Time to oppose all of Gregoire’s cuts

February 23, 2009

OLYMPIA, Wash.--Some 200 members and supporters of Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Local 304 rallied here February 16 to oppose budget cuts proposed by Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Washington state faces a $6-8 billion deficit in its $34 billion biennial state budget. The governor's response has been to call for "no new taxes" and massive cuts--13 percent cuts to four-year colleges and universities, 6 percent to community colleges, kicking 40,000 people off the state's Basic Health Plan, further underfunding of K-12 education and elimination of or cutbacks to several programs aimed at the poor, children, the elderly and those with health needs. The budget would also freeze already negotiated wage increases for state employees and result in thousands of layoffs.

Washington state has one of the most regressive tax structures in the U.S. Poor people pay three times the percentage of their income in taxes that rich people do. The state relies on a sales tax and property taxes favoring large property. There is no income tax in the state.

WFSE Local 304, which represents Seattle library employees, is so far the only labor organization to demand that there be no cuts in state social, health and education programs. WFSE is also demanding that state employees get their negotiated wage increases and that tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations be eliminated to continue full funding of the budget.

In addition to WFSE Local 304, the rally included members of several community and student groups. Speakers made it clear that the budget crisis can be solved, but that the problem is one of priorities. While children and elderly people are dumped from health care, class sizes rise and schools are closed, the U.S. government still gives trillions to the banks and has put more than $3 trillion into the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. At the state level, the governor and legislature would rather attack workers and the poor than make corporations and the rich pay even close to what the poor pay.

So far, other state workers unions have not taken the strong position that WFSE Local 304 has taken. While the rally went on, other union groups lobbied their legislators, mainly over their own immediate issues rather than over the budget as a whole. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925 led a march of 300 child care workers by the rally on their way to lobby for funding for a raise for child care workers.

Meanwhile, the state council of WFSE did not organize for the rally. They are capable of mobilizing thousands especially on a state holiday but chose instead to lobby with a smaller number the next day. Of course, each union should fight for its own members--but if they don't also demand "no cuts" as WFSE Local 304 has, then there is the danger that deserving groups will be played off against each other. This divide-and-conquer strategy has often worked in the past.

At the University of Washington, Seattle Community College and other places, student and staff coalitions are forming to fight the cuts at their institutions. However, they are also demanding that there be no cuts to any social services or state workers, just as WFSE Local 304 is. Rank-and-file activists in each union need to push to have their own unions take this approach.

The old labor slogan "An injury to one is an injury to all!" has never been more apt.

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