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Thousands of state workers in Washington went on strike on Tuesday to demand wage increases and better working conditions. The workers are represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union, and the union and the Washington state government began negotiating a new union contract last April. Worker retention rates have significantly decreased in recent years, and employees state that they have been dealing with more stressful working environments due to worker shortages. The union claims that forty percent of state workers have resigned over the past several years and that resignation rates will only increase if the Washington state government doesn’t increase wages. The Washington state government stated that resignation rates are lower than what the union claims, but that the government will focus on implementing measures and invest in pay increases that will improve hiring and retention efforts.