Template revised September 22, 2016.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
6c
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
February 13, 2018
DATE: February 5, 2018
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: David Freiboth, Senior Director of Labor Relations
Milton Ellis, Labor Relations Manager
SUBJECT: New collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, Local 117, representing Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors.
Total Port Cost Increase for the Duration of the Agreement: $48,858
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute a new collective
bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Port of Seattle and the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, Local 117, representing three (3) Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors assigned
to the Port of Seattle Police Department, covering the period from January 1, 2017, through
December 31, 2019.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Good faith bargaining between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 117, and the
Port of Seattle resulted in a fair collective bargaining agreement consistent with the Port’s
priorities. This agreement is for three years covering the period from January 1, 2017, through
December 31, 2019. The estimated total additional cost for wages and benefit increases is
$48,858. The estimated additional cost per year of the contract is: year one, $7,363; year two,
$15,142; and year three, $23,353.
The cost is based upon a 2.6 percent increase in wages in year one, a cost of living (COLA)
increase of 3.0% in year two, and an estimated 2.5% cost of living (COLA) increase in year three
of the agreement. The cost also consists of no increase in health insurance in years one and
two of the agreement and an estimated two percent (2.0%) increase in health insurance in year
three of the agreement. The vacation accruals for the Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors
were enhanced to address the internal equity of the police department with a comparable
represented bargaining group. In the later instance, the agreement provided an additional 16
hours of vacation accrual, i.e., an increase of 80 to 96 hours of vacation accrual for new
employees up to 3.5 years of service. The ability to also accrue additional vacation hours in a
shorter period of time before reaching the maximum accrual of 200 hours was acquired in
exchange for lengthening the time to reach the maximum accrual from 16 to 25 years. The
contract provides for an automatic contract adjustment to the health insurance plan for the
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 6c Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: February 13, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors if either Officers or Sergeants agree to change medical
plans or such change is generated by way of an interest arbitration decision. A wage differential
spread between the top step of the Police and Fire Communication Dispatcher and the entry
level of the Non-Sworn Communication Supervisor of 9.2% was created for promotional
opportunities within the Port of Seattle Police Department. In addition, a night shift differential
of two percent (2.0%) was also created for the Non-Sworn Communication Supervisor assigned
to the night shift to align with the Officers and Sergeants contracts.
The sick leave provision of the agreement was modified to comply with new Washington State
sick leave law effective January 1, 2018. The equal employment opportunity provision was also
modified to conform to both state and federal law.
JUSTIFICATION
The three (3) Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors in the bargaining unit are assigned to the
emergency 911 center of the Port of Seattle Police Department and provide supervisory
oversight of the Police and Fire Communications Specialists.
RCW Chapter 41.56 requires the Port of Seattle to collectively bargaining wages, hours and
conditions of employment with the exclusive bargaining representative designated by the
employees.
DETAILS
Term of the Agreement
Retroactive to January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2019.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Wages
Classification
Service
Time
Effective
1/1/17
Base
Hourly Rate
(+2.5%)
Effective
1/1/18 Base
Hourly Rate
(+3.0%)
Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton
CPI-U (0-6%)
Estimated (2.5%)
Non-Sworn
Communications
Supervisor
Entry
$37.74
$38.87
1 Year
$39.83
$41.03
2 Year
$42.77
$44.05
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 6c Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: February 13, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
Health and Welfare
The contract provides for an automatic contract adjustment in regard to the health insurance
plan for Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors if the same is done with either Officers or
Sergeants on either a voluntary basis or through an interest arbitration decision.
Vacation Accrual
Vacation accruals for the Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors were enhanced by providing
an additional 16 hours of vacation accrual, i.e., an increase of 80 to 96 hours of vacation accrual
on the front end, for new employees up to 3.5 years of service. This provided internal equity
with other bargaining groups within the Port of Seattle Police Department.
In addition, the contract was modified to provide the Non-Sworn Communication Supervisors
the ability to accrue additional vacation hours in a shorter period of time before reaching the
maximum accrual of 200 hours in exchange for lengthening the time to reach the maximum
accrual from 16 to 25 years.
Wage Differential
A wage differential of 9.2% between the top step of the Police and Fire Communication
Dispatcher and the entry rate of a Non-Sworn Communications Supervisor was created to
provide promotional opportunities within the Port of Seattle Police Department.
Night Shift Differential
A night shift differential of two percent (2.0%) was created for the Non-Sworn Communication
Supervisor assigned to the night shift to align with the Officers and Sergeants contracts.
Other Changes
• The sick leave provision was modified to conform to the new Washington State sick
leave law.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity provision was updated to conform to both State
and Federal Law
Cost Impact $
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Pay
$7,363
$15,142
$21,861
Benefits
$ 0
$0
$ 1,492
Total
$7,363
$15,142
$23,353
The estimated total additional cost to the Port of Seattle for the duration of the contract is
$45,858.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 6c Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: February 13, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
1. Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Port of Seattle and the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 117, representing Non-Sworn Communication
Supervisors in the Port of Seattle Police Department, covering the period from January
1, 2017, through December 31, 2019.
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
None.