Teamster Shop Stewards and other leaders at King County interviewed fellow members on Thursday as a part of our Every Voice Counts project.  Interviews took place in a relaxed environment, over lunch in the County's Chinook building.

You can view photos from the day's activity here.

The purpose of the event was to discuss issues at work, and brainstorm solutions. Folks had lots to say about how to improve their benefits and working conditions, and even their safety.

"I'm concerned about the recent shootings," said Enrique Ferrer, a weapons screener at the Regional Justice Center in Kent. "We could be susceptible to that, too."

Members also discussed recent attacks on labor, in Wisconsin and elsewhere, and a case currently before the Supreme Court that could place significant burdens on public sector unions.

If the Court rules against unions in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, it could create a union-hostile environment in public sector workplaces across the country. (See who's behind the Friedrichs case here.)

On Thursday, December 10, Teamsters at King County are invited to participate in a festive, lunchtime event.

We will be holding member interviews to discuss how we can build a stronger union through our commitment to each other and our communities.  

We will also be giving an update on negotiations and answering questions related to issues in the workplace.

This is a drop-in event that will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in the Chinook building. All Teamsters Local 117 members at King County are welcome to attend.

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP for the event here so we know how much food to provide.

For more information, contact Karen Estevenin at 206-441-4860 ext. 1244.

This is going to be a fun event - don't miss it!

As you may have heard, the King County Council is poised to adopt legislation on a Paid Parental Leave Pilot Program for King County employees (“the PPL program”).  It is referred to as a “pilot” because it would be implemented only for 2016 with its ongoing future dependent upon results of the pilot, subject to bargaining in the total compensation process.

This is an idea that had its origin with the King County Council and the King County Executive.  It is not an idea that was proposed by Local 117 or the King County Coalition of Unions and it was not identified in our surveys as a high priority among membership.  

The stakes have never been higher for union members as wealthy extremists are funding legislation and taking radical legal action to weaken labor unions, exacerbate income inequality, and make it harder for working people to pay the bills and support their families.

Several area labor unions joined members of Teamsters Local 117 on Saturday to discuss these issues and to put together a plan to preserve our wages and benefits and build a stronger union and a better future for ourselves and our communities. 

"Unions fight for the middle class," said Vicki Moore, a Local 117 Shop Steward at King County Elections, who participated in the event. "I noticed that in my lifetime, it's getting harder and harder to stay middle class and unions bolster up families and people like me."

Check out photos from our first-ever Public Sector Labor Summit here.

The most recent update from our King County Coalition of Unions outlines our priorities as a union with respect to a number of important issues. These include:

• Economic stability
• Equity
• Recognition and Appreciation
• Health

You can view the document in PDF form here. If you have any questions, please contact me for more information. Thank you!

Open enrollment for Teamsters at King County is November 1-15.

When you enroll, you will see that (at a time when most private and public sector employers are eroding health and welfare plan benefits as a way of shifting the cost to employees), King County plans will expand and improve benefits!

Effective January 1, 2016, your plan will provide 100% coverage for an extensive list of preventative care benefits and 100% coverage for contraceptives.

The Affordable Care Act did not require these improvements because King County’s plans have grandfathered status. Despite that, and the significant cost associated with providing these benefits (approximately $500,000 per year), the JLMIC was convinced that this was money well spent.

This is because preventative care is widely viewed by experts as a best practice from a plan design perspective.

We will be starting total compensation bargaining for all Teamsters at King County this fall and it's important that your voice is heard. 

Please complete the following survey by Friday, September 18th at 5:00 pm: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2MZ5PGY

Your completed survey will help your Union bargaining team develop meaningful proposals that reflect your concerns.  

The first meeting of the bargaining team is on Thursday, September 10th from 12-1:30 p.m. in Chinook Room 123.  We will be providing regular updates throughout the bargaining process.

Upcoming Coalition of Unions Negotiations for represented members at King County.

Who is the Coalition?

The Coalition of Unions at King County is made up of over 5,000 Union members at King County.  You and your Union are a part of this organization.  Through solidarity, the Coalition increases our bargaining power to improve wages, benefits and job security.  The Coalition of Unions will be the organization through which we bargain Total Compensation.

What is Total Compensation?

Teamsters Local 117 members voted and approved the Coalition Agreement last year, which obligates Local 117 to negotiate all compensable items through Coalition negotiations.  The agreement expires at the end of 2016.  We are now gearing up to negotiate the next agreement, called Total Compensation.

More Good News for Teamsters at King County!

The Protected Fund Reserve is officially at $34.2 million as of the end of 2014, up over $9 million from the original seed of $25 million.

The experts are predicting that the Protected Fund Reserve will be just shy of $38 million at the end of this year, and over $39 million by December 31, 2016 which is the last day of the current JLMIC agreement. We will be negotiating a new agreement for 2017 and beyond next year as part of a total compensation bargaining process.

Through 2016, this means: no premium share, and no changes to the important plan provisions such as co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.