King County Council votes to revise labor policies

An often-divided Metropolitan King County Council came together on a tough issue Wednesday, unanimously approving labor policies that could increase employee health-care contributions and reopen contracts during financial crises.

"It is the first part of King County's overall belt-tightening. You're going to see King County on a diet," said Jane Hague, chairwoman of the council's Committee of the Whole.

All nine council members voted for the first comprehensive revision of county labor policy since the early 1990s. It gives direction to County Executive Dow Constantine's labor negotiators, and its implementation is subject to collective bargaining.

Dustin Frederick, business manager of the Service Employees International Union's Public Safety Employees Local 519 and co-chair of the King County Coalition of Unions, said he had no objections to the labor policies and he praised Hague for being "very inclusive and collaborative."

Constantine said in a statement he was "encouraged by the countywide teamwork we are seeing ... as we take on the most serious financial challenges that county government has ever faced."

The council acted one day after Constantine announced he was responding to a continuing budget crisis by keeping 200 vacant positions open, freezing his own pay and the salaries of some 155 appointees, and asking labor unions to forgo cost-of-living increases next year.

Here are some of the new labor policies:

• Contracts may include cost-of-living adjustments, but compensation should be subject to renegotiation in the event of mutually agreed indicators of financial distress, such as a sharp increase in unemployment or a drop in sales-tax revenue.

• The percentage of employee health-care costs paid by employees "shall be at least equal" to the average contribution from workers at large public and private employers in the region.

• For employees not covered by union contracts, the order of layoffs may be made on the basis of merit, as well as seniority.

• Overtime should be used "sparingly" for unforeseen circumstances and not for routine operations.

Council members consulted with Constantine and labor leaders before adopting the labor policy.

Hague said regular quarterly meetings of council members, executive staff and labor representatives will resume this fall. Council members in the past have complained that they have not been kept informed of labor issues before being asked to vote on a contract.

"This is a new day. ... We won't be surprised at the end when we vote yea or nay," Hague said.

Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett said improved cooperation between the executive and the council was even more important than the policies themselves. "We got a lot of very frank discussions that I think haven't happened in a long time," Jarrett said.

Councilmember Julia Patterson said the policies will help advocates of a sales-tax increase, which if instituted, would maintain courts, sheriff's patrols and other services at current levels. "It was imperative we pass this policy in order to pass the straight-face test with the ballot measure," Patterson said.

The council will decide Monday whether to ask voters in November to improve a sales-tax increase of 0.2 cent on a $1 purchase.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com