State employees walk out across WA for fair pay, better conditions

SEATTLE - Thousands of Washington state employees walked out Tuesday afternoon, staging protests in 130 cities.

Workers from social services, fish and wildlife departments and universities, among others, are calling for better pay and improved working conditions. This massive walkout comes after months of fruitless negotiations between the workers’ union and state representatives.

With banners, chants, and sarcastic humor, employees voiced their frustration with proposed raises that fall far below the cost of living.

One worker mocked the current offer, saying, "With 1% you cannot buy one banana."

For many employees, the situation has become untenable. Brian Farbauer, a campus cook at the University of Washington, shared his financial struggles:

"I want to be able to afford to live by myself, with my wife, and I can't. I cannot afford a one-bedroom apartment in Seattle," Farbauer said. "I don't want to have to commute more than an hour just to get to my job."

Despite loving his work, Brian, like many of his colleagues, says he can't make ends meet on his current salary.

At the University of Washington, a group of employees marched into President Ana Maria Cauce’s office, though they were met by her chief of staff instead. Their demands — better pay, fair contracts, and the ability to live without working multiple jobs.

"I need you to give me the opportunity, give me the fair contract so that I can have a family, because right now, I can't afford it and I desperately want it," said Farbauer.

"Citizens are going to continue to see a decrease in services, wait times will increase, and accessing basic benefits will become more difficult," said Ashley Houston, Vice President of the Washington Federation of State Employees.

The union has been in talks with the state since April, but little progress has been made. Houston explained that the state’s compensation proposal is far from satisfactory.

"It doesn’t keep up with inflation, doesn’t come close to putting us near market rate, nothing," Houston said.

"2% is milk, not a COLA [Cost of Living Adjustment]," said UW plumber Paula Lukaszek, referencing the state's planned 2% wage increase next year. "They must think the economy is going to be great in two years."

The Office of Financial Management issued a statement acknowledging the workers’ contributions but noted that the state is facing "challenging fiscal choices" due to limited revenue in the upcoming biennium. Their statement said in part:

"Just as we've asked state agencies to limit new programs and request only essential funding, we are applying the same principle to our negotiations."

A new negotiation session is scheduled for Thursday, but whether a fair contract will be reached remains to be seen.

"I want us all to win," said Farbauer. "Let’s come back to the table and work together."

If an agreement is made, union members will still need to vote on the contract. But for now, Washington’s state employees are making it clear: they won’t back down until they receive the fair compensation they deserve.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates as negotiations continue.