WWU public service employees join statewide walkout amid union contract negotiations

By Rachel Showalter The Bellingham Herald

Washington public service employees at Western Washington University joined the statewide Walkout for Washington on Tuesday afternoon in a unionized effort to demand higher wages, safe staffing levels, and manageable workloads.

Public service workers at state agencies, community colleges and four-year universities walked out in Olympia, Seattle, Everett, Bellingham, Tacoma and Spokane.

In addition to the walkout at WWU, workers also walked out at Whatcom Community College and at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families in Bellingham.

“The nearly 50,000 unionized public service workers have been at the bargaining table with Office of Financial Management (OFM) for months fighting to stem a staffing crisis that is negatively impacting key public services including behavioral health, transportation, and juvenile rehabilitation, and education,” said AFSCME Council 28/WFSE Director of Communications Patrick Sugrue in a press release about the statewide walkout.

AFSCME Council 28, The Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), represents more than 50,000 state and other public service workers across the state.

Members of Western Washington University’s employees’ union, Western Academic Workers United (WAWU-UAW), joined the Washington Federation of State Employees walkout on Tuesday at WWU in solidarity.

“Workers are demanding fair wages and benefits that will prevent more essential workers from leaving and recruit more qualified individuals to these critical jobs,” the press release states.

“Negotiations between WWU and WWU WFSE continue, with all parties committed to reaching agreement on a fair and equitable contract,” said WWU Spokesperson John Thompson in a statement to The Bellingham Herald. “We anticipate some WWU employees may participate in union activity in support of non-WWU union members that are in negotiations for their collective bargaining agreement at the state level. WWU respects our employees’ rights to participate in these types of activities and has notified departments on campus that such activity is permitted on non-work time, or on approved leave so long as employee safety and business operations are not disrupted.”