Walkout with Washington

Fighting for a fair contract, state workers are holding demonstrations at dozens of locations statewide on Monday, August 31

OLYMPIA, WA (August 26, 2026) — State workers are in the thick of negotiations for collective bargaining agreements covering 2027 and 2028. With both workloads and the cost of living increasing, workers are pushing for a contract that likewise increases wages. But with a projected state budget shortfall — should the Millionaires Tax survive ballot and court challenge, that revenue won’t begin collection until 2029 — workers have been told at the table that the state will not spend a “dime” on 2027-2029 contracts.

The Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), representing 52,000 state workers, is urging the state to reconsider that stance. State workers’ workloads are growing and wages haven’t kept up with cost of living, creating a perfect storm for retention issues right as state services are increasingly needed by Washingtonians.

“The rise in unemployment and the federal restrictions on eligibility for food benefits and Medicaid are pushing people into school and caseloads for public services are going to keep growing,” said Emily Rodriguez, a Customer Service Specialist at Seattle Colleges. “Both of those impact the workloads of frontline state workers.”

Photo: WFSE

And there’s one area where the state is spending quite a few dimes: settling liability lawsuits. In the past two years, the state has paid over $1.3 billion in tort claims excluding legal defense costs, per WFSE.

“Years of cuts and ballooning workloads for employees in high-stakes jobs, like protecting vulnerable children, maintaining public safety, and caring for intellectually and developmentally disabled folks, is a recipe for avoidable suffering and billions in liability,” said WFSE President Mike Yestramski, a psychiatric social worker at Western State Hospital.

“We are sounding the alarm that the governor’s team seems intent on following the same failed policies that produced the shortfall in the first place,” Yestramski said.

Washington Federation of State Employees is inviting all supporters to join state workers on Monday, August 31, for “Walkout with Washington” demonstrations. Everyone who cares about public workers and wants to protect essential state services is invited to join Monday’s actions. No matter the work we do or where we live, we all rely on the services state workers provide.

Events are planned all over Washington, from Blaine to Walla Walla, Colville to Forks, and dozens of towns in between. Can’t join a walkout on Monday? You can still support the workers by sending a message to Governor Bob Ferguson and state leaders urging them to invest in the people and services we all rely on.

TAKE A STAND: Join state workers on Monday, August 31 to “Walkout with Washington” — find an event near you.