Brothers and Sisters -

As your union's Secretary-Treasurer, I've had the privilege over the last several weeks to attend many of the contract proposal meetings across the state as we prepare for upcoming negotiations over our 2019-2021 Department of Corrections contract.

At those meetings, I spoke with many of you about the challenges you face in the workplace and improvements you would like to see in our contract.

I want to thank you personally for talking openly about your concerns. The input that so many of you provided, both at our meetings and in contract surveys, has been invaluable in helping our union bargaining team develop meaningful proposals for these negotiations. 

Negotiations with the State officially get underway next week. On Tuesday, May 1, our union team, which consists of 21 member leaders from facilities across the state, will meet independently to finalize our proposals. We will be across the table from the State for the first time on May 2. 

You can view all of the scheduled dates for negotiations as well as dates for mediation and interest arbitration if necessary on our union's website. All negotiation sessions will take place at our Teamsters Union hall in Tukwila.

On our website, you can all also view the excellent team of members who will be representing you at the bargaining table over the next several months. Let's thank them in advance for the hard work and sacrifice that these negotiations will undoubtedly require. 

We will make an effort to keep you updated as negotiations progress. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to your bargaining committee member or union representative.

Thank you for your service to our communities and for keeping our families safe.

Respectfully, 

John Scearcy
Secretary-Treasurer