SEATTLE — City of Seattle employees held a rally Tuesday afternoon as the Coalition of City Unions (CCU) continues negotiations over a new labor contract with city leaders.
The rally was held on the steps of Seattle City Hall, where a contingent of employees were joined by local leaders, including a pair of Seattle City Councilmembers in Teresa Mosqueda and Tammy Morales.
Workers are pushing for what they call an "equitable contract" with the city. The CCU represents over a dozen unions with workers in Seattle, including PROTEC17, LiUNA/Laborers Local 242, AFSCME Council 2, Local 104, Seattle Dispatchers Guild, Sheet Metal Workers Local 66, IIBEW Local 46, IAM District 160, Teamsters 117, Teamsters 763, IATSE Local 15, Painters/IUPAT District Council 5, IIUOE Local 302, and UNITE HERE! Local 8.
Tuesday marked a year since negotiations began according to the union. CCU said in a release that despite Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell attending a recent negotiation session following a walkout, the two sides remain far apart in negotiations.
"I do not believe that when inflation rises over 9% that we should still be stuck at a cost of living offer below three percent which is an effective pay cut," said Cat Hernandez of the Seattle Dispatcher's Guild.
Mayor Harrell's office released a statement that "the mayor continues to express his urgent and good faith commitment to getting a deal done and raising wages for City workers. Despite forecasts showing significant future revenue gaps, our approach will continue to be rooted in our values that every worker deserves a living wage and our gratitude for City employees and the service they provide to Seattle neighbors."
Mayor Harrell's office said the Seattle Municipal Code requires the City to maintain confidentiality while negotiations are ongoing.