2010 WAFWP Executive Board Elections and Annual Meeting

Call for Nominations for WAFWP Executive Board

Yes, you really can make a difference! Our Association is run and represented by our members, and depends on the energy and efforts of our members to effectively represent our interests with the State and WDFW. Is it time for you to step forward and offer your skills to your fellow employees? Do you know someone who would bring new ideas, energy, and issues; or be a great asset to the Board?

Board positions open for election this year include:

• Vice-President
• Treasurer
• Habitat Program Representative
• Member-at-large.

For inclusion on the ballot, nominations must be received by the Secretary
( secretary@wafwp.org ) by July 31, 2010.

Mark your Calendars!

The WAFWP Annual Meeting is rapidly approaching. Significant events took place this last year within WDFW. Come to the annual meeting to get a candid look at what transpired behind the scenes in the last year; to receive information on the ongoing contract negotiations; and to find out more about the continuing challenges we face in the coming biennium as state employees.

• August 25, 2010 - Olympia
• August 26, 2010 - Ellensburg

Furloughs - New Positions Created Since January 2009 (19 July 2010)

As we prepared to bargain the impacts of the furlough plan recently adopted by WDFW Management, the WAFWP Executive Board submitted a request to agency management for information on newly created positions and any salary increases provided to WDFW employees since January 2009. The agency sent us a series of PDF documents in response. The following is a summary of these documents. . .  See the issues page for full story

Furloughs - WAFWP Letter to State Labor Relations Office - 12 July 2010

On 12 July WAFWP attorney Rhonda Fenrich sent a letter to Brad Garrett of the State of Washington Labor Relations Office regarding WAFWP's concerns and position, requests and a process Memorandum of Understanding regarding the current furloughs.  Click on the image to view the PDF file.

To see the most recent information related to the furloughs, and other important issues, please see the Issues Page.

By Steve Bell - Past WAFWP President  

Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP), formerly known as Washington Association of Professional Biologists (WAPB), is an independent Labor Union comprised entirely of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) employees with similar working conditions, professional interests, issues and concerns.  Larger unions usually generalize in representing an assortment of unrelated professions (such as security guards, police officers, librarians, teachers etc.) throughout various Agencies that sometimes have competing interests.  By specializing solely on fish and wildlife professionals in WDFW our members benefit from a union that specializes in representing their interest, and only their interests.

WAFWP uses the labor law firm of Garrettson, Goldberg, Fenrich and Mackler PC.  This law firm represents independent labor unions that specialize in the needs of their members throughout Washington and Oregon.  This is a full-service law firm that provides experienced contract negotiators, salary surveys and many other resources as needed.  One of the law firm’s partners, Rhonda Fenrich, has been our primary attorney since our inception in 1992.  While other unions may have been in existence longer, they often have a higher rate of turn-over with their legal staff.  Our 15+ year relationship with the same attorney has resulted in an unparalleled degree of understanding of our Agency, working conditions and natural resource concerns. 

By specializing in a specific class of employee in one Agency, we have developed an excellent working relationship with WDFW management and personnel.  By using a cooperative interest-based approach, many issues are resolved expediently through dialogue before they become formalized time-consuming grievances.  When satisfactory solutions are not possible we file grievances as appropriate but continue to respectfully work towards resolution in a professional manner. 

Some of the multi-conglomerate unions use member’s dues to fund issues that do not benefit the chapter (such as grievances for unrelated professions in other Agencies).  Instead of the chapter member’s receiving direct and full benefit of their dues, their chapter may be given a small use-it-or-lose-it allowance.  In WAFWP all the dues remain within the control of the elected-member run board. 

In WAFWP each member in good standing is entitled to a vote and an opportunity to run for office.  Each member has a direct voice in the union.  Being a smaller union our member’s voices are not diluted by the bureaucratic layers of chapter representatives or by competing chapters that represent employees in other Agencies.  In WAFWP our members are also our coworkers, our colleagues and our friends. 

The Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP) strives to provide the highest level of professionalism and advocates for the State’s fish and wildlife and their habitats. The goals of the Association are to promote an environment for all employees to achieve their professional best by: promoting fair and reasonable working conditions, developing effective means for prompt adjustments of differences, misunderstandings and disputes; and working with legislators and organizations to promote policies that protect and manage fish and wildlife resources. 

By Rocky Spencer - Past WAPB President (Reprinted from Winter 1994 Newsletter)

Several of you are likely wondering why the WAPB was formed. It’s a long story, far too long to be completely covered in this newsletter. However, a brief summary is possible.

Basically, with a change in administration in 1989 came several policy decisions that directly affected the working conditions (overtime, grievances, commissions, etc) of all biologists. Following this, biologists held several organizational meetings to identify issues and concerns important to our group. These meetings resulted in a core group of biologists taking these concerns to the administration for resolution. This nearly two year effort to resolve issues was unsuccessful.

It became apparent that organized employees groups (those in unions or associations with legal representation) received consistently more favorable results on policies affecting their working conditions. This prompted biologists to formally organize an association in late 1992. Nearly 70% of working biologists chose to form the WAPB.

(Note: The WAPB name was changed to WAFWP in 2005 to reflect a broader based membership (adding Sci. Techs., Research Scientists, Lands Agents, Environmental Specialists, and FW Health Specialists.)