The PROTEC17 State negotiations team has been hard at work since March on the 2025-2027 State Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Department of Licensing (DOL), and the Washington State Patrol (WSP). The team has already achieved several non-economic victories. Discussions on wages and cost-of-living adjustments began in late June after the State’s economic forecast was released, and will continue in the coming weeks.
Some of the items that we’ve already come to agreement on are: adding anti-discrimination language to the contract; improving transfer language and compensatory time rollover for WSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEOs); improving overtime language for WSP Communication Officers (COs); increasing the maximum comp time from 160 to 240 hours without having to cash it out each biennium; increasing vacation accrual maximum from 240 to 280 hours; improving the Reasonable Accommodation process; improving the WSP residency requirement language; strengthening safety language for DOL employees; maintenance of plexiglass in DOL offices; and protections for those who seek treatment for substance use disorders.
The team is still actively negotiating the following: expanding bereavement leave, expanding licensure incentive for certain WSDOT classifications; adding more robust contracting out language at WSDOT; adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) language; lifetime ferry access for Washington State Ferries employees and their families; and strengthening telework language.
Per State statute, we must come to a final agreement by October 1 for inclusion in the Governor’s budget. We will start bargaining over healthcare benefits in coalition with other State employee unions in July. For the latest update, reach out to your Union Representative or visit our website: protec17.org/members.