The offcial newspaper of the

WASHINGTON FEDERATION OF STATE

EMPLOYEES/AFSCME Council 28AFL-CIO
VOL. 42 NO. 7
SEPTEMBER 2014
WASHINGTON
State Employee
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Now good on either
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Health
care
matters
OUTSOURCING WATCH:
How alert Seattle Central members saved $18,000. Page 2
Down to the wire
on contracts
At press time, negotiations at General Government and all Higher
Education tables were at a critical stage on compensation and
health care. Watch for workplace actions. Online: wfse.org
Help with school supplies in wildfre area
The Federation is
stepping up to help victims
of this summers devastating
wildfres in Central
Washington.
The WFSE/AFSCME
Womens/Equal Partners
Committee has started an
effort to help schools in the
burned-out area with school
supplies.
Members and locals can
send checks to:
WFSE/AFSCME Wildfre
School Supplies Fund
c/o 1212 Jefferson St. S.E.,
Suite 300
Olympia, WA 98501
You can still also
make donations to help
members who lost homes or
possessions in the wildfres.
Send cash donations to:
WFSE Wildfre Relief Fund
c/o 1212 Jefferson St. S.E.,
Suite 300
Olympia, WA 98501
WFSE/AFSCME members joined
other delegates to the Washington
State Labor Council Convention in
July when they passed the hat and
raised $1,900 for wildfre relief.
WFSE/AFSCME will
forward those checks to the
Foundation for Working
Families, the natural disaster
and hardship 501(c)(3)
fund administered by the
Washington State Labor
Council.
Wildfre
bears
down on
Alta Lake
State Park
(Photo
courtesy
Don Hall)
More photos online:
http://www.wfse.org/contract-solidarity-round-up/
Seth Crawford, an electrician at Western Washington University, at Aug. 13
Contract Solidarity event on the Bellingham campus. More, page 4.
Bargaining updates online:
wfse.org >
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Childrens Administration workers start
postcard campaign to protect at-risk children
A delegation of Childrens Administration members met with the
Governors Offce Aug. 4 shortly before kicking off a statewide
postcard campaign to address crushing workload and casel-
oads, and underfunding for childrens services.
From left: Joyce Murphy, Local 313, Vancouver; Terri Jones,
Local 1221, Spokane; Anna Baker, Local 843, Kent; Michelle
Hetzel, Local 843, Seattle; and Veronica Sandau, Local 396,
Walla Walla.
The Public Employees
Benefts Board July 31 ap-
proved changes to 2015 pre-
mium rate and other beneft
changes, including what are
generally referred to as trans-
gender benefts.
(These affect state agency
and higher education state
employees; they dont apply
to our Public Service Sector
members, like medical inter-
Benefts Board
OKs premium
rates for 2015,
adds some
benefts
PEBB
preters.)
Start-
ing Jan. 1,
premiums
will go
down for
the larg-
est Group
Health
plan but
will in-
crease for
all other plans, including
slight increases in the Uni-
form Medical Plan.
WFSE/AFSCME Execu-
tive Director Greg Devereux
and Retired Public Employ-
ees Council President Gwen
Rench were the only board
See PEBB, page 4
Page 2 WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee September 2014
State Employee
Washington State Employee (USPS 981-
200) is published monthly, except February
and July, for $5.08 per year by the Washing-
ton Federation of State Employees/AFSCME
Council 28 AFL-CIO, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E.
Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501. Affliated with
the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the
Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Periodicals postage paid at Olympia, WA
and at additional offces. Circulation:
42,000.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Washington State Employee, 1212 Jefferson
St SE Suite 300 Olympia WA 98501-7501
Sue Henricksen, President
Greg Devereux, Executive Director
Editor Tim Welch
e-mail: tim@wfse.org Internet: www.wfse.org
Member, ILCA
WASHINGTON
ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OPTION. If youd like to save paper and postage, you can receive this newspaper electronically. Go to www.wfse.org and hover
over NEWS & INFO, located in the top menu bar. Select from the drop-down list: WASHINGTON STATE EMPLOYEE - Newspaper. Use the form
on this page to register for the electronic version. Or e-mail us at info@wfse.org, or write: WFSE/AFSCME, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300,
Olympia, WA 98501. If youre a represented non-member fee payer and you dont wish to receive this publication in any format, e-mail us at con-
tactus@wfse.org, or write: WFSE/AFSCME, 1212 Jefferson St. S.E., Suite 300, Olympia, WA 98501.
OUR VALUES MATTER
utsourcing
W
atch
SHARED LEAVE
REQUESTS
Christina (Chris) Hull, a cus-
todian 1 at Central Washing-
ton University in Ellensburg
and a member of Local 330, is
in need of shared leave while
she recovers from a recent
hospital stay. Contact: the
Human Resources offce at
CWU, (509) 963-1202.
Alisha Butler, a customer
services specialist 2 with
DSHS at the White Center
CSO, has taken a leave of
absence because of a seri-
ous, unanticipated medical
condition. She will likely be off
work for eight weeks. She has
exhausted all leave. Contact:
your human resources offce.
Telisha Johnson, a revenue
agent 2 with DSHS Child Sup-
port in Lacey and a member
of Local 443, is in need of
shared leave while caring
for a serious family issue.
Contact: Patty Nutt at (360)
664-5254 or your local HR
representative.
Cecilia Jones, a member
of Local 843 at the DSHS
Renton CSO, has serious
health issues and is in need of
shared leave. Contact: Mary
Lou Baker at 253-372-5827 or
bakerml@dshs.wa.gov.
Narissa Serezo, a fnancial
services specialist 3 with
DSHS in Bellevue and a
member of Local 843, is in
need of shared leave as she
recovers from a serious ill-
ness that has required sur-
gery; she will have a lengthy
recovery. Contact: Christo-
pher Stat at (425) 401-4633 or
your local HR representative.
Connie J. Thompson, a
customer services specialist
2 for DSHS in Spokane and
a member of Local 1221, is
requesting shared leave to
recover from a broken neck
suffered in a fall July 18. Her
recovery will take several
months. She has exhausted
all her leave. Contact: Tesia
Woodworth, (509) 568-3779
or your human resource of-
fce.
Nancy Kaupp, an unemploy-
ment insurance specialist 3
with the Employment Security
Department in Lacey and
a member of Local 443, is
again requesting donations
of shared leave. She has not
been released to return to
work. She has been unable to
work since March because of
extended recovery from back
surgery. Contact: Kathleen
Young, (360) 725-9416.
Maria S. Chevy Zarate, a
fnancial services specialist
3 with DSHS in Moses Lake
and a member of Local 1299,
is still in need of shared leave
during her extended recovery
from her knee surgery. Con-
tact: Nancy Cornwell at (509)
685-5604, or your local HR
offce.
Cheryl Williams, a fscal
analyst 3 with State Parks
and Recreation in Olympia
and a member of Local 1466,
is in need of shared leave.
She has not been able to
work consistently for months
because of an undetermined
severe illness and medical
appointments. She has ex-
hausted her sick and vacation
leave. Contact: Elizabeth Las-
ley at the Human Resource
Department (360) 704-2319,
or your own HR representa-
tive.
Julia Villalobos, a social ser-
vices specialist 3 with DSHS
Childrens Administration in
Seattle and a member of Lo-
cal 843, is in need of shared
leave because of a medical
condition related to her mili-
tary service. Contact: your hu-
man resource offce.
Jacqueline De Vore, a fscal
technician 2 with the Depart-
ment of Health in Tumwater
and a member of Local 443,
has been approved for shared
leave. She is recovering
from serious illness. She has
exhausted all her available
leave. Contact: Jodie Bale at
the DOH Human Resource
Department (360) 236-2930,
or your human resource of-
fce.
Julie Evans, an occupational
therapy assistant at Rainier
School in Buckley and a
member of Local 491, is still
in need of shared leave. She
has not been able to work
consistently on a full time
basis since October 2013
because of her ongoing battle
with breast cancer. Her ongo-
ing treatments will continue
for an indefnite amount of
time. Contact: Sarah Hawkins
at (360) 829-3003 for Rainier
School HR or your own HR
representative.
Christy Sanders, a support
enforcement offcer 2 with
DSHS in Seattle and member
of Local 843, has been ap-
proved for shared leave. She
is recovering from a fall during
which she suffered two herni-
ated disks and a spinal frac-
ture. She has exhausted all
her available leave. Contact:
Anita Blakely at the Human
Resources (206) 341-7385, or
your human resource offce.
SHOP STEWARD
CORNER
Did you know...a General
Government steward may
represent any employee who
works in the same agency
in the same offce, facility or
geographic jurisdiction as the
steward and is in a bargaining
unit represented by WFSE
(General Government con-
tract Article 39.2A).
So stewards, dont be
shy when that Department of
Transportation employee asks
you as a Department of Social
and Health Services employee
for representation. You are
a trained steward, you have
your bag of steward tools
and now your contract gives
you permission to help your
fellow WFSE members.
Remember, as with any
representational duty: Notify
your supervisor when you
will need to perform steward
duties either with that em-
ployee who works in your
building OR is in your geo-
graphic jurisdiction per the
WFSE steward list.
The know-how and street
smarts of Seattle Central
Community College Main-
tenance staff snuffed out the
assumption that outsourcing
boiler inspections would save
money.
When the City of Seattle
wanted the boilers inspected
every day instead of two to
four times a year, college
management started talking
about outsourcing the work.
Local 304 member Eric
Knutson and others began
investigating. Meanwhile, the
college discovered outsourc-
ing would cost $18,000.
Instead, facilities man-
agement is proposing profes-
sional development (for li-
censing or license renewal) to
the frontline WFSE/AFSCME
members to keep the inspec-
tions in-house.
And theyre going to
save money by doing it that
way, said Jeanine Livingston,
WFSE/AFSCMEs contract
compliance manager.
utsourcing
W
atch
If you see possible out-
sourcing of state programs,
facilities or work, tell WFSE/
AFSCMEs Outsourcing
Watch.
Go to:
http://www.wfse.org/outsourc-
ing-watch/
to download a form or use an
online form to give us details
about any possible outsourc-
ing you suspect.
Its about transparency and
accountability.
QUESTIONS? Jeanine Liv-
ingston, WFSE/AFSCMEs
contract compliance manag-
er, 1-800-562-6002 jeani-
nel@wfse.org
Outsourcing Watch is a
project of the WFSE/AFSCME
Skilled Labor and Trades
Committee.
http://www.wfse.org/get-involved/skilled-labor-
and-trades/
https://www.facebook.com/WFSE.Skilled.
Labor.and.Trades
How Seattle Central CC members
alertness saved $18,000
Seattle Central CC Maintenance member Paul Lindstrom with WFSE/AF-
SCME council representatives Robin Ledbetter and Inti Tapia.
With last months Su-
preme Court decisions against
gainsharing and PERS 1 cost-
of-living adjustments, the Re-
tired Public Employees Coun-
cil of Washington (RPEC)/
AFSCME is more important
than ever if youre close to
retirement.
Because when you retire,
the effort to protect the ben-
efts youve earned doesnt
end.
Pensions, health care, So-
cial Security, and Medicare are
regular targets for politicians
who think retirees get golden
parachutes.
The State Actuary an-
nounced last year that PERS
1 retirees average annual
pension was $22,704, PERS 2s
average was $15,072, PERS 3s
defned beneft average was
$8,676.
RPEC invites you to join
their efforts to preserve
what youve earned for your
retirement
Most locals will pay for
your frst years dues to
RPEC. When you are getting
ready to retire, let your local
know that you would like for
them to pay your frst years
dues.
If you are within 18 months
of retirement, contact RPEC
and let them know you would
like an associate membership.
This program allows you to
join just before retirement so
you can learn about the cur-
rent attacks your benefts are
facing.
Questions? Contact RPEC
Membership Coordinator Me-
lissa Mills, at (360) 352-8262 or
toll-free at (800) 562-6097, or
email at Melissa@rpecwa.org.
RPEC
CORNER
WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee September 2014 Page 3
SPECIAL REPORT
Profles in courage:
Meet endorsed candidates
WFSE/AFSCME as the largest state employees union has an obligation to evaluate candidates
on lunchbox issues important to public employees. This month, meet two candidates endorsed
by members in priority races one Republican and one Democrat.
Want to get involved?
Participate on the ground by participating in WFSE Wednesdays events.
These activities are scheduled in priority districts to increase visibility and
deepen relationships with the candidates weve endorsed. We provide training so
that youll feel confdent volunteering directly for candidates. Watch for meetings
scheduled in your area. If you have pledged or participated in Legislative and Po-
litical Action (LPA) events in the past, were counting on you to participate in our
Two candidates who share lunchbox values
Sen. Pam Roach
31
st
District
S
en. Pam Roach is
the veteran Repub-
lican with WFSE/
AFSCMEs endorsement
and she is also the only Re-
publican candidate for the
Senate with the backing of
the Washington State Labor
Council.
Her 31
st
District in south King-
north Pierce counties includes Auburn,
Enumclaw, Buckley and Bonney Lake.
Roach fnished frst in the three-
way Aug. 5 primary. Shell face fellow
Republican Rep. Cathy Dahlquist in
the Nov. 4 General Election.
Roach visited with WFSE/AF-
SCME members at the Aug. 2 joint
meeting of the unions Conservative
Caucus and Green Caucus.
This campaign is going to be
about issues, I hope, Roach said.
They (her opponents camp) want to
make it about my personality.
Roach has the reputation as a mav-
erick who votes on an issue-by-issue
basis, not on an ideological line.
She calls the campaign against her
one of character assassination. Yet
a scientifc evaluation by the Sunlight
Foundation said Roach is the most ef-
fective of all 147 legislators based on
her effectiveness getting bills passed
and cooperation with senators from
both parties.
One thing you can say about me
is I dont quit I just keep on going,
Roach told the WFSE/AFSCME Con-
servative and Green caucus members.
Roach said shes an important
voice for the Middle Class, bringing
state employee concerns into the ma-
jority caucus.
This race is really, really impor-
tant to the labor movement, absolute-
ly..., she said.
I am not going to be doing bad
things for labor.
Roach has proven herself as a
leader who shares Middle Class val-
ues.
She had the best voting record in
her caucus on state employee issues.
She stood with public employees
against recent attacks on defned ben-
eft pensions. Shes been a stalwart
supporter of Rainier School in Buckley
and the excellent care Local 491 mem-
bers give its developmentally disabled
residents.
Im opposed to closing Rainier
School, she says fatly.
She told the WFSE/AFSCME
members shes committed to innova-
tive ways to reduce the crushing casel-
oads of Childrens Services members.
And she supports the members
efforts to fund any negotiated pay
raises.
Its important to make back what
they took away and Im committed to
helping to do that and Im committed
to talking to the caucus about why that
is the case, Roach said.
Rep. Tami Green
(Candidate for Senate)
28
th
District
R
ep. Tami Green, the
respected 10-year
House member in
the 28
th
District, describes
herself as a problem-solver
who breaks logjams.
You tell me we have some prob-
lems, Ill help you fx them, Green
said.
Green, a Democrat, is seeking the
Senate seat now held by appointed
Sen. Steve OBan.
The 28
th
District is a swing district
a third Democrat, a third Republican
and a third independent.
Shes gained respect across the po-
litical spectrum in her swing district.
The key is the listening and being
respectful, she said.
Her district is centered in Lake-
wood, home to Western State Hospital.
She worked as a registered nurse
at both Western State Hospital and the
adjacent Child Study and Treatment
Center. There she became active in the
SEIU 1199/Northwest nurses union,
which led to her entrance into politics.
Thats one reason she feels so pas-
sionate about adequate resources for
Western State Hospital and Eastern
State Hospital.
She said ward closures should
stop.
The 28
th
District has the second
highest number of state employees
of any legislative district and Greens
concern about pension and health
care issues shows her deep respect for
those Middle Class heroes she repre-
sents.
Having good health insurance is
part of investing in your employees,
she said.
She wants to move to the Senate
and use the logjam-breaking skills she
honed as House foor leader to free up
worker-friendly bills.
Like the bill that would allow
DSHS institutions workers in danger-
ous jobs into the Public Safety Em-
ployees Retirement System (PSERS).
The bill passed the House but
never came to a vote in the Senate.
All four legislative caucuses and the
governors offce had agreed on the
bill before the session, but the wheels
came off the cart.
Roach (second from right) with members of the
WFSE/AFSCME Conservative Caucus and Green
Caucus campaigning Aug. 2 in Auburn.
Im frustrated by that, Green
said. I feel like thats a broken prom-
ise....
So thats a lot of people in my
district who are getting ripped off as
far as Im concerned who really need
that beneft, who work hard for these
kind of jobs.
Because you can only do that
work for so long. Its very emotionally
and physically demanding and we
want the highest quality and we want
the patients to be treated respectfully.
Her opponent has attacked her on
education when budgets were cut dur-
ing the Great Recession.
What he doesnt mention, she said,
is that since then weve come back
and put everything back and more.
And with the state Supreme
Courts McCleary decision mandating
billions of dollars in educational fund-
ing obligations, Green said the state
cant cut other vital services as the
only way to meet those obligations.
We have to have more revenues,
she said. The way that I want to do it
is by closing tax loopholes that arent
working for us anymore.
Green has a 100 percent Right
voting record on state employee is-
sues. She helped found what is now
known as the Working Families Cau-
cus in the Legislature to push bills
good for the working class.
When youre doing legislation,
you need the outside pushing in on
the Legislature, but you also need the
inside of the Legislature pushing on
each other, Green said.
Green in Lakewood, not far from Western State
Hospital, where she used to work.
WFSE Wednesday program. If you havent but reside in one our priority districts,
we want to hear from you.
Each WFSE Wednesday event will include a fun icebreaker, political training and
messaging and an opportunity for members to meet our endorsed candidates
and engage in their campaigns.
Are you in? Contact April Sims at 800-562-6002 or aprils@wfse.org If youre
interested, learn more about our WFSE Wednesdays program. Questions?
Contact April Sims at 800-562-6002 or aprils@wfse.org
ITS ABOUT OUR STRONG CONTRACTS
WFSE/AFSCME Washington State Employee Page 4 September 2014
A CLOSER LOOK
A regular series on how
members are going
beyond the bargaining
table to advocate for
strong contracts. This
month, Western Wash-
ington University mem-
bers and their variety of
events on their campus
in Bellingham.
Western Washington Uni-
versity members have shown
what happens outside the
bargaining room has as much
impact as what happens in-
side.
The Local 1381 members
on the Bellingham campus
staged a series of solidarity
events to say its time for a
contract as good as the com-
munity they serve.
That included a July 30
rally and an Aug. 21 silent
vigil outside the board of
trustees meeting.
At an Aug. 13 rally, they
circled in Red Square just
outside the windows of the
bargaining room.
WWU: Its about the students
They chanted, Hey, hey,
ho, ho poverty wages have
got to go! and Hey, hey,
dont delay give us a con-
tract with fair pay!
And they flled out per-
sonalized postcards to area
legislators.
The Local 1381 members
said coming together for the
mid-day show of unity made
a difference.
It just shows that every-
bodys together and every-
body agrees that we need a
pay raise and thats important
to everybody, said Enrique
Castro, whos a grounds and
nursery specialist at WWU.
Its about the students, said
35-year WWU employee
Dave Burden, a custodian.
The union backs the
students 100 percent, Burden
said. They (WWU workers)
clean the buildings, they do
the upkeep and all that...
Now they (the univer-
sity) want to cut back clean-
ing bathrooms. Who are they
hurting? Theyre not hurting
the union. Theyre hurting the
students.
Local 1381 President
Steve Vanko, also a bargain-
ing team member, agreed a
strong contract places stu-
dents frst.
Were the backbone that
keeps the wheels turning
around here..., Vanko said.
Its a home away from home
for these kids. We maintain it
year-round for them.
And Vanko said these
kinds of events are necessary
to send a loud-and-clear mes-
sage.
There is strength in
numbers, he said. Our
people went six years without
a cost-of-living raise and we
think its way past time.
More photos online: https://
www.fickr.com/photos/wfse/
sets/72157646065561982/
ABHS:
Tentative agreement!
Another group of Federa-
tion members those in our
public service bargaining
unit at American Behavioral
Health Systems Aug. 12
reached tentative agreement
on a new two-year contract
that includes several improve-
ments.
We just made history,
said team member Terry Rob-
erts, who works at the ABHS
Mission site in Spokane. To
promote the union in this line
of work is imperative.
Client care will improve
due to new language on safe
staffng levels, said another
bargaining team member,
Robert Riggins, who works
at ABHS-Chehalis.
ABHS workers provide
substance abuse treatment.
Onsite voting will be
Sept. 5.
Read more online:
http://www.wfse.
org/abhs-members-reach-
tentative-agreement-on-new-
contract/
WWU Bargaining Team member
Sonia Baker at Aug. 13 event.
At July 30 rally.
ABHS team moments after reaching tentative agreement.
Maria Buan, (left) with mother Margarita Buan, a
Local 793 member at Western State Hospital, is this
years recipient of the $5,000 Althea Lute Memorial
Scholarship awarded by the WFSE/AFSCME Diver-
sity Committee. You may recognize Maria from last
months issue: She is also one of the unions Schut
Scholarship recipients. Maria graduated in June from
Curtis High School and will attend the University of
Washington.
Althea Lute Scholarship winner
members voting against pre-
mium increases in a series of
5-2 votes by the board.
Devereux applauded the
Health Care Authority staff
for squeezing the most out of
the bids from providers and
said he realized that rate hikes
are based on usage and infa-
tion. But overall he objected
to employees paying more
when they havent had raises
in six years.
Over that period, when
their money goes to pay for
these, I think providers and
other folks should also take a
hit in that regard, Devereux
said.
More online: http://www.wfse.
org/benefts-board-oks-premium-
rates-for-2015-adds-some-benefts/
PEBB, from page 1
The state Supreme Court
Aug. 14 upheld the Legisla-
tures elimination of the gain-
sharing beneft in the PERS
3 retirement system and the
uniform cost-of-living adjust-
ment in the PERS 1 pension
system.
WFSE/AFSCME, the
Retired Public Employees
Council of Washington (an-
other AFSCME affliate) and
other public employee groups
had sued the state over the
repeals. Lower courts upheld
the unions.
But not the state Supreme
Court.
However, there was one
bright spot that clears up a lot
of uncertainty for state em-
State Supreme Court
rules against public
sector retirees
ployees nearing age 62. The
earlier retirement for those
in PERS 2 and 3 added as a
tradeoff when the Legis-
lature repealed gainsharing
in 2007 remains. Public em-
ployees will continue to have
access to the earlier retirement
option allowing PERS 2 and
3 enrollees to retire at age 62
with 30 years of service with
no beneft reduction.
Gainsharing referred to
the incentive given public em-
ployees to switch to the new
hybrid PERS 3 plan that start-
ed in 1998. While gainsharing
was in place, PERS 3 retirees
would share extraordinary
investment gains based on a
set period of time and exceed-
ing a certain percentage.
Read more online: http://www.
wfse.org/state-supreme-court-rules-
against-public-sector-retirees/