The Washington Federation of State Employees president Mike Yestramski represents 45,000 members but, does he really demonstrate concern for them? (“Washington state employee union raps Inslee over vaccine mandates,” Associated Press, Aug. 20) After all, unless there is some memorandum of concurrence from the office of the governor concerning mask mandates there has been no negotiated agreement or bargaining rights conceded to remove health concerns oversight that benefits the health and safety of members.
Not mentioned are many state employees who are retired, many with comorbidities. Now, when unity for all our concerns is important Yestramski decides to militantly politicize employee and retiree rights to good health and to what end? Where has he ever been when the state Office of Financial Management refuses to pay a living wage to many of our employees when under contract negotiations? This concern by the WFSE seems poorly timed and appears as presented that he is grinding his own ax. Vaccine mandates are life-saving tools and should not have to be negotiated, and neither should a living wage adjusted for residential cost of living by ZIP code.
Of course, the mandate is legal. So, why blow smoke? Bargaining for working conditions? In this case, bah and humbug!
Samuel Bess
Stanwood
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