Union drops contract lawsuit against Gregoire
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A union representing 900 registered nurses on Friday dropped its lawsuit against Gov. Chris Gregoire over unpaid contracts.
The decision by the Service Employees International Union Local 1199 came after a state board said Gregoire committed an unfair labor practice in the case.
The Public Employment Relations Commission said that while Gregoire had the right to back out of the contract that was negotiated in September, she should have immediately started renegotiating with the union.
"Now, our members stand ready to negotiate a new agreement and work with the governor to solve the state's daunting challenges," union local president Diane Sosne said in a prepared statement.
Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards said Friday that they were happy the commission "agreed with our opinion that the contract was not affordable and therefore could be excluded from our budget proposal."
He said both sides could to return to negotiations in the coming weeks.
SEIU 1199 represents about 22,000 nurses, health care employees, and mental health workers in hospitals, agencies, and clinics statewide. Its lawsuit was filed on behalf of 900 state registered nurses.
It is one of four unions that have separately sued over the omission of raises in Gregoire's proposed state budget. It's the second union to drop its lawsuit.
SEUI Local 925, which represents about 10,000 state-subsidized child care providers, dropped its lawsuit last month and said it was returning to the bargaining table.
Also last month, the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the lawsuit that was filed by Service Employees International Union, Local 775, which represents about 25,000 home health care workers. There is no timeframe on when the court may rule in that case.
The Washington Federation of State Employees, the union for 39,000 Washington state employees, returned to negotiations last month after a setback in its related lawsuit against Gregoire.
A Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled in February that the governor has the power to back out of negotiated contracts that are not feasible.
The federation is appealing, but state and union officials have returned to negotiations.
Gregoire says the state simply can't afford the raises in the face of a massive budget shortfall, now projected at about $9 billion through 2011.
State budget officials have cited a 2002 collective bargaining law that they say allows the governor to reject a contract that is not "feasible financially" for the state.
Under Gregoire's proposed budget plan, spending cuts totaling more than $3 billion during the next 2 1/2 years would be felt across state government, including K-12 and higher education, social services, prisons, health programs and state parks.
Earlier this week, both the House and Senate also released cut-heavy budgets that also did not include cost-of-living raises. Now both chambers must negotiate a final budget before the legislative session ends on April 26.
The decision by the Service Employees International Union Local 1199 came after a state board said Gregoire committed an unfair labor practice in the case.
The Public Employment Relations Commission said that while Gregoire had the right to back out of the contract that was negotiated in September, she should have immediately started renegotiating with the union.
"Now, our members stand ready to negotiate a new agreement and work with the governor to solve the state's daunting challenges," union local president Diane Sosne said in a prepared statement.
Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards said Friday that they were happy the commission "agreed with our opinion that the contract was not affordable and therefore could be excluded from our budget proposal."
He said both sides could to return to negotiations in the coming weeks.
SEIU 1199 represents about 22,000 nurses, health care employees, and mental health workers in hospitals, agencies, and clinics statewide. Its lawsuit was filed on behalf of 900 state registered nurses.
It is one of four unions that have separately sued over the omission of raises in Gregoire's proposed state budget. It's the second union to drop its lawsuit.
SEUI Local 925, which represents about 10,000 state-subsidized child care providers, dropped its lawsuit last month and said it was returning to the bargaining table.
Also last month, the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the lawsuit that was filed by Service Employees International Union, Local 775, which represents about 25,000 home health care workers. There is no timeframe on when the court may rule in that case.
The Washington Federation of State Employees, the union for 39,000 Washington state employees, returned to negotiations last month after a setback in its related lawsuit against Gregoire.
A Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled in February that the governor has the power to back out of negotiated contracts that are not feasible.
The federation is appealing, but state and union officials have returned to negotiations.
Gregoire says the state simply can't afford the raises in the face of a massive budget shortfall, now projected at about $9 billion through 2011.
State budget officials have cited a 2002 collective bargaining law that they say allows the governor to reject a contract that is not "feasible financially" for the state.
Under Gregoire's proposed budget plan, spending cuts totaling more than $3 billion during the next 2 1/2 years would be felt across state government, including K-12 and higher education, social services, prisons, health programs and state parks.
Earlier this week, both the House and Senate also released cut-heavy budgets that also did not include cost-of-living raises. Now both chambers must negotiate a final budget before the legislative session ends on April 26.