On Sept. 7, PROTEC17 Seattle members met with fellow union members from the Coalition of City Unions (CCU) at City Hall in downtown Seattle to kick off negotiations for the next contract. The event brought together hundreds of City workers to celebrate and also to let Mayor Bruce Harrell know what some of the main hopes and priorities are for these negotiations.
The PROTEC17 Seattle bargaining team was in attendance, as were the member-leaders on the Contract Action Team (CAT). 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 (SPD), Rob Svetz (SDCI), Ariska Thompson (SPU), and Gretchen Waschke (HSD). Members of the CAT are: Belinda Chin, Jamie Fackler, Alexis Izor, Chris Lee, Yun Pitre, Sundar Sharma, Lisa Uemoto, and Gretchen Waschke.
While PROTEC17 represents the largest number of City employees – nearly 3,000 — we work together with unions across the City to secure important benefits and protections that lift up all City workers. Some of the high-priority issues that the CCU wants to see addressed are issues of racial equity, affordability, safety, work-life balance, and climate justice. At the event, Mayor Harrell expressed his interest in a collaborative process with the CCU, and stressed that he is attuned to the issues that City workers are facing.
In late September, PROTEC17, along with three other City unions, wrapped up negotiations with the Mayor’s office on his return to office policy. Initially, Harrell had implemented a mandatory, two-day, in-office minimum that he hoped would start in September. After demanding to negotiate these changes, our member-led negotiations team was able to delay implementation to November, secure some flexibility language, and protect members who have an accommodation. You can find the details of this agreement on the PROTEC17 website: protec17.org/members/seattle.
Over the next several months, the CCU and the PROTEC17 team will be diving into big issues and contract language that impacts wages, benefits, and working conditions, meeting twice per month with Labor Relations until we reach a tentative agreement. While the current contract expires on Dec. 31, 2022, the terms of that contract will be upheld should negotiations continue into the new year.
Please reach out to the bargaining team, CAT, or your Union Representative if you have questions about contract negotiations. Also, make sure your contact information is up-to-date so that you’ll receive regular updates via personal email.