Washington State Patrol

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).