DOC Teamsters rally on the Capitol steps in Olympia after their visits with legislators.

More good news from Olympia. Our bill (HB 1589) that restores the right for trained DOC personnel to carry a concealed weapon unanimously passed out of the State House of Representatives yesterday on a vote of 97-0. 

HB 1589 corrects problems with the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act that would have required DOC employees to pay for and undergo an additional background check in order to carry their concealed weapons in WA state. 

The bill ensures corrections personnel are eligible to carry a concealed weapon so long as they have received weapons training and a background check performed by the Department in the last five years.

The change in the law is needed because a problem with the existing statute invalidated our DOC Peace Officer Identification Cards.

We have not crossed the finish line yet - we still need a majority of Senators to approve the bill and a signature from the Governor, but this is a critical step toward achieving our goal.

Thank you to everyone who spoke with their legislators on this critical issue. Please consider sending your State Representatives an email thanking them for their support. 

We have fantastic news from Olympia tonight. Our bill (SB 5021) granting interest arbitration rights to Teamsters who work at the Washington State Department of Corrections passed unanimously out of the Senate. 

This is a major victory for DOC Teamsters who have been fighting for statutory interest arbitration since 2010. It is also a testament to all of the members and their families who met with their legislators last week at our Lobby Day event.

Clearly, your voice made a tremendous impact. We still need a majority of representatives in the House to vote in favor of the legislation and a signature from the Governor, but passage in the Senate puts us a huge step closer to achieving our goal.

If you met with your State Senator last week and asked them to support interest arbitration for DOC, please send an email thanking them for their support. 

Interest arbitration levels the playing field for union members working in public safety professions who don't have the ability to strike. It allows us to take mandatory subjects of bargaining to a neutral third-party arbitrator if we reach impasse with the State in contract negotiations. 

Employees of other public safety agencies such as the Washington State Patrol and county corrections have access to interest arbitration. Now is the time to win interest arbitration for our members working in corrections and at the University of Washington Police Department.

A show of force on the Capitol steps in Olympia: DOC Teamsters fight for higher pay and interest arbitration.

Teamster corrections employees rallied in Olympia on Wednesday to push for safer workplaces and safer communities. 

The group of more than 175 members and their families met with legislators throughout the day as part of our annual Lobby Day. The event culminated on the steps of the State Capitol with members holding signs that read, "Invest in Corrections Employees" and "Public Safety, Public Service".

"It's a great day to be a Teamster," said Samuel Coleman, a correctional officer at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton who spoke at the rally. "We're here today to fight for safety, interest arbitration, and higher pay."

"We're here today to fight for safety, interest arbitration, and higher pay."

Members called on lawmakers to fund the Department of Corrections (DOC) and University of Washington Police Department (UWPD) contracts and to pass legislation granting interest arbitration rights to both groups.

Interest arbitration will level the playing field in negotiations, improve staff safety, and ensure that these employees are fairly compensated. It gives them access to the same rights as other public safety personnel, such as the Washington State Patrol and county police, corrections, and firefighters. 

Funding the DOC and UWPD contracts will create greater equity and boost morale. It will also help with recruitment and retention, which leads to more experienced staff and a safer working environment. 

"Teamster corrections employees and officers at the UWPD serve and protect all of us," said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. "The State needs to invest in the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. That starts with funding the DOC and UWPD contracts and passing interest arbitration for both groups." 

Thank you to all of the members who participated in this year's Lobby Day. Special thanks to Officer Samuel Coleman, Carrie Hesch, a recreational specialist at WCCW, and Lynn Kunkle, a registered nurse at MCC, for speaking so powerfully at the rally. 

Please be sure to call the Legislative Hotline in Olympia at 1-800-562-6000 and tell your legislators to fund our DOC and UWPD contracts, pass interest arbitration, and restore the right of trained DOC personnel to carry a concealed weapon. Your voice makes all the difference!

SEE PHOTOS FROM OUR LOBBY DAY HERE

Next week, Teamsters from across the state will be converging on Olympia for our 2019 Legislative Reception and Lobby Day. Over 200 members have registered to join us for the event on February 26-27.

It's shaping up to be another incredible demonstration of Teamster unity, power, and purpose as we meet with legislators to discuss our legislative priorities.

If you are registered and unable to attend, please reach out to Political Director Dustin Lambro right away. You can call him at 206-794-2606 if you need to cancel.

Our Teamsters Lobby Day event starts with a dinner on Tuesday, February 26 at 7:30pm at the RL Hotel in Olympia. Accommodations will be provided for all registered members on the night of February 26.

On the morning of February 27, we will have a lobby training and breakfast before heading over to the Capitol for our appointments with legislators. 

Participating members will be receiving a confirmation letter with logistical information and our legislative priorities in the mail prior to the event. All of the information contained in the materials sent to your home, including info about our 2019 legislative agenda, transportation, the hotel, the training, attire, food, and appointments with legislators is available below:

• Lobby Day Confirmation Letter
• 2019 Legislative Priorities
• Lobby Day Agenda

This year we will be discussing the following issues with legislators:

• Funding our 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement
• Passing statutory interest arbitration
• Fixing the concealed carry law for weapons-trained DOC members

If you have questions, please contact your union representative or feel free to reach out to Dustin at 206-794-2606. Remember if you need to cancel, please contact Dustin right away so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

Thanks so much! Looking forward to seeing you on February 26-27 in Olympia.

The spring issue of our Guardian newsletter for Teamsters at the DOC is hot off the press!

In this issue, you'll find an overview of our goals for the 2019 legislative session in Olympia as well as the status of the bills we are tracking. 

Other highlights include a tribute to Richard Coleman, an officer at the Washington State Penitentiary, who is retiring this month as well as the announcement of Legislative Director Brenda Wiest as the new Vice President of our Union's Executive Board. 

You can view the new Guardian online here. Print copies will be distributed over the next few weeks by a committee of shop stewards and member leaders.

If you would like to volunteer to help distribute the Guardian or have an article to contribute, please reach out to your Union Representative.  

In Olympia, nurses from across the state are standing together to support a law that would make our workplaces safer. The proposed legislation (HB 1155/SB 5190) would allow front-line caregivers to take uninterrupted meal and rest breaks.

At DOC, fatigue isn’t just a worker issue, it’s a safety issue. When DOC medical staff are chronically exhausted and overworked, the safety of the entire facility is put at risk.

Employers and management are trying to weaken protections for nurses by introducing a competing bill (SB 5344) that doesn’t solve the problem. We need to reject that proposal and send a resounding message to legislators that we support safer, more secure conditions for DOC nursing staff.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Find your legislators online, and send them an email telling them to support HB 1155 and SB 5190 and oppose SB 5344. You can copy and paste the message below or draft your own message. 

Dear [LEGISLATOR NAME]
I am writing to ask you to support HB 1155 and SB 5190 and oppose SB 5344. I think it is important you hear from front-line patient care providers who would be impacted by this law. When I don’t get my breaks or lunches, I don’t have time to go to the bathroom, eat, or just rest my feet for 15 minutes. At DOC, when I am this overworked my safety and that of my co-workers is put at risk. SB 5344 does not address fatigue for nurses and leaves out other front-line providers that desperately need a solution as well. This bill continues to leave caregivers like me working in conditions that are unsafe. After ten years of trying to pass this law, it is time to act for the safety of workers and our communities. Thank you for your time, please support HB 1155 and SB 5190, and oppose SB 5344, which aims to weaken these efforts.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

Thank you for standing together with Teamster nurses!

Good news from Olympia! Our legislation to grant interest arbitration rights to our members at the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the University of Washington Police Department (UWPD) (SB5021/SB5022) cleared a first, important hurdle in the Senate yesterday when the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee unanimously voted to pass both bills out of committee.

Our UWPD bill (HB1043) was also favorably passed out of the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee yesterday on a vote of 6-1. The House committee has not yet taken executive action on our DOC interest arbitration bill (HB1042), but we anticipate that will happen soon.

Because both bills will have an impact on the state budget, the bills that cleared their respective committees yesterday will now be sent to fiscal committees in the House (Appropriations) and Senate (Ways & Means), where we will have another opportunity to testify. We will update you when those hearings are scheduled.

Yesterday we also introduced our bill that will amend current statute to authorize trained DOC staff who have been subject to a background check in the last five years to carry a concealed weapon. This fix will restore a right that was taken away due to a problem with the RCW that invalidated our Peace Officer Identification Cards. The new bill (HB1589) has bipartisan support with twenty co-sponsors and will be considered by the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee.

Please take a moment to thank the Senators on the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee for recognizing the need for interest arbitration for DOC and UWPD by sending a quick email or calling their offices. Thanks also to the members who took time out of their busy schedules to give powerful testimony on the bills.

It’s political season again, as lawmakers in Washington State have headed back to Olympia for the start of the 2019 legislative session. This is a budget year, which calls for a long session – 105 days, running from January 14 through April 28, 2019. 

Over the last few years, our union has built a strong voice in Olympia. Participation at our annual lobby day has grown from a few dozen a decade ago to over 200 members and their families at last year’s event.  With a stronger voice, we’ve been able to achieve legislative change that has benefited workers across our state. We’ve funded contracts for state employees and passed bills that have made our workplaces safer and more secure.

Our collective power is a direct result of member involvement, and in 2019 there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved.