Most state worker labor talks done; Nov. 14 revenue forecast determines next step
Gov. Chris Gregoire鈥檚 labor team has wrapped up wage talks with most of the labor unions it negotiated with over the summer, reversing the 3 percent pay cuts of the past two years and affording a possible 1 percent raise in mid-2014 for an estimated 105,000 public-sector workers.
An agreement on health care for a coalition of 26 unions hasn鈥檛 yet been accomplished. Also left to decide is whether the state can afford the $238 million cost of extending the new contract terms to all of the state鈥檚 roughly 106,000 employees in 2013-15.