In February, the PROTEC17 bargaining team, alongside the King County Coalition of Unions, began negotiations with King County management on the next Coalition Labor Agreement (CLA), and in early June the team reached a tentative agreement (TA) on the terms of the main 2026-2028 contract. While each individual PROTEC17 bargaining unit within the CLA will continue to negotiate unit-specific language this summer as part of the contract appendices – called “small table bargaining” – the TA on the CLA already marks a huge victory for members.
Some of the highlights of the CLA agreement include: a guaranteed 10.5 percent increase over the life of the three-year contract; new bilingual pay premiums across the coalition; increased vacation accruals in the first four years of employment; stable, long term funding for professional development; improved holiday pay language for employees who work alternative schedules; and an increased boot allowance.
The goal is to complete small table negotiations by September 5 to ensure the agreements can be successfully transmitted through King County Council for final approval in time for implementation in 2026, pending ratification of the agreements by the membership. King County members represented by the CLA will vote on the contract as an entire package once small table negotiations are complete. The team is also close to finalizing the details of an agreement on healthcare negotiations, which will also be included in the final package.
Check your personal email for the latest updates, visit www.protec17.org/member/king, or reach out to your Union Representative.