We are already a week into the second special session of the legislature and no budget deal is in sight.

My name is George Blakey. I am a Shop Steward and proud member of Teamsters Local 117 who works as a driver for Republic Services in the solid waste industry.

On a sunny day in May, along with toddlers and mothers in bright shirts and summer dresses, I headed to the Woodland Park Zoo.

Yard waste and recycle drivers who work at Republic Services filled our Union hall yesterday to demand equal pay for equal work.

The last three Saturdays, our Statewide Political Advisory Committee met at the Teamsters Hall in Tukwila to interview candidates in local races for municipal office.

Our Teamster nurses, at the Department of Corrections and the Washington State Nurses Association, perform incredibly challenging work, and it's time to thank them.

I want to update you on where things stand with the budget in Olympia. We had some good news during the regular legislative session when both the House and Senate included funding for our DOC contract in their budget proposals. The Governor had released his budget earlier, which also proposed funding our contract.

We are currently recruiting for a Union Representative position for the Department of Corrections.

Every year at this time, we honor the men and women who work in critical public safety roles through a series of events and activities across the country.

The last week in April is recognized as Administrative Professionals Week.