An eight-year-long battle between Council 2 and the office of the Spokane County Prosecutor finally has ended. And the outcome is a happy one.

Victory came Sept. 28 when Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker voluntarily recognized Council 2 as the exclusive representative of the 55-strong prosecutors’ office.

Now Spokane Staff Representative Gordon Smith is working with the prosecutors to put together a new contract.

The saga began in 1992 when the 55 prosecutors first joined Council 2. After a successful campaign, they elected one of their members as the new Spokane County Prosecutor. But he immediately turned around and filed a lawsuit to prevent them from collectively bargaining.
The resulting lawsuit went all the way to the State Supreme Court. The outcome was that he succeeded in eliminating collective bargaining for all the County prosecutors in Washington.

Four years later the prosecutors hit back by launching a successful campaign to oust the incumbent County Prosecutor. Assisted by Council 2, former Local President Tucker was elected to the position.

But a legal remedy was still required to obtain the rights of collective bargaining once more. Union members in Spokane County, assisted by Council 2’s Director of Legislation/Political Action Pat Thompson, drew up a new Collective Bargaining Bill, which was approved by the State Legislature last year.

Now, after Tucker’s voluntary recognition of the union, the 55 members once again have been added to Council 2 ranks.

Six-months’ battle ends

Another drawn-out wrangle also has reached a happy conclusion in Klickitat County, where 65 new workers from various departments were recently added to Council 2 after a six-months tussle between union and county representatives.
The battle began in March when Council 2 filed on behalf of the workers for union representation. The election finally was held on Sept. 19. The result was a 27-13 win for the union.
Staff Representative Tom Barrington will put together a contract to launch negotiations with the county.

Other Spokane County victories

The Spokane County Public Defenders Clerical Support Staff joined Council 2 after the union was voluntarily recognized by the Public Defenders Office on Oct. 18 as the exclusive bargaining representative for the employees.
The 15 employees will be part of Local 1553 (Spokane County Courthouse).
The County also voluntarily recognized Spokane County Jail Nurses on Sept. 11. The unit consists of 10 nurses.
They will work on a new addendum after the County agreed to place them under the County’s master contract.

Ticket to a better future

The 48 City of Seattle Parking Enforcement Officers voted Nov. 16 to be affiliated with Council 2. They had previously belonged to their own association.
The officers, who already have a contract that runs through 2001, will have their own Local.

A first in Pend Oreille County

Members of the Pend Oreille County Prosecutors’ Support Staff and Clerk’s Office are the first members in the County’s courthouse to join Council 2. The union already represents the road crew in the County.
The10 members of the support staff elected to become members of the union on Aug. 15 in a unanimous vote.