WA state employee union raps Inslee over vaccine mandates

A major state employees union is criticizing Gov. Jay Inslee’s implementation of a broad COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Inslee last week ordered state employees and health care workers to get vaccinated by Oct. 18 or face termination. On Wednesday, he expanded the requirement to include K-12 and higher education employees. The Seattle Times reports Inslee said the state would bargain in good faith over the requirements with unions representing affected state employees. But the 45,000-member Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) says the Inslee administration is breaking that commitment — and failing to provide needed details about how the mandate will affect the state workforce.