Union Membership Equals major settlements for members in four agencies
Members in four agencies – Enterprise Services, Employment Security, Ecology and DSHS (Western State Hospital) -- have won settlements validating their work totaling nearly $60,000. All four came on unfair labor practice (ULP) complaints filed by the Federation.
It couldn’t have happened without members in those agencies standing up and sticking together to right the wrongs, along with Federation subject matter specialists and union attorney Ed Younglove, according to the coordinator of all four settlement processes, Herb Harris, the Federation’s coordinator of PERC activities.
Harris reports:
• Department of Enterprise Services
DES motor pool members contested the contracting out of electrical car chargers at the motor pool. The motor pool is on leased land and the agency tried to use the lease as an excuse for the contracting out.
Settlement of our ULP claim came Feb. 28. DES will pay $10,000 to be distributed to the DES members who would have done the work and for the agency to meet its legal bargaining obligation in the future.
• Employment Security Department
The union filed a ULP complaint contesting the agency’s reallocation of four positions from classified service to Washington Management Service – implemented before bargaining could occur.
The Feb. 22 settlement requires ESD to pay $10,000 to be distributed to the members, $1,920 in back dues and to return one position back to the bargaining unit. Also, the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) will enter an order finding that the Employment Security Department has committed an unfair labor practice.
• Ecology
The Federation’s ULP complaint contesting the Department of Ecology’s contracting out of cubical move work was settled last month with the agency agreeing to pay $8,000 to Ecology members whose work was contracted out. Ecology also admits the agency failed to live up to its bargaining obligation.
• DSHS (Western State Hospital)
The Federation filed a ULP complaint against contracting out of construction and maintenance work at Western State Hospital. Under the March 5 settlement agreement, DSHS will pay $30,000 to bargaining unit members who should have done the work that was contracted out. Eligible employees will see those payments on their July 25, 2018 paychecks. DSHS also agreed to hold monthly Western State Hospital Consolidated Maintenance Operations meetings for discussions on keeping construction and maintenance work in house and instead of being contracted out.
