OLYMPIA — Workers of the Washington State Ferries didn’t want to give up raises, but they didn’t want to be unemployed, either.
They’re now hoping their decision to forgo the money will help them keep their jobs as ticket takers, deckhands, engineers and captains when lawmakers start dealing with an unprecedented state budget deficit.
“Most of our members understand the conditions we’re living in and the historic problems with the state economy,” said Terri Mast, national secretary-treasure of the Inlandboatmen’s Union, which has about 1,000 members in the ferry system. “For us, the bigger issue is about preserving jobs.”
Five unions representing roughly 1,500 ferry workers agreed to strip wage increases out of contracts negotiated last year. Axing those raises, which range from 1.6 percent to 10.7 percent annually, will save the state $18 million in the next two-year budget.
Workers won those raises last summer. Since then, an economic meltdown has eaten away at the flow of revenues into state coffers and left Washington facing a multibillion-dollar deficit.
When Gov. Chris Gregoire issued her proposed budget in December, she did not include any money for raises for ferry workers. She said she wanted to squeeze out savings needed to help offset the predicted $6 billion shortfall in the 2009-11 budget.
“My goal is not to lay off” workers, she said. “We don’t have an overabundance of workers on the ferry system. It’s a choice between pay raises or layoffs in my budget, and I chose to not do pay raises and try and maintain a work force to deliver the service.”
Union leaders approached Gregoire in January with their offer to take the money out of the agreements.
“They said to me they wanted to renegotiate their contracts. They said they wanted to be part of the solution,” said Gregoire, who turned and faced the workers to thank them for their action.
Standing behind her were representatives of Inlandboatmen’s Union; Masters, Mates and Pilots (both deck and watch supervisors); Puget Sound Metal Trades Council; Marine Engineers Beneficial Association; and Office and Professional Employees International Union.
Negotiations wrapped up Jan. 23, with revised agreements containing some changes on nonmonetary matters such as seniority rights, shift schedules, health care and job safety.
Jeff Duncan of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, described the decision as “very difficult” for the union’s 350 members.
“We had to make the tough decision,” he said.
This is the first batch of state worker unions to voluntarily give up wage increases rather than fight to preserve them through legal or political means.
Gregoire said talks are under way that could lead to other unions following suit in the near future.
Some in organized labor are, for now, fighting in court to retain pay raises. Gregoire didn’t include any money for raises for state workers and teachers.
In separate actions, the Washington Federation of State Employees and three locals of the Service Employee International Union argue the governor is obligated to fund the wage hikes in her budget proposal and let the Legislature consider whether to approve them.
Court action on the three lawsuits is pending.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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