WHEREAS nationally we are facing unprecedented layoffs and cuts in funding for public sector workers with 14,000 jobs cut by Trump and his cabinet of billionaires who continue to threaten attacks on Medicaid and Social Security; and

WHEREAS Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington State Democrats are carrying out their own anti-worker attacks at the state level, proposing cutting $7 Billion from the Washington state budget and threatening to force Washington state workers, 50,000+ of whom are represented by WFSE, to furlough one day a month for the next two years; and

WHEREAS these are workers who run programs for the basic needs of the poor, ensure child safety, build bridges and maintain safe infrastructure, enable safe and clean waterways, and provide quality education in community colleges and state universities. They are healthcare workers, electricians, plumbers, cafeteria workers, and custodians on the UW campus and at UW Medicine; and

WHEREAS Governor Ferguson plans to carry out sweeping cuts to healthcare for low-income residents and fire-fighting services. This will mean continued and worsened budget cuts, and closures of local hospital wards, juvenile rehabilitation centers, and residential habilitation centers that provide services and housing to adults with developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS Washington’s richest are richer than ever, with 13 billionaires who together own more than $300 billion in wealth, and a steady growth of multi-millionaires; and

WHEREAS Democrats in Washington state have control of the Governor’s mansion and decisive control of both houses of the State Legislature — 59–39 in the House of Representatives and 30–19 in the Senate; and

WHEREAS many of these state Democrats were elected with a WFSE endorsement and on-the-ground campaigning from WFSE membership; and

WHEREAS Washington is in desperate need of overturning its regressive, anti-worker tax system, and even a modest 1% wealth tax on those with wealth exceeding $100 million, which would be paid by approximately 3,400 individuals, could generate $10.3 billion in the next 4 years.  

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that WFSE local 889 calls on our WFSE leadership and AFSCME international to call for a mass statewide Day of Action on Wednesday, April 9 involving thousands of WFSE members, and solidarity from other unions and working people, before the budget deadline on April 27 and hold a mass rally in Olympia for all members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that WFSE local 889 demands that any elected leader who supports the foughlough of state workers lose their endorsement immediately and be defeated by workers and the labor movement in the next election; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that WFSE local 889 calls on WFSE statewide leadership and AFSCME international to urgently put forward a ballot initiative to implement a statewide tax on the rich and fully fund Washington’s public sector; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that an injury to one is an injury to all, and WFSE local 889 calls on the MLK Labor Council, Seattle Education Association, Washington Education Associations, Teamsters, UAW, and all unions and workers in the state of Washington to stand with public-sector workers to stop these unjust furloughs and budget cuts, including by organizing mass rallies in solidarity and pledging to escalate the fight in response to any anti-worker retaliation or refusal by State Democrats to meet our demands.