Washington State Patrol

PROTEC17 State members ratified the 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) this week after a summer of extremely difficult and frustrating negotiations. Now, the CBA will move to the legislature where lawmakers will hopefully give it the final stamp of approval during the winter 2027 session.

As a reminder, highlights of the agreement include:

• While PROTEC17 and other State employee unions are all seeing a 0% wage adjustments in 2027, we were able to negotiate a mandatory wage reopener to bargain wages for the 2028-2029 fiscal year.
• We have negotiated an additional, union-only personal day for each year of the contract.
• We reached an agreement on GenAI that guarantees PROTEC17-represented employees a seat at the Artificial Intelligence decision-making table.
• We negotiated a $1,500 incentive for Transportation Engineer IIs (which includes those in TE2 in-training positions) who obtain their Engineer In Training certification.
• The healthcare committee staved off increases and negotiated maintenance of the current 85/15% healthcare cost-share split between employer/employee.
• The State has committed to no furloughs or layoffs — while that’s not in writing, it’s a good indication that the governor doesn’t want to cut services any further.

You can view the full summary of contract changes HERE. 

With a contract in place, we will now have the opportunity to negotiate possible wage increases for the second year of the biennium. We will keep you posted as to when that process starts next summer.

We appreciate your patience and solidarity during this frustrating process. If you have questions, please reach out to your Steward, Bargaining Team member, or Union Representative.

Your PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team, made up of PROTEC17 staff and members from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Patrol (WSP), and the Department of Licensing (DOL), finalized a Tentative Agreement (TA) for our 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the State of Washington on Sept. 17, 2026. We offer you the results of this summer’s contract negotiations cycle without a recommendation on how to vote, as what we have to present doesn’t even approach what you deserve.

A summary of changes and all substantive article-by-article TAs with tracked changes are included in the email sent out to members. Highlights include:

• Union access to State employee work emails (which will allow us to better organize and sign up new members in this post-COVID, virtual world)
• An additional, union-only personal day in each year of the contract
• A GenAI MOU Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that guarantees PROTEC17-represented employees a seat at the Artificial Intelligence decision-making table
• A $1,500 incentive for Transportation Engineer IIs (which includes those in TE2 in-training positions) who obtain their Engineer In Training certification
• Maintenance of the current 85/15% healthcare cost-share split between the employer/employee.

This week, your PROTEC17 State negotiating team met with Office of Financial Management (OFM) and agency leadership in Olympia to continue negotiating your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We still have not reached a tentative agreement (TA), but plan to finalize one during our next session on Thurs., Sept. 17. We will then prepare for a Statewide vote of members at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Department of Licensing (DOL), and the Washington State Patrol (WSP) ahead of the State-mandated Oct. 1 deadline.

While we haven’t agreed on any compensation components of the CBA, we have made a number of important language improvements including:

• Strengthening telework protections;
• Additional comp time for our Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEOs) at the WSP;
• Tentative leave improvements for our Licensing Service Reps (LSRs) at the DOL;
• Expanding Shared Leave;
• More time with new employees at New Employee Orientations;
• Access to State email to communicate directly with members on State resources;
• Establishment of better rest time provisions for CVEOs.

By now, you’ve all heard by now about the State’s budget woes. We presented data, well-reasoned and objective arguments, and chastised the State for its refusal to invest in its employees in favor of paying outrageous settlements for the lack of proper and appropriate services to the taxpayers of our State. We implored the State to address the root cause of the budget situation instead of attempting to balance it on the backs of State employees who didn’t cause the problem in the first place, and who have continued to work through many other economic challenges because of a deep-seated commitment to serving our communities.

Unfortunately, all of those arguments fell on deaf ears, and, as of now, the State remains resolute in its offer of a 0% wage adjustment. But we are not the only State employees who are being impacted by the State’s unwillingness to move on economic items. Other unions, and interest-arbitration eligible groups (where a third-party arbitrator determines fair wage increases for that group of employees) are seeing 0% wage increases for at least the first year of the 2027-2029 biennium.

What we’ll likely have to present to you all economically in the coming weeks will not be what you deserve. While your negotiating team knows this will be frustrating to hear, we did take the opportunity this bargaining cycle to make significant language changes that will make our union stronger. We’re also taking steps to move legislation in Olympia to put us in a better bargaining position in subsequent years, and will fight to ensure new taxes remain in place in the face of ballot measures that intend to dismantle those valuable sources of revenue – again putting us in a better position to fight for what you deserve in the future.

We appreciate your solidarity through this process. The member leaders who participate on the bargaining team do much of this work on their personal time, and have demonstrated incredible commitment and dedication to their coworkers and communities. We will send out another update after our session next week, and will start preparing vote documents that will be presented for your consideration the week of Sept. 21.

We’re joining our Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) union siblings for a rally at the Governor’s mansion on Sat., Sept. 5 at 12 p.m. We’ll meet on the steps of the capitol building (416 Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98504). If you would like to carpool from the Seattle-area, please reach out to your Union Representative (listed above) and we will try to help coordinate as best as possible. Remember, we must keep up the momentum going and keep the heat on!

Your PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team met with agency and State leaders on Aug. 13 to continue discussions around your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Unfortunately, the State came to the table with literally nothing: 0% General Wage Increases (GWIs) in either year of the biennium and no targeted wage increases or assignment pay for any of our classifications at the Department of the Licensing (DOL), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), or Washington State Patrol (WSP).

Washington State is not broke. We have record revenue, a strong transportation budget, and hard-working employees who keep the state moving every day. Last year, the State spent almost $500 million on liability costs, most of which would have been avoidable if the state provided market wages and sustainable staffing for its workforce. Instead, employees are overworked and under-resourced — leading to subpar services and record-breaking legal claims.

Now, the governor is proposing to further exacerbate the problem instead of trying to fix it. This needs to stop, and the State has the resources to make that happen.

In 2024, we demonstrated that one thing can move the dial on wages, collective action! ✊ Our DOL Licensing Service Representatives walked off the job, showing the State that these crucial services don’t happen on their own. The result? We got a bigger increase at the bargaining table. Now it’s time for us to do it again and send State leadership a message: Fix your liability problems instead of trying the balance the budget on the backs of State employees!

Take action for your union contract TODAY!

1) Join a walkout location on Mon., Aug, 31!

We’re partnering with our Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) union siblings to bring attention to our fight. Please show up if you’re able, even if it’s only for a few minutes. You can find locations HERE.

2) Send a message to Governor Ferguson and OFM leadership to tell them that they cannot balance the budget on the backs of State employees! Just click HERE for an easy-to-use our template!

3) If you telework, use our union virtual background HERE to boost our fight!

4) Take a selfie with your union swag or send us a video about why working in public service matters to you, what you’ve had to sacrifice as a State employee, and/or why you’re active in your union!

Please reach out to your PROTEC17 Union Representative (listed above) if you need PROTEC17 swag and we’ll do our best to get it to you before Aug. 31.

Together, we can move the dial at the bargaining table, but it will take everyone to show up in the best way they can!

Your PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team met with executives from the Department of Licensing (DOL), Washington State Patrol (WSP), and Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and the Office of Financial Management (OFM) on Thurs., July 30 to resume negotiations for your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The State sent their message loud and clear: State employees are not a priority.

It’s time to TAKE ACTION!

1) Send a message to Governor Ferguson and OFM leadership at the button/link below to tell them that they cannot balance the budget on the backs of State employees! Send an email to the Gov. HERE!

2) Show your solidarity by using our union virtual background!

If you work remotely, you can show your solidarity by using our ‘Fair Wages for State Workers’ virtual background to send the message to your employer that they cannot balance the budget on the backs of hard-working State employees! Download the background HERE.

While discussions around issues like telework and bereavement leave continue, most of the air in the virtual bargaining session was sucked out of the room after receiving a budget presentation from OFM and a subsequent wage proposal that does not include any general wage increases in either year of the biennium — putting State workers further behind both the market and the ever-increasing cost of living in Washington state.

We’ve been through this before: The State attempts to balance its budget of the backs of those who are doing the work to serve our community. Morale plummets, workers are expected to do more with less, services suffer, and programs are cut. An unfortunate consequence of this short-sighted strategy is the liability cost for the State, which skyrocketed to almost $500 million dollars in 2025 — nearly double the amount spent on tort claims in the previous year — and more than enough to fund general wage increases for the employees that keep our state moving every day. As the largest employer in Washington State, when State employees suffer so does the local economy, further exacerbating the exact crisis the governor should be trying to fix.

When our small but mighty group of Licensing Services Representatives (LSRs) walked off the job in solidarity in 2024 they caused quite a stir, with some offices closing temporarily. But it also moved the dial at the bargaining table and got us a more significant general wage increase.

Take action TODAY, and remember, when we stick together, we win! ✊

Your PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team met with State and agency leadership again on July 15 to continue discussions regarding your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We made several counter and initial proposals, including a full economic proposal that includes General Wage Increases (GWIs) as well as targeted-wage adjustments for most of the classifications we represent at the Department of Licensing (DOL), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and Washington State Patrol (WSP).

We also received several counter proposals from the State — most of which were rejected by the State, including our initial proposals about expanding sick leave by including unpaid sick leave and making bereavement leave more inclusive.

Your union team also made a counter proposal to further protect telework, as well as put forth a proposal specific to Communications Officers IVs at WSP, who we just welcomed into our union!

We expect to receive an economic proposal from the State at our next session on July 30, and have already been warned by the State that there will be attempts to balance the State’s budget on the backs of its employees. We will need you to ensure that won’t happen. Remember, this is YOUR contract, and it will only be as strong as you make it. Contact your Union Representative, Steward, or a member of your Bargaining Team to see how you can get involved!

Your PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team met for the third time this summer with State and agency leadership on June 24 for ongoing talks regarding your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We received several responses from the State on non-economic proposals and made additional proposals, including how the agencies treat employees when worksites are non-operational, tentative leave bidding for Licensing Services Reps (LSRs) at the Department of Licensing (DOL), and a robust Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in State employment.

AI represents an unprecedented threat to State workers and the residents they serve. Our proposal seeks to add guardrails around the use of AI in order to protect jobs and independent judgement and decision making while recognizing the efficiencies it can create. Ultimately, we communicated our message loud and clear: workers at the heart of State services need to have a strong voice in any use of AI in their workplaces.

The State rejected most of our initial proposals, including measures to strengthen telework protections for those in telework-eligible positions, an important benefit for many Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) members. We proposed that the State will consider extenuating circumstances when evaluating telework requests, including family care, cost to the State and the employee, health and safety, equity, and other work/life balance needs. We believe our proposals are reasonable and in line with the spirit of both our contract and agency policies, and the discussion around telework will continue at future negotiating sessions throughout the summer.

Our next session will be on July 15, where we’ll start discussing economic proposals. As many of you know, the governor and agency leadership have painted a dire picture of the State’s economic future, but this is nothing new. Your negotiating team will continue to work diligently to push the State to do the right thing in regard to economic and non-economic issue — with the bottom line always remaining the same: do not balance the budget on the backs of your hardworking employees!

For more information or to get involved, contact your Union Representative (listed on this page in the menu above) or a member of your 2027-2029 PROTEC17 State Bargaining Team.

Your PROTEC17 Bargaining Team is preparing a proposal and the process would not be complete without your input! Make your voice heard and take our union survey! Please check your personal email or your Member Portal chapter group for the link and full details. The survey will close on Fri., May 22 at 12 p.m.

If you did not receive an email about your union survey and need to update the personal email address that we have on file for you, you can fill out our contact info update form.

Your PROTEC17 State negotiating team met with The Office of Financial Management (OFM) and State executives on April 23, 2026 to kick off this year’s negotiation cycle.

OFM and representatives from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Department of Licensing (DOL), and the Washington State Patrol (WSP) joined the PROTEC17 team at the PROTEC17 office in Seattle for the first session, and the team will meet throughout the summer both virtually and in-person in Olympia to negotiate your 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

You PROTEC17 team presented a robust initial set of proposals, most of which are non-financial; we will start discussing wages after the mid-year budget forecast is released in late June. 

Proposals are based on member and survey feedback and included: rest period improvements, a change to transfer language, and correcting comp-time language for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEOs); stronger telework language; a proposal to establish and increase a new type of sick leave; a proposal to incorporate the Plexiglass Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the DOL into the Safety and Health article in our contract, new Lethal Force and OPS investigation parameters and timelines for the WSP; a new MOU addressing immigrant rights and protections in the workplace and our communities; and incorporation of new legislation allowing Shared Leave to be used by hate crime victims and for immigration proceedings.

Our next session will be held virtually on May 7, where we expect to receive the State’s initial set of proposals as well as responses to some of our initial proposals. For more detailed information, reach out to a member of the negotiations team (listed below) or to your Steward.

Your PROTEC17 State Negotiations Team is: Pictured, back row, left to right: Joseph Opoku (WSDOT), Paul Austin (WSP), Annette Dinkel (WSDOT), Jason Clutter (DOL), Sarah Lorenzini (PROTEC17 staff), Rachel Crittenden (WSP), Brian Brannies (WSDOT), and Brent Wagar (PROTEC17 staff). Front row: Bill Hicks (DOL), Alexis Young (PROTEC17 staff), Steve Morgans (WSDOT), and Brandi Wilkins (WSDOT). [Not pictured: Suzie Saunders (PROTEC17 staff) and Michael Dyer (WSDOT)]

The PROTEC17 State team will head back to the bargaining table on April 23 to begin negotiations for the 2027-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

In preparation, PROTEC17 State members gathered in March to discuss and prepare for the bargaining process, and to learn about the various roles that members can play throughout it – including being a part of the contract action team (CAT) and the negotiaions team. After soliciting interest in joining the bargaining team, the following members were selected to represent their fellow PROTEC17 members from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Department of Licensing (DOL), and the Washington State Patrol (WSP): Paul Austin (WSP), Brian Brannies (WSDOT), Jason Clutter (DOL), Rachel Crittenden (WSP), Annette Dinkel (WSDOT), Mike Dyer (WSDOT), Bill Hicks (DOL), Steve Morgans (WSDOT), Joseph Opoku, (WSDOT), and Brandi Wilkins (WSDOT). 

Non-economic items will be the first topics on the agenda once negotiations begin this spring. In summer, general- and market-wage increases will be negotiated once the State’s economic forecast is released at the end of June. By law, we are mandated to have the contract ratified by October 1, so that it may go to the State’s Office of Fiscal Management (OFM) to determine its viability, before heading to the Washington State legislature for a final vote during the 2027 session.  

Member participation – from signing petitions to attending rallies like the one pictured above during the 2025-2027 negotiations – is imperative to achieve a strong contract. Please remember to update your personal email address in order to receive updates after each bargaining session. You can also visit the State member webpages for the latest. If you want to help distribute communications and updates to your colleagues during negotiations, please let your Union Rep know you are interested in joining the CAT!

This year’s legislative session ended on Sun., April 27 with legislators passing a final budget for the 2025-2027 biennium that attempts to balance a $15 billion dollar budget gap.

The idea of furloughs for State employees were floated as part of a larger budget-savings plan by Governor Ferguson, but union members across the State sent a message to the governor and legislators loud and clear: “Don’t balance the budget on the backs of State employees.” You sent emails, made phone calls, and a handful of PROTEC17 members also took time off work to go to Olympia to speak directly to lawmakers about how disruptive furloughs would be to State employees, services, and taxpayers – and they listened! 

Thanks to you, and the power of collective action, THERE ARE NO FURLOUGHS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES IN THE 2025-2027 BIENNIAL BUDGET!  

This would not have happened without the power of your collective voice. Without strong unions standing in their way, those furloughs would very likely have been part of the budget. This is what happens when we stand together and make our voices heard.  

In addition, we were able to stave off threats to take away our right to negotiate our healthcare costs; and our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is funded, locking in our raises and other contract changes for the 2025-2027 biennium.

While we all take a (quick!) victory lap, it’s important to remember that our work is never done. We will start gearing up to negotiate the 2027-2029 contract early next year. If last year taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared to take additional collective action during bargaining to ensure we get the best contract possible. Stay tuned for additional information, or reach out to your Union Rep or Steward to get involved. Our union is member-powered, but that only works when members participate. Get involved today!

In the face of a projected $15 billion budget shortfall, Governor Ferguson held a press conference today to announce a budget-savings plan for the next two years. Ferguson outlined almost $4 billion in recommended savings, which are detailed HERE.

Although he committed to funding our union contract, Governor Ferguson’s plan recommends one furlough day per month for most State employees during the 2025-2027 biennium. This is obviously disappointing at best, and as a union, we will not sit idly by while State leaders try to balance the budget on the backs of State employees. Your union has already started strategizing around how to take action.

The legislature has the final say as to whether the furloughs will be implemented. If approved, our union will negotiate the impacts of the decision. For those who have been around for a while, the process will look similar to negotiating the wage reductions after the Great Recession in 2008.

We won’t know the final result until the end of the legislative session, possibly later if a special session is called. In the meantime, you can contact your legislator HERE and tell them how you feel about the possibility of being furloughed.

Thank you to everyone who voted on the 2025-2027 State contract. After votes were tallied, it has been ratified by members by a large majority. 

The next step in the process requires that the ratified agreement be submitted to the Office of Financial Management to determine economic viability. It will then go to the State legislature for final approval. As long as it passes these two steps, the contract will be implemented on July 1, 2025, with a 3% General Wage Increase, certain targeted increases, and other new language, benefits, and non-economic wins. To review all of the new changes to the contract, please see the 2025-2027 redlined tentative agreement and summary of changes.

If you have questions, please reach out to your Union Representative or a member or the Bargaining Team: Paul Austin (WSP), Brian Brannies (WSDOT), Brendan Byron (WSDOT), Jason Clutter (DOL), Annette Dinkel (WSDOT), Bill Hicks (DOL), Daniel Jones (WSDOT), Bennett Olsson (WSP), and Faith Shuler (WSDOT).