Posts tagged Washington
Teachers unions back school funding measures, governor candidates in midterms
October 30, 2026 // As the American Federation of Teachers finishes an election tour in battleground areas, many local affiliates’ biggest bets are on state ballots, including school funding measures and governor’s races. Both the AFT and the National Education Association have homed in on specific states for the midterms. The NEA and its state affiliate, the California Teachers Association, contributed a total of nearly $45 million to campaign for Proposition 3, a measure that would make a higher income tax rate for top earners permanent. The surcharge, which has funded billions for schools since 2012, would otherwise expire in 2031.
Simone Barron: Even a Downturn Won’t Stop New York’s Minimum-Wage Hike
October 29, 2026 // Governor Hochul promises a workaround for a provision in state law that mandates freezing the wage amid job losses.
Union watchmen authorize strike at LA-Long Beach ports
October 28, 2026 // Although ILWU Local 26 accounts for only 2 percent of the union's total workforce at the two ports, the association said the terminals where its members work handle more than half of the cargo moving through the San Pedro Bay complex. The potentially impacted terminals handle roughly 85 percent of Long Beach's cargo and 33 percent of freight at the Port of Los Angeles, the PMA said. A watchmen strike could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at the affected terminals at both ports.
WATCH: Clash over union-backed mailers in Washington Supreme Court races
October 21, 2026 // One of the candidates for Washington State Supreme Court is raising concerns about a political action committee that is targeting five candidates for the state's high court. The homepage for the organization, Beware the Attack on Our Courts, says, “Conservative Forces Organizing to Take Over Our Top Court…with five of our nine state Supreme Court seats on the ballot this year, the danger presented by this right-wing effort to pack our court has never been greater.”
1,753 Reasons WFSE Should Be Worried
October 12, 2026 // After approving a 2027-29 collective bargaining agreement that included no general wage increase — an outcome WFSE President Mike Yestramski described as “the best we could get” — the pace of member opt outs accelerated. By the end of September, 1,753 WFSE members had exercised their right to opt out of membership and dues through the Freedom Foundation’s Opt Out Today website in 2026. The total puts the organization’s outreach efforts on pace for a record year. As for WFSE, each member who chooses to leave represents a significant financial hit. Union dues are deducted at 1.5 percent of a member’s salary, an average of roughly $1,200 per year.
Seattle minimum wage set to increase to $22 in 2027
October 1, 2026 // Seattle's minimum wage is slated for an increase at the beginning of next year, according to an announcement from the city's Office of Labor Standards. On Jan. 1, 2027, the minimum wage for Washington's largest city will take an 84-cent climb, reaching $22.14. Washington state has the highest minimum wage of any other state in the country, which is currently $17.13.
Op-Ed: Taxpayer money for government employee compensation demands real transparency
September 29, 2026 // But in Washington, what the public rarely sees are the financial details under consideration. Agreements are struck behind closed doors with taxpayer dollars, between government officials and the very unions whose dues often fund those officials' campaigns. There's something uncomfortable about a governor negotiating wages and benefits with one of their largest campaign supporters, with almost no public visibility into the process. And it's worth asking how that squares with a state that otherwise prides itself on open government.
WATCH: Union urges lawmakers to curb influencers amid daycare fraud coverage
September 28, 2026 // Political & Legislative Director at SEIU 925 Erin Haick sent a Tuesday email to lawmakers obtained by unDivided podcaster Brandi Kruse, raising concerns about the video, and suggesting lawmakers should do what they can to make sure reporters can’t go out “harassing” daycare providers.
A teacher’s disagreement with WEA shows why public workers need to know their rights
September 21, 2026 // Travis Reep, a fifth-grade teacher in Thurston County, agrees with that statement from Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. But in a recent Yes on Initiative 001 video, Reep says Reykdal’s actions — and those of the Washington Education Association, his union — do not match those words. Reep is a father of four, an elected local union representative and a WEA member. He disagrees with WEA’s opposition to I-001, an initiative that, among other provisions, would restore parents’ access to school-held medical and mental-health counseling records, require prior notification when medical services are offered, except in emergencies, and require notification when schools arrange treatment involving follow-up care beyond normal school hours.
Powerful teachers’ unions share striking link with states struggling to teach kids to read
September 19, 2026 // Eight of the ten states to score among the worst in the Progressive Policy Institute’s (PPI) assessment of early-literacy policies were home to powerful teachers' unions. Among the top 60% of states in terms of early-literacy policy scores, only four had strong teachers' unions. Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana, all Republican leaning states with weak unions, were among the states with the best literacy outcomes. Maine, New York, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington and Rhode Island, blue states, were among the worst.