A new agreement could get Washington state workers the wage hikes they lost

Thousands of state government and community college employees in Washington are considering a new pact that would secure raises they lost out on in July when state lawmakers did not fund their contract.

Nearly 5,300 members of the Washington Public Employees Association didn’t get a 3% pay hike other state workers received July 1 because they failed to approve their two-year deal in time for lawmakers to account for it in the state budget.

Now, association members are voting on a revised accord that, if ratified and funded by the Legislature next year, would boost their salaries 3% retroactively and provide a year’s worth of back pay.

The ratification vote began Aug. 22 and will end Sept. 14. Union officials said they would wait to see the results before commenting.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/02/a-new-agreement-could-get-washington-state-workers-the-wage-hikes-they-lost/