Stand with us.
Across the state, over 5,000 of your fellow WPEA members – those under the Higher Education Coalition, General Government, and Highline contracts—frontline workers in critical public service roles—have spent the past year fighting for fair treatment at the bargaining table. For more than two decades, these members have seen their wages fall behind inflation, losing over 20% of their purchasing power while the state failed to address worsening inequities. Last fall, they stood together and made their voices heard by voting down unfair tentative agreements that offered no real wage recovery, no meaningful improvement to working conditions, no recognition of their sacrifices, and no solutions.
Unfortunately, the State responded not with good-faith engagement, but with delays, refusals to bargain, and threats to with hold funding unless union leadership overrode the will of the members. Our colleagues were forced to sue just to bring the State back to the bargaining table—where, even then, the State stalled progress and claimed staffing issues prevented timely negotiations. It wasn’t until April that a revised agreement was ratified by members, only to now be told that funding has not been included in the final state budget because it was “too late.” This outcome punishes workers for simply standing up for fair treatment and exercising their union rights.
An injury to one, is an injury to all.
As Yakima Valley College employees, you may not be under the same contracts, but we are all part of the same union family. What happens to one group of WPEA members affects the strength and future of our entire union. When the state delays, disrespects, or ignores the voices of any of our members, it sets a dangerous precedent for all of us—including future library contract negotiations.
Your solidarity is essential. Whether through speaking out, sharing information, or showing up when support is needed, your involvement helps us show the state that WPEA stands united—across classifications, agencies, and communities.
This is more than a contract dispute. It’s about ensuring dignity, respect, and fair treatment for all public workers. Please stand with your fellow WPEA members. Together, we are stronger.
The Governor is celebrating public employees next week—while the legislature refuses to fund our ratified contracts.
On May 7th, WPEAmembers will be at the state’s Public Service Recognition Week event in Olympia to deliver this letter in person.
Please take a moment to read and sign onto my letter to the Governor, he cannot sign a budget that does not fund ALL union contracts.
1. Sign our Letter in Support before May 6th
2.
Join us in Olympia on May 7th as we hand deliver this letter to the Governor!
If we stay quiet, they will continue to treat us like we don’t matter. We can’t let that happen.
Take leave, hit the road, and stand with us.
This is our fight. Show up. Be seen. Make noise.
We’ll gather at 10:30 AM on the Capitol. Full logistics will be emailed to those who RSVP using the above form.
3.
Spread The Word!
This fight is bigger than WPEA — and we’re calling in everyone who’s had enough of public workers being disrespected.
Talk to your co-workers — even if they’re not WPEA members. Call your friends, your faculty, your students, your neighbors. If they benefit from public services, they should be standing with us.
Share this link like it’s your job: wpea.org/sign We want hundreds. We need thousands. The more names we deliver, the harder we hit.
Thank you for you support and participation. Let’s flood the Governor’s office with signatures — and make it impossible to ignore us.
Let’s show them what solidarity looks like.
In solidarity,
Amanda Hacker
WPEA President
