(The Center Square) – The latest bargaining session between union leadership for the Washington Federation of State Employees and the Office of Financial Management lasted 15 hours, but apparently did not bring the two sides any closer to a contract agreement.
WFSE members have scheduled a Sept. 10 walkout for some 50,000 state employees.
According to a union update, leaders are frustrated with negotiations on the new two-year contract (2025-2027) calling the latest offer from OFM “disrespectful.”
According to a post on the WFSE website, the union contends OFM is proposing takeaways in the latest offer.
“Not only are they saying no to the most basic improvements to working conditions, but they’re also actually proposing takeaways, including cuts at 24/7 institutions like Green Hill School and Western State Hospital that are suffering the most acute staffing shortages and assaults on the job,” the website states.
The union contends “management’s lack of preparation, respect, or even care for the work you do was obvious. They were completely clueless about the realities of your job.”
The union and OFM have been bargaining since April, with an Oct. 1 deadline for an agreement to give lawmakers time to budget for planned increases in state employee compensation.
The union is urging members to apply pressure by calling the office of Gov. Jay Inslee. The governor is not directly involved in contract negotiations.
OFM emailed a response to The Center Square concerning ongoing negotiations with WFSE.
“OFM understands the concerns of our state employees and deeply values their essential contributions,” OFM said. “The bargaining process is designed to engage in meaningful dialogue that balances fiscal realities with the state’s needs, policy priorities, and the critical role our employees fill in serving the public. We are facing challenging fiscal choices as we anticipate limited revenue in the upcoming biennium. Lower revenue impacts the total amount available to spend in the four-year outlook. Just as we’ve asked state agencies to limit new programs and request only essential funding, we are applying the same principle to our negotiations.”
It’s unclear how many state employees will walk out on Sept. 10, but the union said employees are encouraged to use their lunch hour or vacation time to account for missed office time.
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