It’s almost time to vote!
Your voting instructions should be in your mailbox! It’s easy to miss so please look for it and put it in a safe place until March 16. The voting period is March 16-30. You will need your unique PIN to cast your vote. We thank the huge number of you who have been so supportive but the work is not done. YOU NEED TO CAST A VOTE and its very important that you follow the instructions carefully.
You’ve got Questions? We have Answers!
Join us for an open forum to discuss anything that’s on your mind. Even tough questions – we want to hear them and we will answer anything you can throw at us. Everyone in our bargaining unit is invited.
Jalapeno’s Barkley Village
Friday, March 13th
4:00pm-6:00pm
Drop in whenever it works for you!
Who is the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees?
All of us are employees of the City of Bellingham. We currently have a temporary board of directors and a temporary constitution. The constitution is based on the one we have been operating on – with improvements that will be voted on by the members. We are all volunteers and have been operating on a small budget of donations and interest-free loans. As soon as we are certified as the new bargaining representative (of course, this will depend on a successful outcome of the vote), we will have nominations and an election of officers and adoption of a new constitution. We welcome all suggestions— we need transparent democracy to grow and thrive. While there is much work ahead of us, we believe there is ample energy and enthusiasm to get the job done.
Overwhelming Support from Former Local 114 Leadership
A long list of former union officers, union executive board members, bargaining committee members and union stewards are supporting the Guild. We are experienced union activists who have volunteered our time and energy to make bargaining work for all of us. We have seen first-hand how unreliable and untrustworthy the Washington State Council of County & City Employees aka Council 2 is. We all believe we can do better on our own. After all, that’s what we’ve been doing – yet paying close to a quarter of a million dollars in dues annually. Think about that for a moment. Where is the money going? We’ve asked and haven’t gotten answers.
20% Dues Reduction
Only a small fraction of our dues money is currently returned to our Bellingham Local. We need to invest our dues money in providing direct services to our members here in Bellingham. We believe we can provide superior representation and services to our members by keeping our dues money in our community and under our close supervision.
Leave the Mess AFSCME Made
Our experience with Council 2 and AFSCME is a sad one. The last year has been an eye-opener on how little Council 2 and AFSCME respects its own members. We are fed-up with secrecy, greed, election-rigging and attacks on our members. You have likely been contacted by AFSCME either at your place of employment or at your home on the weekend. Only when they are afraid that you will cease to be in their dues-revenue stream do they come knocking (literally). However, we cannot let bad actors or corrupt institutions distract us from our commitment to the labor movement and the benefits of collective bargaining. We are stronger when we stick together and are a force to be reckoned with as the largest employee bargaining unit within the City of Bellingham.
We see the Guild as an opportunity to do things right: restore democracy, bring back fiscal accountability and re-establish a positive working relationship with our employer based on sharing power equally. Over 75% of your co-workers have signed membership cards with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees. Join us! We need your vote starting on March 16!
Be well and thanks for voting for the Guild!
Your Entire Organizing Team