WPEA Members Vote to Affiliate with UFCW, AFL-CIO

5/20/2003

From: Cathie Tedrick of the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA), 360-943-1121 ext. 121 Web: http://www.wpea.org

OLYMPIA, Wash., May 20 -- Members of the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) voted by a 3 to 1 majority to affiliate with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) on May 16, 2003. A partnership with UFCW will allow WPEA to remain autonomous while growing its membership and providing the strength, resources, and experience to advance its members' concerns.

The UFCW has 1.4 million members, with more than 50,000 here in Washington State. UFCW has a long successful history of negotiating wages, benefits, and working conditions.

"What an exciting time for WPEA," said WPEA President Linda Shaw, DNR. "This affiliation will preserve WPEA's autonomy and give us the opportunity to build the union WE want for a brighter future as we go into full-scope collective bargaining."

The UFCW is committed to representing the needs of all workers, private and public. They have significant representation in the public sector in Washington State, including Liquor Control Board employees here, through its Local 1001. The UFCW is expanding its public sector representation, which will be supported by this affiliation. WPEA is the UFCWs 'flagship' public sector local union in the United States.

"The UFCW-WPEA affiliation is an important and exciting step for both organizations. Together, we will make a difference, and help provide a better life for Washington working families," said Doug Dority, UFCW international president. "Through the committed leadership, skilled staff and active members of the WPEA, we can build a larger and stronger organization of public employees to give voice and support on public service issues as well as issues that impact all working families."

With the passage of the Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA) in 2002, the leadership of WPEA passed Resolution O-5 at their convention. The Resolution created a task force to review affiliation with an international union in order to assure successful collective bargaining and membership growth. The Resolution also required that the review be mindful of retaining WPEA's self-governance and structures. The task force was to report their findings and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. The affiliation task force was comprised of eight members and one staff - all appointed by the WPEA President.

After an exhaustive year-long investigation of numerous international unions, the Task Force narrowed the options for possible affiliation to three unions. After intense negotiations with each, the Task Force agreed that UFCW's Affiliation Agreement was far superior in meeting the needs of WPEA.

The affiliation agreement negotiated with UFCW provides for resources for research, bargaining expertise, education and training to ready our organization for collective bargaining under the PSRA.

"I am especially excited about the chance to work with the UFCW Working Women's Department, which provides opportunities for women to learn leadership skills that strengthen their local unions and the communities where they live," said Affiliation Task Force Co-chair Gerie Ventura, Highline Community College.

WPEA's Board of Directors voted unanimously at their March 29 meeting to propose affiliation with the United Food and Commercial Workers, AFL-CIO. WPEA's Articles of Incorporation provide that affiliation requires a vote by the membership to ratify.

"Following the Board's recommendation, WPEA launched a month-long education campaign with the help of our member leaders and 13 UFCW staff," said Leslie Liddle, WPEA acting executive director. "We wanted to make sure our members knew who the UFCW was and understood the importance of this election and that they have a voice in the affiliation decision."

The Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) began as the Washington State Employees Association (WSEA) in 1956. WSEA was started by employees who were dissatisfied with the representation and costs of the Washington Federation of State Employees (AFSCME), the Federation's position on key issues affecting state employees at the time, and its focus on the needs of a narrow segment of its members. WSEA incorporated as a non-profit, in part, to ensure the rights of its members to participate in and direct its efforts as voting stakeholders.

In 1975, the Washington State Employees Association became the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) because of interests expressed by public employees outside state government.

Today it is the Washington Public Employees Association, UFCW Local 365, AFL-CIO.

WPEA, with the support of the UFCW International Union, will continue to be committed to providing quality services and dedicated to improving the work environment for ALL public employees in Washington State.