AVERY COOPER: State workers are back on the job after walking out at 125 job sites across Washington on Monday. The workers are in bargaining for their next contract. NWPB’s Lauren Gallup reports. 
LAUREN GALLUP: Thousands of workers rallied outside state agencies around Washington on Monday. They want things to change at their jobs so that workers stay around.
According to the state Office of Financial Management, for the past four fiscal years, the average state staff turnover was just under 10 percent. Most were resignations.
ASHLEY FUESTON: “ We have seen a recruitment and retention problem within the state for a while now, uh, and the governor knows this. The previous governor knew that. It's not a secret.”
GALLUP: That’s Ashley Fueston. She’s the vice president of the Washington Federation of State Employees, or WFSE. It’s the union that represents these workers.
WFSE says the state isn’t agreeing to priorities for members, like  stronger protections for workers’ safety, or any raises. 
The governor’s office points to fiscal challenges and the need to adopt a balanced budget. 
In Olympia, I’m Lauren Gallup.