Teamsters gathered at the Law Enforcement Memorial to pay tribute to Officer Jayme Biendl, who died in the line of duty on this day in 2011.


What an incredible display of Teamster power at the State Capitol in Olympia yesterday for our DOC Lobby Day. With more than 200 members and their families in attendance from facilities across the state, this was our largest Lobby Day yet. 

Sandra Scannell, a classification counselor at WCCW, has made the event an annual tradition. "This is my seventh year," she said. "Through this process, I get to know my representatives. I tell them what impacts me like funding our contract. I want to put our work at DOC in the forefront of their minds." 

In addition to getting the DOC contract funded, members spoke to legislators about supporting staff who may be living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being exposed to trauma at work. Companion bills in the House and Senate (HB 1070 / SB 5043) would give DOC employees presumptive coverage for PTSD for workers' compensation through the Department of Labor and Industries. 

They also urged legislators to pass interest arbitration rights for our new members at WMS (HB 1068/SB 5039) and to provide a pathway to an earlier retirement at DOC (HB 1069 / SB 5044). You can view a complete list of the bills members lobbied their legislators on here.

WSP BRINGS THE POWER

The largest Teamster contingent at the event also had the furthest to go. More than 50 members from the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) in Walla Walla trekked more than five hours by bus to raise their voice with legislators.

Marye Bayer, a 12-year officer at WSP, talked about the need to make conditions safer for staff. "We face a lot of safety issues at our facility," she said. "We've been short staffed, and there are a lot of assaults on staff. It doesn't seem like that has changed a bunch and we need to see that."

Teamster Marye Bayer says legislators need to better understand the safety concerns of prison staff.


Also visiting the Capitol from WSP was Chase Loiacono, a 15-year Teamster who operates specialized and emergency transports from the prison into the community. Loiacono wants to make early retirement more accessible to corrections workers.

“A lot of us work on concrete and in a high-stress environment, which takes a toll on the body,” he said. “It's common for an officer to die within a year or two of retirement. I would like an early retirement so I can enjoy my golden years and not have to worry about what the future holds.”

CHEERS ON THE CAPITOL STEPS

After their appointments, members gathered for a rally on the Capitol steps. Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher led the group in chants and then paid tribute to Officer Jayme Biendl of the Monroe Correctional Complex, who was killed in the line of duty on this day back in 2011.

"Everyone at DOC deserves safe workplaces, mental health resources, and the ability to retire with dignity," he said. "Today we remember the life of Jayme Biendl who went to work one day and did not come home. We need to do everything in our power to make sure that never happens again."

Check out Lobby Day photos here