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Cities, counties and corrections workers clash over Senate Bill 5972 expanding interest arbitration
Summary
SSB 5972 would extend binding interest arbitration to correctional employees regardless of jurisdiction population. Corrections unions and Teamsters supported the change for parity and retention, while the Association of Washington Cities and counties warned of significant local costs and urged statutory protections for arbitrators to consider employer ability to pay.
Committee staff summarized SSB 5972, which would remove a 70,000-population threshold so correctional employees in city and county jails would be eligible for binding interest arbitration under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act when negotiations reach an impasse.
Public testimony was sharply divided. Darren Smith of Teamsters Local 231 urged passage, noting the bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support and arguing it addresses retention problems caused by compensation…
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