In the second half of 2024, PROTEC17 launched a new cross-chapter committee to act collectively in shaping the future of our work. From navigating return-to-office mandates and improvements for in-office work in the short-term, to thinking creatively about how the workplace will evolve over the next decade, PROTEC17 members want to have a voice in decisions that impact their lives.
Since last September, a core group of about 100 members from the City of Seattle, King County, King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), and Sound Transit, have been meeting monthly to strategize about what our union can do to be at the forefront of sweeping changes to the way we work. After gathering survey responses from over 1,700 members, the Future of Work (F0W) Committee is now focusing on five key areas as they make a plan for 2025. Those areas are: research; member action; outreach and communications; disability rights and community organizing; and planning and recommendations.
As the committee looks ahead, they are also celebrating several wins that happened before the end of last year, including: the postponment of the three-day in-office minimum requirement at the City of Seattle to from Nov. 4, 2024 to Jan. 2, 2025, and the ratification of a union contract that contains historic flexibility for remote work for PROTEC17 members at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). In addition, staff and members at King County, KCRHA, and Sound Transit have been pushing employers to collaborate on forthcoming return-to-office plans.
While the committee began with members in the four chapters listed above as they battled immediate return-to-office mandates last year, the group is open to all PROTEC17 members. It is also not limited to those working remotely. The idea is to explore what the future of work might look like for members who currently don’t have the ability to work remotely, as well as for those who work out in the field or on a hybrid schedule, in order to think creatively about how we can add more flexibility, additional benefits, and incentives to mandatory in-office and field work.
To gain more visibility, this winter, the F0W Committee will be rolling out a story collection campaign to gather quotes, photos, and videos about what the ideal work environment of the future looks like to PROTEC17 members. The committee has chosen the theme “The Future of Work is Us” for the campaign. If you’d like to share your thoughts, visit: forms.gle/ePLsTXXKWXUHGg9b7.
If you are interested in joining the committee, please reach out to PROTEC17 Membership Organizing Coordinator Brenna Stroup at brenna@protec17.org. Meetings are held every first Thursday at 12 p.m. via Zoom – check your email or our member portal for the login information.