PROTEC17 members at Pierce County have overwhelmingly ratified a new 2026-2028 collective bargaining agreement following months of negotiations with the County. The strong ratification vote reflects broad support among members for a contract that delivers meaningful cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) along with several workplace improvements and commitments on classification issues.
The contract provides 8.74 percent in total compounding COLAs over the three-year life of the agreement through a series of general wage increases. This establishes a clear wage pattern for the duration of the contract and ensures steady movement in base wages. Notably, this agreement marks the first time in recent history that non-interest arbitration-eligible, unionrepresented employees at Pierce County have negotiated a COLA higher than what was provided to non-represented employees. Establishing that pattern was an important priority during negotiations and represents a significant development for represented employees at the County.
An important part of this bargaining cycle was the attempt to increase leverage through coordinated negotiations with seven other unions representing Pierce County employees with the goal of achieving stronger results through a unified bargaining effort. After many years of trying, this was the first time the County agreed to bargain with unions as a coalition.
The coalition bargaining process began last June and continued through months of negotiations. However, in February two unions left the coalition, which ultimately led the PROTEC17 bargaining team to pivot and negotiate a separate agreement with the County.
In addition to wages, the agreement includes a number of other improvements and commitments identified as priorities by members during bargaining. These include, but are not limited to: bereavement leave increasing from three days to five days; loss of a pregnancy being added as a qualifying reason for bereavement leave; removal of the 13-pay-cycle waiting period before new employees may use accrued vacation; and a $1.40 per hour shift differential pilot for qualifying evening and overnight shifts.
The bargaining team – consisting of Aaron Erickson, Mike Manley, John Mauger, and Kirstin Thornton representing both the Engineers and Supervisors contracts – is pleased with the results.
“After six months of coalition negotiations reached a standstill, I am incredibly proud of our chapter’s negotiations team for their resilience and the seamless partnership we built with our Union Rep, Brent,” said Thornton, who also serves as the PROTEC17 President of the Pierce County Chapter.
“By moving quickly following the coalition’s dissolution, we were able to pivot and secure a solid three-year contract that delivers a historic win: a wage increase that, for the first time ever, surpasses those of non-represented employees. This agreement is a direct result of our team’s dedication to crossing the finish line for our members,” she continued.
Despite the change in strategy during the middle of this bargain, there remains a strong interest in coalition bargaining in the future. Working together with other unions offers the potential for increased leverage and stronger outcomes for represented employees, and the experience from this round of negotiations demonstrated both the opportunities and challenges of that approach.