PROTEC17 members at the City of Seattle continue their fight for fairness and dignity in their contract. As part of the contract campaign, members of the Coalition of City Unions (CCU) – led by PROTEC17, the largest union at the City – identified five priorities that spell out the acronym RSPCT: Racial equity, Safety, Pay/affordability, Climate justice, and Time/work-life balance. Since negotiations began last fall, the CCU has put forth proposals that align with these priorities.
After more than four months of delay in their economic response, the City finally presented a counterproposal on economics to the CCU on March 1. The insultingly low proposal of a one percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2023 in a time of skyrocketing inflation has mobilized union members.
With the success of a sticker and virtual background campaign in December, the CCU began circulating an online petition in March to collect as many signatures as possible to deliver to Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council demanding that they provide a fair COLA and contract. The CCU also organized an event for union members to share their stories about why they chose public service, highlighting the talented and dedicated staff that keep the city running. These stories will become even more important as negotiations enters a challenging period.
If you are a Seattle member (or ally!) who hasn’t yet signed the petition, you can find it here: bit.ly/RSPCTforCityWorkers. If you would like to share your public service story, you can find our fillable placards here: bit.ly/RSPCTPublicService.
Please reach out to a bargaining or contract action team member, or your Union Representative if you have questions about contract negotiations. The bargaining team is: Maxwell Branham (SDCI), Rachael Brooks (SCL), Joey Bullock (SDOT), Belinda Chin (Parks), Arabella Corcoro (FAS), Walker Dodson (SCL), Shawn Flue (HSD), Ashley Harrison (OLS), Ulysses Hillard (SPU), Jessica Ray (SFD), Rob Svetz (SDCI), Ariska Thompson (SPU), and Gretchen Waschke (HSD).