Washington State Capitol (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)
In the first-ever collective bargaining for legislative employees in Washington, Republican staff in the state House and Senate got contracts but their Democratic counterparts did not.
Legislative assistants in the GOP caucuses unanimously approved two-year agreements with pay hikes of 3% on July 1, 2025 and 2% a year later, the same amount offered to other state employee unions.
But Democratic caucus employees in the two chambers rejected proposed contracts, a stinging disappointment as some fought for the 2022 law that cleared the way for them to unionize and negotiate terms and conditions for the workplace.
“I’m pretty frustrated. We want a contract but we want a good contract,” Josie Ellison, a communications specialist with the House Democratic Caucus, said Tuesday. She served on the bargaining team.
In separate votes, legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications staff in the House Democratic Caucus and legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus turned down the agreements. The Washington Public Employees Association represented both units.
“When members passed this bill I think they did so with the intention that we’d make some progress here,” Ellison said, referring to the work environment. “I do think (the vote) sends a pretty strong message that the status quo is unacceptable.”
Agreement couldn’t be reached on issues such as telework during legislative sessions, an increase in relocation stipends and adding a third party arbiter to the grievance process, union members said.
Jeremy Knapp, an executive legislative assistant with the Senate Democratic Caucus and member of the bargaining team, said Tuesday that the outcome is “definitely disappointing.”
“We wanted some changes. That’s what we thought the law was supposed to do. For the most part the contract they pitched is status quo and that is frustrating,” he said. “We know we’re at-will (employees). We want a few protections put in.”
Republican legislative assistants, who were represented by the Legislative Professionals Association, did not share the same misgiving about the content of their agreements
“Public sector union bargaining has the negative aspect that we as employees are supposed to be combative to seek the self interest of a few often against the interests of those who receive services and those who pay taxes,” Jami Lund, president of the association said in an email. “But on the bright side, it’s great to have open conversations with our employers about what we need to do our jobs well.”
‘Uncharted territory’
“We are making some small improvements in the areas which are important to us as professionals, like the tools and training to help us serve our districts,” he wrote.
Under Washington’s law, employees of the Democratic and Republican caucuses in each chamber had to be in separate units unless a majority of each caucus voted to be in the same unit. All four units could, and did, negotiate collectively on economic issues, like wages and benefits, with the employers, which are the chief clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate.
“We worked hard to bargain in good faith to reach a first agreement in a very short period of time,” Chief Clerk of the House Bernard Dean wrote in an email Tuesday. “We feel the agreements were responsive to many of our employees’ needs and were disappointed that our tentative agreement with the WPEA was not ratified.”
Secretary of the Senate Sarah Bannister said she was “thrilled” to learn the Legislative Professionals Association ratified its contract.
“Unfortunately, the agreement with WPEA was not. Despite this setback, we remain committed to reaching an agreement and will continue to bargain,” she said.
It is not clear what happens next since this is the first time through the process.
Under the collective bargaining law, legislative units needed to submit a ratified contract by Oct. 1 to be considered for funding by the governor in the next two-year budget, which Gov. Jay Inslee will propose in December.
If an agreement is not reached, any party in the negotiations can seek mediation through the Public Employees Relation Commission, according to the law.
Dean said the parties are in “uncharted territory and are still reviewing our options.”
“Our bargaining obligation continues and we hope to have a completed proposal to meet the next October deadline,” he said. “We know that it often takes time to get a first agreement and will continue to work towards that bargaining in good faith.”
Knapp and Ellison both said their co-workers want to keep talking too.
“We plan to go back to the bargaining table,” Knapp said. “We want a contract.”
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