Thurston County workers request ‘fair wage’ amid prolonged contract negotiations
Thurston County employees are requesting higher wages to meet rising living costs as union contract negotiations drag on.
Several dozen Thurston County employees crowded into the Board of County Commissioners meeting room at The Atrium building on Tuesday to express their frustrations with low wages and high turnover. Many more watched the meeting virtually.
Aaron Cole, a staff union representative, said employees chose to appeal to the board because contract negotiations with county administration have not been going well “at all,” particularly on the matter of wage increases.
The last agreements expired at the end of 2022.
“We want to be able to work effectively,” Cole said. “We think that we deserve more, and the county workers deserve more than how they’re being treated right now.”
The county provided 2.5% cost-of-living adjustments for all staff in all offices and departments in 2022, according to the county budget. For 2023, the county budgeted a 4% raise for corrections deputies and a 4.1% raise for sheriff deputies. A 2.5% raise was budgeted for all other staff.
The employees who spoke out on Tuesday are represented by Local 618 of the Washington State Council of County and City Employees and the American Federation of State and County and Municipal Employees.
The union is currently negotiating with the county for collective bargaining units covering courthouse security, courthouse, district court and road maintenance and fleet services, Cole said.
“Historically, they’ve been done on time,” Cole said. “We don’t know what’s changed and why this is prolonged for so long.”
County Manager Ramiro Chavez thanked the employees for their input after the comment period. He said the county is committed to find a “balanced” contract.
“We’re currently going through mediation as some of you stated and we’ll continue to go through that process before we bring the contract to the board,” Chavez said.
Later in the meeting, Commissioner Carolina Mejia requested a follow-up from Chavez on the status of the contract negotiations. Chavez said he would schedule an executive session with the negotiating team for Tuesday morning.
Employee concerns
Cole said wage increases have not kept pace with inflation for many years. The Seattle area consumer price index for all urban consumers, a measure of the average change in prices for goods and services, advanced 6.9% in the last 12 months ending in April 2023.
“Right now, we are 10% behind the last three years of what the CPI is,” Cole said. “If you take it back to 2012, we’re 20% behind. You can’t continue to sustain and subject the employees to wages that are suppressed compared to where the economy is going.”
Low wages have caused long-time employees to leave and deterred experienced workers from joining the county, Cole said.
Though many employees attended or watched the meeting online, not all chose to speak. Kevin Hansen, a Community Planning and Economic Development employee, said some were concerned they would be punished for speaking out.
Hansen called on the board to bypass the administration and speak with employees directly. Those personal stories, he said, would help them understand where they’re coming from.
“The things that they’re going to tell you, I believe, are things that are contributing to the very low morale, the extremely high turnover rates and the large numbers of junior staff that the senior staff are training constantly,” Hansen said.
Leah Davis, who also works for CPED, said the county has become a regional training ground for local government workers. CPED often hires people for a few years and then those people leave for higher paying jobs elsewhere, she said.
“This pattern appears to be the same in all departments,” Davis said. “Providing sensible and fair cost-of-living adjustments will help Thurston County keep pace with the surrounding jurisdictions.”
Multiple speakers said government workers don’t expect to get wealthy, but they need enough money to live in the community they serve. Such is the case for Jeanette Hernandez who said she works at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
“I work here for the value that it brings me to contribute to the community and contribute to justice,” Hernandez said. “At the age of 30, I cannot afford to buy a home with my current wage. It isn’t even a long-term goal for me because it feels so unreachable.”
As a lifelong local resident, Shara Coulter said she was thrilled to start working for the county four years ago. She currently works as legal assistant but said she doesn’t feel fairly compensated.
“After four years of loyal service to this county, two college degrees later, multiple promotions within, and hours of dedication, overtime and heavy emotional casework, I stand in front of you making $9.53 above minimum wage.”
Coulter said she works a second job just to afford basic living expenses. The minimum wage in Washington state is $15.74 per hour in 2023.
Joann Bell, another legal assistant, said she has been struggling to support her family as a single mother. She said her rent is over $1,800 for a two bedroom in Lacey, and it recently increased by $200, forcing her to pay a paycheck and a half just for rent.
“It is incredibly hard for me to walk into this building, seeing all the new TVs, brand new equipment, the couches, the offices when I’m struggling to keep myself and my family out of homelessness,” she told the board.
“We are not asking for much. I am giving myself to the community to help keep us safe. I am simply asking for a fair wage.”
