IT TOOK ABOUT 10 months. And the negotiations were tough. But Council 2 last year successfully negotiated a new master contract for about 1,464 Snohomish County employees.

The new contract was ratified on October 30 after negotiations began on December 22, 2000. Workers voted two-to-one to accept it.

The master contract covers 28 different bargaining groups and includes all County employees except those in District and Superior Courts.

Those who work in the District Courts and in Superior Court are covered under separate contracts, but wages and benefits are negotiated through the master agreement.

The master contract covers working conditions, benefits and some of the general aspects of work that cover all the groups. Each work group has a separate addendum stipulating terms of the contract that apply specifically to it.

A major issue in the negotiations was medical coverage, says Laura Wentworth, Staff Representative. She and Pat Thompson, Director of Legislation/Political Action for Council 2, were the lead negotiators for Council 2.

"At a time when medical costs are rising, the contract ensures that a committee will be appointed to advise and work with the employer," Wentworth says. The committee will help to mitigate and contain costs, she adds.

The master contract also includes a 3.5 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment) for 2001, 3.5 percent for 2002, as well as 70 percent of the Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) in 2003 and 90 percent in 2004.

Beginning in 2003, the County will initiate a 50 percent deferred compensation match up to 2 percent of an employee's monthly salary. “This is a significant leap forward for improving our members’ retirement benefits,” adds Wentworth.