State workers staged walkouts across Washington on Monday in protest of expected cuts to agencies ahead of the next legislative session.
Washington state is facing a large budget shortfall over the next few years — potentially in the billions of dollars. The state is expected to bring in $500 million less revenue than expected in the coming year alone. Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, has signaled an unwillingness to raise taxes to close the gap.
The union representing state workers said it expects the governor to propose drastic cuts to government agencies, describing that possibility as harmful to all Washingtonians.
“Budgets are a sign of someone’s priorities,” said Ashley Fueston, vice president of the Washington Federation of State Employees. “We understand the money may not be there, but there are other ways to protect and support the workers besides the money, and we’re not seeing him even doing that.”
The union estimated that thousands of state workers participated in Monday’s walkout. Members include employees of state agencies, community colleges, universities, and health care facilities. The union has been in contract negotiations with the governor’s office since April and must reach an agreement by Oct. 1. Negotiations will continue through this week.
Ferguson has said that collective bargaining “will always be very challenging” in times of budget crisis. He also blamed the Trump administration’s federal cuts from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” for adding to the state’s budget woes. He said he will be focused on developing next year’s budget around preserving core services for the state’s most vulnerable.
“In working to accomplish that goal, the governor will face many difficult choices, and understands not everyone will be happy with his decisions,” a statement from his office said.
The state employee union said they have heard that any programs enacted since 2019 could potentially face cuts, like an expansion of paid family medical leave, unemployment insurance for striking workers, and zero-emissions school buses.
The union also said that the state’s public health department has already been taking a large chunk of cuts, with about 500 employees being laid off in the past year, mostly from COVID-era programming.
State Rep. Lisa Parshley, a Democrat from Olympia, attended a walkout near the state Capitol in support of the public workers who she says make up around 65% of her constituents.
“If we pay adequately, both the benefits and salaries to these state employees, they turn around and give back to their communities in terms of going to restaurants and purchasing things in stores, buying homes,” Parshley said. “This turns around and makes our community stronger, and the revenue comes back to the state in sales tax or property tax; it does support us in the long run.”
Phillip Martin is a groundskeeper who works for the Department of Enterprise Services, an agency that is currently negotiating a new contract.
“When we start doing budget cuts at the lowest level, we are taking things away from people in this state,” Martin said. “If we don’t have employees to man the desks, then those services that people rely on won’t be there anymore.”
Tensions between state workers and the governor’s office have been rising as contract negotiations have dragged on. State employees protested late last week as Gov. Ferguson held a ceremony at the construction site of a new psychiatric hospital in Pierce County.
Ferguson said at the event: “We’re negotiating. I don’t have anything else to add.”
