Union drops contract lawsuit against Gregoire

OLYMPIA — One of four unions that sued Gov. Chris Gregoire over unpaid contracts is dropping its lawsuit and heading back to the bargaining table.

The Service Employees International Union Local 925 sued in January. It represents about 10,000 state-subsidized child care providers.

The union announced Thursday that it is dropping the lawsuit. But union officials called on the Legislature to spend $33 million in child care grants under the federal stimulus package to help poor parents pay for child care.

"We believe that our arbitrator-awarded raises should go instead to helping parents in this time of crisis," said Nancy Gerber, president of the family child care chapter of SEIU Local 925. "As child care providers, we see up close how stretched and stressed parents are by the economic meltdown. Parents are losing hours of work at the same time that the state has proposed increased copays" for child care.

Gregoire's proposed budget increases parent copays by $10 per child per month. Senate Democrats are set to come out with their budget proposal later this month.

"I think this is really a move in the right direction," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. "They're recognizing that in these difficult economic times, we won't be able to give increases. But we can still do a lot for child care."

Brown said that Senate Democrats are still working on their budget proposal, but that she appreciates the union's desire to see stimulus money be used to help offset copay increases.

"Philosophically, I'm where they are." Brown said. "We want to be able to use this federal money to keep child care affordable."

Unions for nurses, state employees and state-paid home health care aides have also sued over Gregoire's decision to skip agreed-to raises and benefits. Those three lawsuits are still active.

Gregoire said the state simply can't afford the raises in the face of a massive budget shortfall, now projected at about $8 billion through 2011.

Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards said the governor appreciates SEUI 925's decision to drop its lawsuit and forego the raises.

"Their action will save the state more than $8 million," Edwards said, noting that Gregoire is open to working with them on their proposal for the stimulus money.

The Washington Federation of State Employees, the union for 39,000 Washington state employees, also has announced its return to negotiations after a setback in its related lawsuit against Gregoire.

A Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled last month that the governor has the power to back out of negotiated contracts that are not feasible.

The federation is appealing, but state and union negotiators are to meet March 11.