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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(117,314 posts)
Mon Jan 13, 2025, 02:33 PM Monday

Democratic legislative staff in Washington approve first-ever labor contract

It took Democratic staff in Washington’s Legislature a little longer but they have joined their Republican colleagues in approving two-year contracts, concluding the first-ever round of collective bargaining for legislative employees.

Legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications staff in the House Democratic Caucus and legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus unanimously ratified agreements in separate votes in late December. The decisions came nearly three months after workers overwhelmingly rejected proposed contracts with their employers, which are the chief clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate.

“We’re pretty excited. It’s not everything we wanted. But it’s a reasonable first contract,” Josie Ellison, a communications specialist and member of the House Democratic Caucus bargaining team, said Thursday night. “For now, everybody seems pretty enthusiastic about it.”

The Washington Public Employees Association represented both Democratic staff bargaining units.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/01/10/democratic-legislative-staff-in-washington-approve-first-ever-contract/

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Democratic legislative staff in Washington approve first-ever labor contract (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Monday OP
Next step is for the legislature to fund it MichMan Monday #1

MichMan

(13,768 posts)
1. Next step is for the legislature to fund it
Mon Jan 13, 2025, 02:37 PM
Monday
Each contract contains pay hikes of 3% on July 1, 2025 and 2% a year later, the same amount offered to other state employee unions. State lawmakers and the next governor, Bob Ferguson, will now decide whether to fund them in the next two-year budget.

Under the collective bargaining law, state employee unions — including legislative staff units — needed to submit a ratified contract by Oct. 1 to be considered for funding. Because Democratic staff did not meet the deadline, they will need to make a separate case to Ferguson and lawmakers to fund their deals.
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