Snohomish County

On June 26, seven PROTEC17 members walked out of the Snohomish public health department building in unity to deliver public comment at the Coun-ty Council meeting in support of a fair contract. Since November, the bargain-ing team has been in negotiations with Snohomish County, and has hit a wall on two items – a fair cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and anti-discrimination language.

In their testimony, members spoke about the importance of fair wages in their upcoming contract. Between inflation, lack of market wage adjustments, and a COLA that was below other County employees in the last contract, PROTEC17 members are fighting to close the gap.

“We know we have the statistics and facts on our side, but it was important to make sure the people with decision-making power also heard our stories,” said Sara Lidstrom, Snohomish County Epidemiologist and PROTEC17 Chapter President who testified at the meeting.

Members also spoke about the importance of including anti-discrimination language, enforceable through the grievance procedure, in the next contract – a proposal that the County has thus far rejected, despite claiming to be committed to a workplace free from discrimination.

“As Public Health workers, we advocate for our community every day to ensure they are treated without discrimination and that people have what they need to thrive, but this time it was important to advocate for our colleagues and friends,” continued Lidstrom.

In addition to the members who delivered in-person testimony, two members testified virtually, and dozens of members submitted written comment to encourage the Council to do the right thing. Also, two fellow County union members from AFSCME attended in solidarity.

“It was so exciting to join my col-leagues in this collective action,” said Lidstrom. “While we were mostly all pretty nervous to get up there, it helped to know we were there together and there was power in our collective voices! I’m so proud of our chapter for showing up the way we did.”

“Without the strength of a union, far fewer of us would feel empowered to speak up for ourselves when things don’t seem right,” concluded Lidstrom.

Thanks to everyone who signed up to testify in support of our bargaining team and our Chapter! To get the latest information on negotiations, check your personal email or reach out to PROTEC17 Union Representative Steven Pray at

Thank you for voting on your SHD contracts with Snohomish County. We are pleased to announce that the membership has approved all three contracts to be ratified (Allied Health Unit, Environmental Health Unit, and Environmental Health Supervisors).

You can find all three contracts/agreements here:

• Allied Health
• Environmental Health
• Environmental Health Supervisors 

Your PROTEC17 bargaining team met with Snohomish County on November 30 and December 6. We are making great strides towards a collective bargaining agreement (your contract), and we believe that we are very close to reaching a tentative agreement (TA).

Once we reach a TA with the County, we will hold a virtual information session, send out a copy of the agreement, and open a ratification vote where you will ultimately decide whether the contract is adopted.

Today, your PROTEC17 bargaining team presented our counterproposal to the County’s initial proposal at our bargaining session. Our proposal reflects the rights and benefits that our membership at SHD have fought for over several decades in our current contract — with a wage increase that recognizes both current inflation and wage adjustments to more properly accommodate for the increase in the cost of living.

The County’s lead negotiator stated that he would seek additional parameters from County officials to respond to our proposal. Given the costs associated with our proposal today, and the need for the County’s lead negotiator to get authority for their response, our next bargaining session date is to be determined. We will be sure to let you know of the date as soon as it is solidified. As always, thank you to the bargaining team for all your efforts!

Yesterday, we had our first round of contract negotiations with Snohomish County. As I’ve mentioned in a few of our previous Chapter meetings and communications, Snohomish County is a new employer for PROTEC17, and much of this year’s negotiations will be centered on integrating your previous Health District contract into this new ecosystem.

The County provided us with a proposal and the PROTEC17 bargaining team asked clarifying questions. We will be drafting a counterproposal to present to the County during our next round of negotiations, which is Mon., Oct. 31. Please check your email for an update next week when we will have more information about the timeline and priorities.

Thank you to negotiation team members Miyuki Blatt, Holli Bruce, Megan Betolacci, Aran Enger, Michael Johnson, and Jeff Hutchison for representing PROTEC17 members at the bargaining table!