As we approach the 2021 legislative session in Olympia, we want to keep you updated on the work our Union is engaged in that directly impacts members in law enforcement and corrections.
With the start of the legislative session only two months away, our Union's Legal Department together with Vice President and Legislative Director, Brenda Wiest, have been intensely working to defend your rights and preserve the respect and protections that public safety professionals deserve.
Some of the challenges we face as a Union are proposed threats to your interest arbitration and collective bargaining rights that jeopardize the livelihoods of our members in public safety.
We are reviewing those proposals and meeting directly with legislators to emphasize the need to protect those rights while responding to the concerns of the communities we all serve.
Together with representatives of WACOPS, the WA State Patrol & Troopers Association, and other groups representing law enforcement, Brenda serves on a law enforcement coalition to strategize around preserving collective bargaining and workplace rights for our members in law enforcement. The coalition will hold its next meeting on November 2.
In addition, Brenda has joined our public safety partners to advocate for our members in corrections and law enforcement by monitoring the work of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability.
Our Union's Legal Department is tracking the work of the Senate Law & Justice Committee and House Public Safety Committee and Members of Color Caucus to advocate for policies that arise from those committees that are beneficial to our members.
We are also keeping an eye on management associations that are capitalizing on the current social environment to diminish your rights as public safety professionals through policy and legislative change.
With this work, our priorities are to preserve interest arbitration and collective bargaining, maintain staff safety, and protect your workplace rights.
We will keep you posted on legislative developments that may impact you and your family. If you haven't done so already, please complete our online Legislative Survey so that you can help establish our Union's priorities for the 2021 session.
We will also be sending out information to you about opportunities to discuss directly with legislators the critical public safety work of law enforcement and corrections.
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