Benefits, Rights & Responsibilities Training

May 22, 2013
12 -1 p.m.
Dayton Building

WSDOT Members Hold Labor Management Meeting about 520 Project

Local 17 members working for the 520 project and Union Representative Kristen Kussmann participated in a Labor Management Communications Committee meeting with WSDOT management at the 520 project in mid-April.
Local 17 members who prepared for and particpated (and are pictured above) include: John Collins, Julie Schurman, Arlene Rehm and were led by Kussman. Local 17 member Lauren Sullivan is not pictured. “The Local 17 team believes that the meeting went well and that it was an excellent vehicle for communication between the union and WSDOT management,” said Kussmann.

Recent Accomplishments at WSDOT

WSDOT Newsletters - March 2013

WSDOT NW Region News - March 2013

WSDOT Thurston Chapter News - March 2013

Communicating with Public Officials

Many Local 17 members attended the Public Affairs training in Tumwater on Tues., Mar. 5 and learned how to communicate important issues with legislators. Representatives Sam Hunt and Chris Reykdal (D-22) were guest speakers.

Investing in Our Transportation System - Labor's Vision

Read the joint labor position paper on the importance of funding our transportation systems.

2013 Legislative Session

The 2013 legislative session begins on Jan. 14 with much at stake for Local 17 members. As a public employee and Local 17 member, what happens in the legislature directly impacts you.

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to sign up to receive updates on public affairs issues to your home email address here, and note the "email subscription" heading on the right side. The site also contains information about public affairs issues - including how to locate and contact your elected representatives.

Health Care Grievance Update

On Jan. 8, 2013, the coalition of unions held a grievance meeting with the State of Washington on the health care grievance filed last summer by the Washington Federation of State Employees on behalf of the coalition of state employee unions.

The grievance alleges that the state "appropriated $118 million from the Health Care Authority/PEBB trust to the State's general fund". The grievance request as a remedy that "employees be made whole by the State to specifically include but not limited to that the State pay each employee eligible for insurance their proportionate share of the $118 million subject to transfer together with interest at the rate applicable to judgments."

Prior to issuing a formal response, the state will respond to information requests from the unions.

Arbitration Victory - RIF rights

In September 2012, Local 17 won an arbitration related to the rights of non-represented state employees under the WAC to bump into Local 17's bargaining units. Specifically, the arbitrator ruled that under the facts of this arbitration, a non-represented state employee subject to RIF could not "bump" a Local 17 member. The full decision can be read in the arbitration document here.

2013-2015 State Contract Ratified by Members

Ballots were counted on October 1, 2012, and Local 17 State members voted to ratify the 2013-2015 contract. Local 17 and the State reached agreement on the contract after months of negotiating and a marathon fifteen-hour session on September 14, 2012.

MOU - Temporary Salary Reduction

Local 17 and the State of Washington have entered into an MOU related to Temporary Salary Reduction (TSR) leave. The MOU takes effect on April 14, 2012 and allows members who have a requested and approved use of TSR leave for vacation purposes in the future to use both vacation and sick leave before such TSR leave, should members need to take such leave in the interim. Previously, members were only allowed to utilize sick leave prior to TSR leave in this instance, but the MOU adds vacation leave, providing an additional benefit to members. Click here to view the MOU.