AN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between The City of Seattle and PROTEC17 Strategic Advisor-Legislative Bargaining Unit to be effective January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
The report of the City Council Agenda Item one Council Bill 120034 An ordinance relating to city employment authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between the City of Seattle and protect 17 Strategic Adviser Legislative Bargaining Unit to be effective January 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2021. Thank you so much. Colleagues, this is Council Bill 120034. It authorizes the city to execute a collective bargaining agreement with Protect 17 Legislative Analyst's Unit, otherwise known as the Central Staff Analyst Bargaining Unit. This is a new collective bargaining agreement and the first ever for the Legislative Department of the city of Seattle. The Legislative Analyst's Unit is comprised of approximately 15 regularly appointed city employees who certify Protect 17 as their bargaining agent in July of 2020. This collective bargaining agreement is a three year agreement on wages, benefits, hours and other working conditions from January 1st, 2018 through December 31st, 2021. It provides for wage adjustments of 4% in 2019, 3.6% in 2020, and 2.9% in 2021. The terms and conditions of this collective bargaining agreement were established consistent with the parameters approved by the Labor Relations Policy Committee and the related Seattle Municipal Code. I encourage my Council colleagues to support the passage of this Council Bill and in doing so, authorize the execution of this collective bargaining agreement with a legislative analyst bargaining unit represented by Project 17. I'm happy to hear any comments or take any questions. Hearing? None. Moved to pass Council Bill 1 to 0 zero three. Sorry. President Gonzalez. I was late. Oh, that's okay. Go ahead. Consumers one. Thank you. I am, of course, really happy to vote yes on this bill authorizing the execution of the union contract between Protect 17 and the city administration to represent the hardworking people in central staff. Unionizing is crucial for all workers. As an individual worker, you have little to no power to push for your rights. But when you get organized into a union, you have the power to shut your workplace down. And that is real power to bring your boss to the negotiating table as you fight for better pay and working conditions. Getting a first contract is historically one of the most difficult and important steps in successfully unionizing the workplace. So as a union member myself, I want to congratulate central staff and protect 17 on this step forward. Ultimately, a union is its members and unions are only as strong as their members are union activists in the labor movement . We have seen that the moment you sign a contract, you start to see things that that may go wrong with, that you need to start preparing for the next contract negotiations. Ultimately, it will be up to the union members to decide what to fight for in a contract. And just speaking as a council member who fights alongside social movements and the labor movement, I you know, I'm very aware of the work that simple staff do in order to put the interests of ordinary working people and marginalized communities forward. All the victories that we are won through the legislation from our office and from our movement, all of them have the central staff's imprint on it. And that is that is part of the historical and political record. And I wanted to thank them for all the work that they do. And I also understand that workload and work hours is that is something that needs to be taken up for them in the next round of contract negotiations, because I know that that is an important part of what central staff are trying to achieve, and it is certainly something that the union has the power to bargain. And I wanted to stand in solidarity with all the union members in the central staff. Just a recommendation finally I have for unions bargaining. This and other union contracts is to do everything in their power to remove no strike clauses. Most union contracts in the US do they have no strike clauses that prohibit strikes during the contract? That was not always the case and it's unfortunate because it abandons one of the most important forms of worker power in advance. Obviously that is not something that is concretely posed right now. But in general, as a general point, I think it's important in the labor movement to remove no strike losses or not accept no strike losses. And retaining the option of a strike is always important for the power of a union to resolve grievances and to fight for their members on other issues. I just wanted to make that general comment while congratulating central staff on winning their first contract. And I'm happy to vote. Yes. Thank you. Thank you for your service, Alan. And colleagues, I apologize. I just realized that things were a little out of order on my script, so I should have moved. It moved the bill before speaking to it, and I failed to do that. So my apologies for that. So I'm going to now move to pass Council Bill 1 to 0 034. Is there a second? Okay. Thank you so much has been moved and seconded to pass the bill as sponsor of the bill. I already addressed it a little out of order again. Apologies for doing that. And we just heard from Councilor Russell wants her comments, but I do want to offer yet another opportunity for anyone else who might have comments on the bill. Hearing no additional comments on the bill. Will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill? Or both? Yes. Whereas I. Lewis. Yes. Morales as. Mesquita I. Peterson. Salon? Yes. Council President Gonzales high seven in favor and unopposed. Thank you so much. The bill passes and the child will sign it. Will. The court fees are fixed by signature to the legislation on my behalf. Well, the clerk please read item two into the record.