Thousands of Washington public employees represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees plan to walk off the job Monday at more than 100 worksites
Thousands of Washington public employees represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees plan to walk off the job Monday at more than 100 worksites statewide, as the union presses for a new contract covering about 52,000 workers.
The union said walkouts are scheduled at more than 125 locations, including state agencies, community colleges, universities and health care facilities.
Larger demonstrations are planned in Olympia, at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, at the University of Washington’s Red Square and at Department of Children, Youth and Families offices in Seattle and Bellevue.
WFSE said negotiations began in April and that workers are seeking a compensation package they describe as sufficient to address inflation, rising living costs and persistent staffing shortages. The union represents employees in a range of state services, including child welfare, behavioral health care, higher education and public safety.
Union President Mike Yestramski, a psychiatric social worker at Western State Hospital, said years of budget cuts and growing workloads have strained workers in critical public-facing jobs. He criticized the state’s bargaining position, saying the union believes Washington should invest more in retaining its public workforce.
The union also cited state tort-claim costs, saying the Department of Enterprise Services reported $537 million in lawsuit payouts during fiscal year 2026 and more than $1.6 billion over the past five years, excluding legal defense costs. WFSE argued that staffing and retention problems can contribute to costly failures in public services.
Workers at 12 community colleges are also bargaining through WFSE’s Community College Coalition. The union said it expects demand for public services and workforce training to grow as unemployment rises and federal changes affect eligibility for food assistance and Medicaid.
It was not immediately clear what effect the walkouts could have on state services Monday. The union said it has organized the action to call attention to contract negotiations and its concerns about staffing, compensation, and workload.
