50,000 WA state workers to walk off job in contract dispute with state [Video]

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Nearly 50,000 public service workers in Washington state, represented by AFSCME Council 28 (The Washington Federation of State Employees), are set to walk off the job on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 12 p.m., to demand fair wages, safe staffing levels and better working conditions.

The strike, branded as “Walkout for Washington,” will include employees from state agencies, community colleges and universities at 130 worksites across the state.

Contract negotiations between AFSCME Council 28 and the state’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) have been ongoing since April but have seen little progress on key issues such as compensation and staffing. Union leaders argue that insufficient wages and benefits are contributing to a staffing crisis that affects critical public services, including behavioral health, transportation, juvenile rehabilitation and education.

“Nearly 40 percent of the state workforce has turned over in the last eight years due to resignations alone,” the union said in …