Help deliver message Saturday that ‘Public Service Matters’

Our friends, neighbors, family members — and customers — who work for the largest employer in the state haven’t had a general wage increase in seven years. That’s bad for their families and bad for the economy.

They are the people who work for the State of Washington, proudly providing the quality public services that we all rely upon. They are keeping our communities safe, caring for the elderly and disabled, teaching and protecting our children, maintain our roads and transportation system, and provide other essential services.

They work hard for us and now we need to show our support for them.

Public Service Matters events are planned this Saturday, April 18 in locations across the state. These events in six cities will focus on the value of the work that state employees do and the positive economic impact that public employees and their families have in our communities. Follow the action: #PublicServiceMatters.

TAKE A STAND! All union members and community supporters are urged to attend the following Public Service Matters events this Saturday, April 18 from 11 a.m. to noon. (Click here to RSVP and get email updates.)

CENTRALIA — George Washington Park (Centralia Timberland Library) 110 S. Silver St. & Pearl

FEDERAL WAY — Poverty Bay Cafe & Coffee Company, 1108 S. 322nd Pl.

MEDICAL LAKE/CHENEY — Denny’s Harvest Foods, 215 E. State Road 902, Medical Lake

MONROE — Old City Hall, 207 E. Main St.

SHELTON — Shelton City Hall, 525 W. Cota St.

STEILACOOM — Fort Steilacoom Park (across from Western State Hospital) 8714 87th Ave SW, Lakewood

YELM — Yelm Middle School, 402 W. Yelm Ave.

TAKE AN ELECTRONIC STAND! We’re using Thunderclap (a social media engagement tool) to promote the #PublicServiceMatters events on Saturday. That means YOU can help us spread the word far and wide. Click here to go to our Thunderclap event page. By registering, you’ll allow us to post a message on your Facebook and/or Twitter pages, and simultaneously on many others’, maximizing our reach and amplifying our message.

A minority of state senators is making the wrong choice by blocking funding for state employees. The governor, the House of Representatives, and a clear bipartisan majority of senators (29 out of 49) all support fully funding state employee contracts and giving state employees their first general wage increase in seven years. But a minority of senators is blocking it. Even worse, they have proposed cutting 20,000 state employees’ spouses off of their health coverage.

Please attend one of the events listed above on Saturday and help send the message that Public Service Matters and fully funding state contracts is good for our state economy and for maintaining quality public services. And it’s the right thing to do.