms agreed to in September 2008, including across-the-board raises, salary survey adjustments, classification adjustments and workers’ comp payment allowances for high-risk jobs, are not funded based upon the state budget director’s December 2008 finding that those terms were not economically feasible. However, under a memorandum of understanding agreed to today, if the economy improves during the 2009-2011 biennium, the Federation and state can re-visit the economic terms of the contract agreed to in September 2008.
• HEALTH CARE
As we said earlier, health care is now in the Legislature’s court. Once lawmakers approve a budget, the Super Coalition of state employee unions led by the Federation will negotiate a health care article. Right now, the current split where the state picks up 88 percent of health premium costs and employees pay 12 percent looks good in the budget deliberations. And we have to keep it that way. So call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your legislators to support the 88/12 split in employer-employee premium share costs in the two budget proposals, SB 5600 and HB 1244.
GAINS:
• HOURS OF WORK
Under Article 6.3A2, the employer will consider an employee’s preference when adjusting the employee’s work schedule.
• VACATION LEAVE
Under Article 11.4, accrual in the fifth, sixth and seventh years of service will e based on TOTAL years of employment, not the current continuous language. This brings the contract in line with work rules for unrepresented employees.
• WORK RELATED INJURY OR ILLNESS
Article 19 was changed to reflect a 2007 law change allowing injured workers to take both sick leave and timeloss at the same time.
• UNION-MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION COMMITTEES
Under Article 37.4, the Federation and agencies can document mutual understandings reached at the UMCC table, a move that puts some teeth into this article.
• SHARED SERVICES
Under a new Article 45.5, the union can suggest ways that one agency may expand operations to provide services to other state agencies—a way to mitigate budgetary constraints.
• WORKLOAD
The memorandum of understanding dealing with workload concerns was extended to June 30, 2010.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY…
…After months of controversy—and pending ratification—you will have a contract come July 1. That is vitally important, especially when it comes to the contract provisions on layoffs and grievance procedure. That ultimately is the best outcome of these negotiations.
COMING UP:
The Higher Education Coalition Bargaining Team returns to the table tomorrow (Friday, April 3) and the University of Washington Bargaining Team negotiates April 9.
We will summarize the agreement here. The detailed articles and FAQs are being prepared and will be available as soon as possible.
A health care article will wait until the Legislature approves language in the budget. If the Legislature adjourns as scheduled April 26, then the Super Coalition of all state employee unions led by the Federation will convene, probably sometime in May, to negotiate the health care article.
Ratification, when you get to vote on all the changes, will take place after that. If ratified, the contract will take effect July 1.
You have seen the worldwide headlines and the news from other states and public employers. So you know the contract has no economics. But it preserves important protections negotiated and ratified by you last fall, makes some important gains in non-economic articles and provides a process for re-visiting economic issues if the economy improves during the term of the 2009-2011 contract.
Here then is a summary of the General Government agreement reached shortly before 5 p.m., today, Thursday, April 2:
• PRESERVED GAINS MADE LAST FALL
The bargaining team preserved important gains you made in the first round of negotiations that ended in September 2008, including: one new personal leave day in each year of the agreement; overtime after 8 for those in the Department of Transportation Highway Maintenance Bargaining Unit and employees who do inspections in the Fruit/Vegetable Inspection Bargaining Unit within the state Department of Agriculture; and the new article on Workplace Behavior that came from your campaign against bullying.
• ECONOMIC PROCESS
The global economic crisis transcended the economic package the state and union agreed on last fall. The parties acknowledged that the economic terms agreed to in September 2008, including across-the-board raises, salary survey adjustments, classification adjustments and workers’ comp payment allowances for high-risk jobs, are not funded based upon the state budget director’s December 2008 finding that those terms were not economically feasible. However, under a memorandum of understanding agreed to today, if the economy improves during the 2009-2011 biennium, the Federation and state can re-visit the economic terms of the contract agreed to in September 2008.
• HEALTH CARE
As we said earlier, health care is now in the Legislature’s court. Once lawmakers approve a budget, the Super Coalition of state employee unions led by the Federation will negotiate a health care article. Right now, the current split where the state picks up 88 percent of health premium costs and employees pay 12 percent looks good in the budget deliberations. And we have to keep it that way. So call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your legislators to support the 88/12 split in employer-employee premium share costs in the two budget proposals, SB 5600 and HB 1244.
GAINS:
• HOURS OF WORK
Under Article 6.3A2, the employer will consider an employee’s preference when adjusting the employee’s work schedule.
• VACATION LEAVE
Under Article 11.4, accrual in the fifth, sixth and seventh years of service will e based on TOTAL years of employment, not the current continuous language. This brings the contract in line with work rules for unrepresented employees.
• WORK RELATED INJURY OR ILLNESS
Article 19 was changed to reflect a 2007 law change allowing injured workers to take both sick leave and timeloss at the same time.
• UNION-MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION COMMITTEES
Under Article 37.4, the Federation and agencies can document mutual understandings reached at the UMCC table, a move that puts some teeth into this article.
• SHARED SERVICES
Under a new Article 45.5, the union can suggest ways that one agency may expand operations to provide services to other state agencies—a way to mitigate budgetary constraints.
• WORKLOAD
The memorandum of understanding dealing with workload concerns was extended to June 30, 2010.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY…
…After months of controversy—and pending ratification—you will have a contract come July 1. That is vitally important, especially when it comes to the contract provisions on layoffs and grievance procedure. That ultimately is the best outcome of these negotiations.
COMING UP:
The Higher Education Coalition Bargaining Team returns to the table tomorrow (Friday, April 3) and the University of Washington Bargaining Team negotiates April 9.
April 2, 2009
Call NOW!
Continue to get your calls in against the worst parts of the Senate and House budgets, respectively. Here is a quick list of some but not all of the target areas:
GREEN HILL SCHOOL AND NASELLE YOUTH CAMP
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge senators to oppose the closure of Green Hill School in Chehalis in the Senate budget (SB 5600) and representatives to oppose the closure of Naselle Youth Camp in the House budget (HB 1244). Also oppose the cuts to juvenile rehabilitation probation and parole and any projected cuts to state employee-staffed group homes. All the cuts harm the continuum of care in JRA.
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
Call 1-800-562-6000 to oppose the cuts to community supervision of 12,000 dangerous offenders in both budgets. They harm public safety and will mean the loss of hundreds of jobs.
YAKIMA VALLEY SCHOOL
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge senators to oppose the closure of Yakima Valley School in the Senate budget (SB 5600). The House budget keeps it open.
FISH HATCHERIES
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to oppose the closure of seven fish hatcheries in both budgets. They squander our natural resources.
PARKS
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to support the funding plan to keep all parks open.
GREEN HILL SCHOOL AND NASELLE YOUTH CAMP
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge senators to oppose the closure of Green Hill School in Chehalis in the Senate budget (SB 5600) and representatives to oppose the closure of Naselle Youth Camp in the House budget (HB 1244). Also oppose the cuts to juvenile rehabilitation probation and parole and any projected cuts to state employee-staffed group homes. All the cuts harm the continuum of care in JRA.
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
Call 1-800-562-6000 to oppose the cuts to community supervision of 12,000 dangerous offenders in both budgets. They harm public safety and will mean the loss of hundreds of jobs.
YAKIMA VALLEY SCHOOL
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge senators to oppose the closure of Yakima Valley School in the Senate budget (SB 5600). The House budget keeps it open.
FISH HATCHERIES
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to oppose the closure of seven fish hatcheries in both budgets. They squander our natural resources.
PARKS
Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge legislators to support the funding plan to keep all parks open.
HOUSE, SENATE BUDGETS BIG GAMBLE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, OTHER ISSUES, UNION TELLS BUDGET WRITERS
Both the House and Senate budgets are big gambles on public safety in a number of areas, the Federation’s Dennis Eagle told the House Ways and Means Committee this week.
The Senate released its budget Monday and the House on Tuesday. Public hearings in both chambers took place both days.
“We are in a global economic crisis and we understand that,” Eagle, the Federation’s director of legislative and political action, told the House committee March 31.
“But the cuts that we’re contemplating here at this time really are going to undermine our quality of life in Washington state. We really don’t want to be the Alabama of the West. We urge you to find another path and alternative to the all-cuts budget.”
Both budgets hit public safety across the board, he said.
They both “gamble greatly with our public safety,” Eagle said. “And clearly we think that this is going to result in increased risk to people in the community eliminating hundreds of people from post-release supervision.”
He said closure of Naselle and Green Hill would cause “significant harm to the continuum of care in JRA.
“Eliminating much of JRA parole services and significant cuts to the Special Commitment Center all mean that there will be more offenders on the streets without any restrictions on what they’re doing.
“And it all means that there will be greater risk to our families and our communities.”
Eagle also questioned the cuts in natural resources programs, including the closure of hatcheries.
“We’re walking away from millions of dollars in economic activity and we’re abandoning our state’s cultural heritage with the cuts we’re doing in the natural resources programs this year in both budgets,” he said.
He praised both budgets for “looking for creative solutions to avert park closures.”
The cuts in higher education, Eagle said, “really are mortgaging the future of this state. All I can do is say, ‘Wow!’”
The Senate released its budget Monday and the House on Tuesday. Public hearings in both chambers took place both days.
“We are in a global economic crisis and we understand that,” Eagle, the Federation’s director of legislative and political action, told the House committee March 31.
“But the cuts that we’re contemplating here at this time really are going to undermine our quality of life in Washington state. We really don’t want to be the Alabama of the West. We urge you to find another path and alternative to the all-cuts budget.”
Both budgets hit public safety across the board, he said.
They both “gamble greatly with our public safety,” Eagle said. “And clearly we think that this is going to result in increased risk to people in the community eliminating hundreds of people from post-release supervision.”
He said closure of Naselle and Green Hill would cause “significant harm to the continuum of care in JRA.
“Eliminating much of JRA parole services and significant cuts to the Special Commitment Center all mean that there will be more offenders on the streets without any restrictions on what they’re doing.
“And it all means that there will be greater risk to our families and our communities.”
Eagle also questioned the cuts in natural resources programs, including the closure of hatcheries.
“We’re walking away from millions of dollars in economic activity and we’re abandoning our state’s cultural heritage with the cuts we’re doing in the natural resources programs this year in both budgets,” he said.
He praised both budgets for “looking for creative solutions to avert park closures.”
The cuts in higher education, Eagle said, “really are mortgaging the future of this state. All I can do is say, ‘Wow!’”
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