March 2026
From the President
As we all collectively breathe a sigh of relief at the end of the 2026 legislative session, I want to take a few minutes to reflect on the historic wins we achieved, not just for our union, but for all Washingtonians. Let’s lead with the headline: the Millionaire’s Tax was passed, and the Governor has pledged to sign it. This could not have happened without the support of our members and of our broader organized labor and community partners. This is historic legislation that, when implemented in 2029, makes significant improvements in Washington state’s upside-down tax code.
This was my first legislative session as President for AFT Washington, and I learned so much. Not just about where to get a cup of coffee at the Capital, either, but about how we leverage our collective power and raise our voice to demand what’s right. It is heartening to hear back from members about how they felt empowered by testifying at a hearing or work session, or meeting with representatives during lobby day, or engaging in one of dozens of demonstrations and rallies. That’s power we can build on and bring back to the Legislature in the coming months as we prepare for our 2027 legislative actions – stay tuned to get more information as we shift into preparation mode.
I have shared before that one of my goals this year was to expand our network and build out our relationships. We have made significant progress and our collaborations with WEA, C4C, SBCTC, PSE, WSNA, BOTC, and many others, helped us have challenging conversations with representatives and lifted our voices when rapid mobilization was required to get amendments and legislation across the finish line.
Even among that group, we don’t always have shared interests, but during the past nine weeks of the session, our commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder leveraged higher education and the CTCs specifically, which took fewer cuts this year than other constituency groups. A more detailed breakdown of the session is included below.
Another way we have been expanding our network is through working with unrepresented employees to help them come together and demand a voice in their workplace, through a program of aggressive external organizing. We know that public opinion of unions has consistently been growing, and in spite of union-busting tactics coming at us at the Federal level, the number of represented workers in Washington continues to rise.
We are working with three campaigns to earn recognition so they can demand to bargain, and there are several more who have reached out to learn about how to organize their workplace and plan out their own campaigns. Having conversations with workers about what being a union would mean for them motivates me to dig in and fight harder for all of us, to strengthen our voices and make positive changes in our workplaces and communities.
We know that next year, we need to demand serious wage improvements, and the more workers we can bring to the table, across all constituencies, the louder our voice. We’ll keep organizing and keep building strength!
And speaking of strengthening our voices… No Kings Day is around the corner, giving us another chance to build on all this momentum - hope to see you out there in your union blues!
In solidarity,
Jacqui Cain, President