EVERETT – Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies say they are fed up with stalled contract negotiations, so they’re taking their case to court.
Deputies will walk a picket line outside the courthouse today. It is illegal for police to actually go on strike.
They hope the informational picket will pressure County Executive Aaron Reardon to bring them an offer more acceptable to them.
“We are still frustrated with the way things are going, and we’re not going to go away,” said Ty Trenary, president of the Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
The county’s latest offer is on the table, but the county has not yet received a response, said deputy executive Gary Weikel.
Weikel said he had heard the previous offer was getting close to something the union would find favorable.
“The last offer we made was really close to being a settlement that they could agree on,” he said. “I’m fairly optimistic, at least from that standpoint.”
Deputies have picketed outside Reardon’s town hall meetings in recent weeks and say it’s time to step up their efforts.
They plan to picket through the day but don’t intend to keep any other county employees from their jobs, Trenary said.
Deputies on the picket line will be off-duty, Trenary said. They have been working without a contract for 19 months. The sticking points continue to be pay, benefits and work schedules, Trenary said.
Both sides have filed unfair labor practice complaints with the state’s Public Employment Relations Commission and say they may need to go into arbitration to get a contract.
The last bargaining session was in September and no new talks have been scheduled, Trenary said.
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