Insight
An Information Pipeline for Members and
Sept/Oct
2014
Volume 19
Number 5
Friends of Local 17
Spokane Members Work
Together to Monitor
Superfund Site pages 8-9
PLUS: Election Issue!
Chapter Election Info, page 5; Political Endorsements, pages 14-15
About This Issue
On the Cover:
Don Copley and Gordie Fisette, Local
17 members at Spokane Regional Health
District and Spokane County, inspect a
gas probe at the Mica Landfill in Spokane
Valley. As a Superfund site, the landfill is
closely monitored so that it can reach EPA
cleanup goals. Read more on pages 8-9. 
News and Features
On Unity....................................................................................3
Local 17 Supports Farmworkers at Sakuma Bros. Farm..............4
Chapter Election Information.........................................................5
Jobs and Clinics Saved at King County Public Health................6
State Members Receive First COLA in Seven Years.....................7
Members Get Trained to Advance Their Careers.........................10
Local 17 Awards 2014 Scholarship................................................11
Staff Perspective: Annie Costello...................................................12
Executive Board Column: Elizabethe Geier................................16
Public Affairs
Why Vote?......................................................................................13
Election Endorsements......................................................... 14-15
Insight
Sept/Oct 2014
Vol.19/ No. 5
Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17
2900 Eastlake Avenue East, Ste. 300
Seattle, Washington 98102
Phone ....................................................206-328-7321
Toll-free..................................................800-783-0017
Fax.........................................................206-328-7402
E-mail............................................... [email protected]
Website................................................ www.pte17.org
President: Lois Watt
Vice-President: Hossein Barahimi
Secretary-Treasurer: Sean Simmons
Trustee: Ray Ceaser
Trustee: Elizabethe Geier
Trustee: Rachel Whiteside
Executive Director: Joe McGee
Ext. 101 • [email protected]
Deputy Executive Director: Behnaz Nelson Ext. 112 • [email protected]
Finance Director: Jackie Miller
Ext. 102 • [email protected]
Operations Director: Anthony Davidson
Ext. 121 • [email protected]
Union Representatives
Whitney Abrams
Ext. 122 • [email protected]
Amy Bowles
Ext. 118 • [email protected]
Denise Cobden
Ext. 127 • [email protected]
Annie Costello
Ext. 120 • [email protected]
Kate Garrow
Ext. 133 • [email protected]
Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe
Ext. 103 • [email protected]
Sarah Lorenzini
Ext. 110 • [email protected]
Guadalupe Perez
Ext. 109 • [email protected]
Charles Primm
Ext. 107 • [email protected]
Patrick Silvernale
Ext. 113 • [email protected]
Program Directors
Communications: Deidre Girard Ext. 130 • [email protected]
Legislative: Vince Oliveri
Ext. 108 • [email protected] and
Legislative: Adrienne Thompson
Ext. 115 • [email protected]
Research: Elliot Levin
Ext. 128 • [email protected]
Membership Development Coordinator:
Karen Estevenin
Ext. 116 • [email protected]
Insight
Joe McGee, Managing Editor; Deidre Girard, Editor
Insight (ISSN 1093-1694) is the official publication of Professional and Technical
Employees, Local 17. Insight is published bi-monthly by Local 17, 2900 Eastlake
Avenue East, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98102. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle,
Washington. Postmaster: Send address change to: Insight - 2900 Eastlake Ave.
E., Ste. 300, Seattle, WA 98102-3012. www.pte17.org
2
Insight
Special Projects Coordinator:
Nikola Davidson
Ext. 111 • [email protected]
Office Staff
Communications Assistant: Donna Clarke
Ext. 104 • [email protected]
Membership Administrator: Laura Elia
Ext. 123 • [email protected]
On Unity
Making It Happen
I
n the last issue of Insight I wrote about the mission of Local 17 as defined by our
constitution. It is simple and to the point:
Joe McGee
Local 17 Executive Director
“…to elevate the economic status of its members by establishing higher standards of skills, providing job security,
improving general working conditions and securing… adequate and proper compensation and benefits for its members.”
But words on paper don’t make it happen. That takes action, people and a “can do” attitude.
The main way we accomplish our mission is by hiring well-qualified staff members, who work in collaboration with
union members to get contracts negotiated, and then administer and enforce those agreements. Of course, there are a
lot of other moving parts that go into this oversimplified characterization. For instance, stewards work at the ground
level as the “eyes and ears” of the union to assure contract compliance. They work to facilitate communication on
union related matters and coordinate with staff members when carrying out their duties. Contract negotiation and
administration are also supported by the work of chapters, policy committees, bargaining committees and labormanagement committees, along with certain unique workplace specific committees.
The goal of everything we do is to assure that we deliver what Local 17 members need, want, and deserve from this
organization that they pay to provide representation and advocacy.
It is my job, and the job of everyone who works here, or holds elected office in our union, to make sure we keep our eye
on the prize: meeting our longstanding mission. Whatever detracts from that should be re-examined, diminished or
eliminated. Whatever enhances it should be promoted, encouraged and supported, ideally, with additional resources,
personnel and/or enhanced organizational focus.
I would never say that Local 17 is perfect, but I do like to say that we are always working on it. I believe that by every
objective measure we do a consistently good job of meeting the mission defined by our constitution. If you disagree, I
would like to hear from you.
Finally, this is a good opportunity to thank the many, many people in our union who make it happen, from dues paying
members, to shop stewards, union staff employees, chapter participants and leaders, REC delegates and Executive Board
members/officers.
As we have over many successful years, when we all do our part, play our unique roles, and work together in a positive
way, we can continue to meet and exceed the simple yet noble goals we stand for as a Union.
In unity,
Insight
3
Briefly
Local 17 Particiates in Multi-Agency
Training: 'Negotiation Nuts & Bolts'
C
ity of Seattle and King County
Local 17 Members and Union
Representatives gathered together
in a joint effort of the Alternative Dispute
Resolution Programs at the City and
County for the 7th Annual Negotiation
Nuts and Bolts Conference on Oct. 14 at
Seattle City Hall.
This all-day workshop was an opportunity for Local 17 Stewards to network and
learn from other union members, union
staff and management about many different topics, including bargaining, active
listening, labor-management committees,
and grievances.
Local 17 staff took a leadership role in
this important conference, with presentations by Deputy Executive Director
Behnaz Nelson, and Union Representatives
Whitney Abrams and Denise Cobden. 
Members Meet their Legislators at
Local 17 Public Affairs Training in
Vancouver
Local 17 members in Clark County
had the opportunity to meet with Senator
Annette Cleveland, Representative Monica
Stonier and Representative Sharon Wylie
on Sept 19 (pictured above, left to right).
State, county and city members came
together with their elected officials to
discuss civil engagement, how to best
communicate with elected officials and to
discuss legislative issues in the upcoming
session.
Local 17 member Mary Howells, who
works at Clark County, said of the training: "What a fantastic experience! This
training provided the opportunity to sit
with several elected officials, in an intimate
and informal setting, and hear first-hand
about the significance each politician
has on our lives and our livelihoods. Be
informed, participate, and vote!" 
4Insight
Local 17 Supports Farmworkers at
Sakuma Berry Boycott
Local 17 Union Representative Kate Garrow and City of Seattle member Ulysses Hillard hold the
sign in support of Sakuma farmworkers. Photo courtesy of Community Alliance for Global Justice.
T
he Martin Luther King County
Labor Council (MLKCLC) Mobilization Committee, which includes
Local 17 members and staff, participated
in an informational picket in early September in Seattle to encourage a boycott of
Sakuma Brothers berries.
Farmworkers at Sakuma Brothers
Farms in Burlington, Wash., have been
fighting for fair treatment, decent working conditions, and the right to form a
union for more than a year. Workers have
reported that Sakuma Brothers is using
intimidating tactics and unfair disciplinary
procedures to squash their union, Famlias
Unidas por la Justicia (United Families for
Justice), which has organized strikes and
built strong community support for the
farmworkers.
Sakuma Brothers has been ordered by
Skagit County courts to stop retaliating
against strikers and to pay a half a million
dollars to the workers for wage theft.
Workers are asking for a boycott of
Sakuma Brothers berries – which are sold
under both the Sakuma and Driscoll
brands, as well as in Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream. Local 17 proudly supports all workers – including the Sakuma
farmworkers! 
Local 17 Supports Portland Parks Replacement Bond on November Ballot
COPPEA Chapter members – at Mt.
The City of Portland has a nationally
Tabor Yard and other worksites. The funds
renowned park system, yet park infrawill fix unstable structures, leaking roofs
structure is in need of urgent repair.
and failing structures, which, in turn, will
On Nov. 4, Portland voters will be
increase employee safety and efficiency.
asked to continue the current (1994-2015)
Local 17 contributed $1,000 to the
Parks Bond at the same tax rate. The
Fix Our Parks campaign and collaborated
funds from the bond will allow parks to
with other labor groups to create a
stay open, and it will fund vital upgrades
statement in the voters pamphlet.
and improvements to infrastructure, as
Visit www.fixourparks.org to learn
well as programming for parks users.
more about the Park Replacement Bond
Money from the bond will also be
and how you can volunteer money or
used to make long-overdue structural and
time. You can also visit www.pte17.org/
safety improvements for Parks Bureau
coppea for updates. 
employees – including many Local 17
News
Chapter Elections
Insight
5
News
King County Public Health:
Jobs and clinics saved; work is not done
K
ing County Executive Dow
Constantine, presented the 20152016 budget to the King County
Council on Sept. 22. In his budget, he announced that the Federal Way clinic and
the Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
and Maternity Support Services (MSS)
programs at the White Center clinic would
remain open despite proposed closures.
This, in addition to other budget changes,
saves approximately 80 Local 17 jobs, as
compared to initial job cut estimates.
Since the county announced the
proposed cuts to the King County Public
Health budget in the spring, Local 17
worked hard to minimize the impacts to
both members and the public. Local 17
and other labor partners met with public
health management to obtain information
about the budget and the proposed cuts,
and to put pressure on the county to make
additional cuts to non-represented staff.
After David Fleming, Director of King
County Public Health, stepped down
and was replaced by interim Department
Director Patty Hayes, Local 17 worked
directly with Hayes to pursue creative
problem-solving strategies to address the
Local 17 members and Union Representative
Denise Cobden pose for a photo after the
Federal Way City Council meeting on Sept 16.
funding gap, including collaborating on
city council and mayoral meetings, working with community members, and communicating with the Executive's Office.
Local 17 also coordinated with
other unions and community partners –
including WSNA, OPEIU Local 8 and
AFSCME Council 2, Communities for
Public Health, and the King County
Central Labor Council – to maximize
efforts in public education and advocacy.
Members and staff spoke at both the
Auburn and Federal Way City Council
meetings and King County Council
meetings. They also participated in a rally
at the Auburn Public Health Clinic.
Local 17 members and staff rally outside of the Auburn clinic, below.
6
Insight
As a result of these efforts, King County Public Health reduced overhead by 12
percent, and eliminated an additional five
non-union, non-grant funded positions.
In order to save jobs and clinics, Local
17 members agreed – along with WSNA
and AFSCME Council 2 – to freeze step
and longevity increases for members at
Community Health Services, Environmental Health Services, Administration
and Jail Health Services. In exchange,
King County Public Health agreed to
freeze management’s merit, longevity
and step increases for the equivalent time
frame, and committed to keeping Federal
Way Public Health open for 2 years.
It is through the advocacy and efforts
of Local 17 staff and members – as well as
the sacrifices made for their fellow employees – that Local 17 was able to accomplish
so much at King County Public Health.
We will need to continue these efforts
to address the structural funding gap at
the state, federal, county and local levels.
Together, we will work toward maximizing our impact as the budget process
moves forward over the coming weeks and
months. 
News
2015-17 State Contract:
Local 17 state members finally get cost-of-living adjustment after seven years;
State refuses to budge on pay inequity issues
D
espite agreeing to a compensation
adjustment that will provide state
employees with their first cost-ofliving adjustment (COLA) in seven years,
the state failed to correct many salary
inequities for Local 17 members during
this year's negotiations for the 2015-2017
state contract.
Under the proposed contract, state
employees will receive a COLA of 3% in
2015 and 1.8% in 2016.
The Local 17 bargaining team worked
for more than a hundred hours since early
summer with state negotiators who balked
at every step. Local 17 even continued
bargaining long after other unions had
settled, deciding instead to take the state
to mediation.
In mediation, the state still refused any
further increases, stating that these pay
inequities did not "affect their operation."
In the end, on Sept. 30, Local 17
members voted to accept the state’s final
offer rather than run the risk of losing
the proposed COLA and other moderate gains. These gains would have been
jeopardized if Local 17 had not accepted
the deal by Oct. 1 – in time to be included
in Governor Inslee's budget.
All state employee contracts must be
approved for funding by the legislature
during the budget process of the 2015 legislative session, which begins in January.
State ignores pay inequity issues
Despite detailed reports with salary,
attrition and inversion data, the state
refused to concede that most Local 17
classifications required pay adjustments.
Local 17 auditors at the Department
of Licensing (DOL) have been 45 percent
behind on the state salary survey for over
four years with a severe salary inversion
problem. Data shows that the attrition
rate for Licensing Service Representatives
(LSRs) at the DOL is over 10 percent
statewide, and as high as 33 percent in
high cost-of-living areas such as the
Bellevue-Redmond office.
“Many of our members are the public
face of state government and work in
classifications that provide a direct line
to safety resources," said Local 17 Union
Representative Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe.
"They all deserve to be paid appropriately
and treated with dignity."
Greg Moses, Spokane Chapter President
and WSDOT Transportation Tech II, signs the
petition to the governor and state executives
asking for a fair contract.
The Department of Transportation
(DOT) Property Acquisition Specialists –
with an attrition rate that nearly matches
the DOL – were found to be 37% behind
using the State’s own salary survey tool.
Both the DOL and DOT claimed that
their operations were not affected by these
issues.
But after tenacious work from the
bargaining team – plus a petition and
hundreds of emails to the Governor and
state executives by members – Local 17
was able to achieve some gains for two
classifications at the Washington State
Patrol (WSP).
The State agreed to a 2.5% increase
for WSP Communication Officers (COs),
even though their situation warranted an
even higher increase. This group – consisting of 911 operators – suffered a 30 percent
lag in pay since 2008 with a very high
attrition rate. The overtime hours had also
skyrocketed as management struggled to
keep around-the-clock operations adequately staffed.
What we can do now
As demonstrated in this year’s session,
logic, data, and collaboration no longer
work in negotiations with the state. Local
17 members need to start organizing today
in preparation for our next round of negotiations in 2016.
We need to make sure that Local 17
jobs – jobs that protect and ensure public
safety every day – remain competitive in
an increasingly competitive market. The
state maintains that you are valued and
respected, and that your jobs are the jobs
of choice for new and experienced professionals alike. Let’s make sure their actions
reflect their words.
Local 17 encourages members to be
open about their working conditions and
pay. When the state agencies begin to distribute their employee satisfaction surveys,
do not hold back! State agencies need to
face up to salary inequities, especially as
they tout their ambition to become the
“employer of choice.”
Also, if you leave a state agency to pursue a better employment opportunity – or
even if you leave for another classification
in the same agency – demand an exit interview. All through negotiations, agency
officials stated that it was inconclusive
that salary is one of the main reasons that
people leave. Demand an exit interview
and tell them how much salary issues affected your decision.
“We need to show management that
their statements about us being ‘valued
employees’ must come with equal action,”
said Sarah Lorenzini, Local 17 Union
Representative. 
Insight
7
News
& Features
Features
The Mica Landfill:
Local 17 members in Spokane work together to
monitor Superfund site
I
f you were to drive by the Mica Landfill
in the Spokane Valley, you probably
wouldn’t know that it’s a landfill at all.
The sixty-plus acres of rolling hills and
prairie grass spotted with trees are very
picturesque now, but it wasn’t always that
way.
The landfill operated for two decades
from 1972 to 1991 receiving residential,
municipal and industrial waste, sludge
from the sewage-treatment plants, and
“One of the most important
things about monitoring
this landfill is to make sure
that it is operating correctly
so that it's safe for the
surrounding community.”
Gordie Fisette, Local 17 Member and
Environmental Technician III, Spokane
County
8Insight
other hazardous solid wastes. In the
1980s, the landfill was placed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
national priorities list for cleanup – meaning that it was designated a Superfund
site. At that time, the EPA charged the
Washington State Department of Ecology
and Spokane County Public Works with
the cleanup project. Working together,
these agencies conducted investigations
and developed a plan for containing the
waste on site, which included building a
cover system, and installing monitoring
wells, gas flares and probes, pumps, and
leachate ponds.
The cover system consists of an
impermeable layer with a synthetic liner
that keeps precipitation from draining
through the trash. The landfill is also
in an area that naturally contains low
permeability clay, which limits offsite
migration of contamination. The project
was completed in 1995.
Since that time, Spokane County has
been in charge of monitoring the system,
which is done through an intricate system
of electronics, plus regular manual checks.
Local 17 member and Engineering Technician III, Gordie Fisette – who has worked
for Spokane County since 1994 and lives
close by in the Spokane Valley – is one of
three employees who spend their days on
site keeping a close eye on the landfill.
Each day, Fisette checks the landfill for
problems. Major alerts are transmitted to
him via an auto dialer system. For example,
the leachate ponds are set up to pump automatically; however, if they don't, an alarm
is initiated and he receives a call on his cell
phone. He then tends to the issue at hand.
If something goes wrong outside of working hours, he will receive an alert at home.
But mostly, Fisette tends to daily, routine maintenance. This could mean checking one of the 49 gas wells, 27 trench risers,
11 gas probes, 31 groundwater monitoring
wells, or three leachate ponds on site – both
Features
within the 30-acre landfill cover area and
in the surrounding buffer zone.
“One of the most important things
about monitoring this landfill is to make
sure that it is operating correctly so that
it's safe for the surrounding community,"
said Fisette.
"With many houses and families
nearby, we need to ensure that three
nearby water wells are not impacted by the
landfill, and that there’s not going to be
offsite migration of landfill gas.”
As the solid waste decomposes,
methane gas and leachate are created. The
methane gas is passively vented through
flares for combustion, while the leachate –
contaminated spring water that has passed
through decomposing waste – is collected
into ponds that lead to the local treatment
plant for proper clean up and disposal.
“The system was very well designed
– it’s very unlikely that there will be any
major troubles with this landfill moving
forward,” said Fisette, who has a bachelors
degree in construction engineering from
Montana State Northern.
Though the solid waste is contained,
decomposing, and disposed of properly,
the Mica Landfill will likely be on the
Superfund list for many more years to
ensure that all EPA cleanup goals are
achieved. The Department of Ecology
reviews the landfill every five years.
A fairly dry leachate pond at the Mica Landfill
Copley, left, and Fisette, right, stand by gas probe number 12, talking about the recent updates
at the Mica Landfill.
The Spokane Regional Health District
(SRHD) also monitors the landfill on
a twice-yearly basis. That’s where Don
Copley, fellow Local 17 member and
Environmental Specialist (ES) II at SRHD
comes in.
To be in compliance, the Mica Landfill must request an operational permit
from the health district, which regulates
solid-waste programs throughout the
county. On his regular visits, Copley chats
with Fisette about the latest repairs at the
facility, the gas and leachate disposal process, the surface and groundwater particulate levels, and any other recent issues at
the site. He tours the landfill with Fisette,
taking a look at the leachate ponds and the
gas flares for any irregularities.
Copley and Fisette have known each
other for years and have a professional, and
friendly, rapport.
“Gordie is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his work – it makes these
inspections really easy,” said Copley of
Fisette’s work at Mica. “I know the landfill
is in very capable hands.”
While this inspection is routine, Copley notes that all inspections are not always
this smooth.
"Sometimes we are investigating
complaints from the community about
solid-waste issues," said Copley. "We've got
to quickly find the source of the contamination and work with the offender to clean
up the issue."
Copley, who has worked at SRHD for
nearly 30 years, started as a custodian and
worked his way up to ES I, and eventually ES II after finishing his bachelor’s
degree at Washington State University in
2000. He works mainly in the solid-waste
department at SRHD doing solid-waste
inspections, investigating complaints, and
reviewing and issuing permits, but occasionally he works in liquid waste or is sent
out to test water wells.
“I feel really fortunate to have this
kind of variety in my work,” said Copley.
“It keeps things interesting every day.”
Both Copley and Fisette are specialists in their respective fields, and work
hard to keep the Spokane community and
environment safe, like many of their fellow
Local 17 members throughout the Pacific
Northwest who have dedicated their lives
to public service. 
Insight9
Features
Hitting the Books
W
Members get training, schooling to advance their careers
hether to keep pace with changing job requirements, to expand
their technical skills, or to move
up the career ladder, more and more Local
17 members are pursuing professional
development opportunities.
These pursuits can range from attending trainings, workshops, or conferences,
to taking college courses or even earning a new degree. And thanks to labormanagement agreements and contractual
provisions, members are able to work
more easily toward their educational goals
with some financial assistance from their
employers.
Getting Retrained
When Seattle City Light made the
decision to automate meter reading, they
also agreed to train and transfer meter
readers and any other displaced Local 17
members into new positions.
During the initial phase of the training process, employees have had the
opportunity to work with an experienced
career counselor to assess their interests, values and skills, and to learn their
personality and working-style preferences.
The goal of transitioning these Local 17
members to new positions isn’t just to
find them new jobs, but to find them
jobs where they are happy, thriving, and
successful.
Joe Steinmeyer, a meter reader since
2007, is glad that the city has committed to keeping him and his hard-working
fellow employees on staff, and that they’ll
have an opportunity to try their hand at
some new skills.
“The prospect of changing jobs due
to automation is daunting, but I am
optimistic that with job retraining and
career counseling, meter readers will have
the opportunity to move to more challenging and better compensated positions
with the City of Seattle. My co-workers
and I are extremely invested and excited
to participate in upcoming trainings our
employer has committed to providing.”
10
Insight
“I love my job and I'm
excited to be able to
offer a broader range of
services when I finish my
bachelor's degree.”
Tammy McCauley, Local 17 Member
and Family Resources Coordinator at
Spokane Regional Health District
Building Technical Skills
In their last contract, Local 17
COPPEA Chapter members at the City
of Portland asked for an increase to their
professional development fund (PDF),
and were allocated $150,000 per fiscal
year from 2014/2015 to 2016/2017,
which is a $25,000 per year increase
from the previous contract. This fund
can be used to pay for tuition, books,
professional licensing fees, conferences,
seminars, etc., that are related to a
member’s work.
The PDF committee, on which two
COPPEA Chapter members sit, reviews
each application for funds. Last year, all
but $700 of the then-$125,000 fund was
used.
Local 17 COPPEA Chapter member
Aulani Johnson recently applied for
funds to take a seminar on mushrooms.
As a Botanic Technician with the Bureau of Environmental Services, Johnson
was very excited for the opportunity to
learn more about mycelium.
"The Mycelium Cultivation Seminar
will feed directly into my approach to
environmental restoration and habitat
improvement," said Johnson.
He has also used the PDF for a business
course and various books on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Pacific Northwest flora, which are related to his job.
"All of the materials and classes made
possible through the PDF have had a positive
impact on my ability to prepare and evaluate
the progress of the work I am involved in,
which is invaluable," he said.
Johnson has a B.S. in Natural Resource
Management from Colorado State University.
Advancing Careers
Local 17 member Tammy McCauley put
her bachelor’s degree on hold after her second
child was diagnosed with a rare syndrome
that required around-the-clock care. When
she was hired at the Spokane Regional Health
District (SRHD) in 1995, it was her experience caring for her daughter that allowed her
to step easily into the job of Family Resources
Coordinator, whose role it is to connect
families with services for their children with
disabilities.
When the department was restructured
about 10 years later, McCauley was devastated when she was passed up for a promotion
because she did not have a bachelor’s degree.
In 2011, after her daughter passed away, she
decided to finish her degree. McCauley is
currently a student in the online psychology
program through Eastern Oregon University.
She expects to graduate in June 2015, and
she's thinking about pursuing a certificate in
Infant Mental Health through the University
of Washington in the fall of 2015.
“It’s challenging to balance work, school
and family life, but it’s so worthwhile,” said
McCauley.
“I love my job and I’m excited to be
able to offer a broader range of services to
my families and to SRHD when I finish
my bachelor's degree. I am hopeful that if
and when another promotional opportunity
comes along, I’ll be considered favorably for
the position.”
The SRHD provides employees with
up to $1,000 per year for three years to put
towards their education. 
Features
T
Local 17 Scholarship Winner: Chikodi Ezeokeke
he winner of this year’s Local 17
college scholarship – Chikodi
Ezeokeke – has been called a
‘superkid’ (Everett Herald, Feb. 17, 2014),
and for good reason.
As an all-star athlete, math and
science whiz, and active volunteer in his
community, Chikodi excels in many areas.
At Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood,
he played basketball and ran track, was
homecoming king, tutored students in
math and science as part of the National
Honor Society, and received the Presidental
Volunteer Service Award for two years in a
row.
But when you ask others about him,
they always mention his upstanding
character.
“Chikodi is one of the most respected
and admired students at Meadowdale,
involved in a variety of clubs, athletics
and positions of student government, all
the while keeping an exceptionally high
GPA,” said his English teacher in a letter of
recommendation.
“He is one of the finest young men I
have known in my 25 years in education,”
he continuted.
Another recommender stated that:
“In spite of his many achievements
academically, personally, and in the
community, he is always modest of his
accomplishments.”
Perhaps he gets these traits from his
hardworking father, Kenneth Ezeokeke
– Local 17 member and Transportation
Engineer III at the Washington State
Department of Transportation (WSDOT) –
who has worked for WSDOT since 1990.
“My father taught me to
always put forth my best
effort, and is always very
encouraging. I don't know
where I could find a more
positive role model.”
Chikodi Ezeokeke,
2014 Local 17 Scholarship Winner
“From as far back as I can remember,
my father has set a positive example for
me," said Chikodi.
"My father taught me to always put
forth my best effort, and is always very
encouraging. I don’t know where I could
find a more positive role model.”
Kenneth Ezeokeke moved to the
United States from Nigeria in the
1980s to pursue better educational
opportunities. Kenneth's wife, Ijeoma,
later came over and earned her nursing
degree at the University of Washington
(UW). Chikodi and his siblings are the
first generation to be born in the United
States, and have lived in Lynnwood for
all of their lives.
The Local 17 scholarship is designed
to help ease the financial burden of a
college education, and to help students
work toward a degree with less debt.
The $3,000 scholarship is offered
each year to the child or grandchild of a
member in good standing. Scholarship
applicants submit an application
consisting of a high-school transcript,
a list of extracurricular and volunteer
activities, two letters of recommendation,
and an essay selected from a list of
topics. The essays are judged by outside
labor educators who assign a score on a
10-point scale to each applicant.
“This scholarship will help me work
more easily toward my educational goals,”
said Chikodi.
On September 24, he started his college
career at the UW. He has a difficult quarter
ahead consisting of courses in chemistry,
calculus, and bio-scientific technology.
Chikodi is planning on majoring in
bioengineering. His interest in the field
first started when he took a biotechnology
course in his junior year. While in high
school, he also had the opportunity
to conduct research at both the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and
in the Department of Neurosurgery at the
UW.
When asked what the biggest difference
between high school and college is, he
talked about learning independence and
resourcefulness.
“In college, you need to be more selfreliant. If you need help, like tutoring,
for example, you need to seek it out for
yourself.”
But mostly, Chikodi is just trying
to soak everything in. "College is pretty
different, but so far, I like it a lot."
Chikodi will continue to reside in
Lynnwood with his parents, and commute
to school. He is thinking about pursuing a
master's or PhD down the road. 
Insight
11
Features
Staff Perspective
Participation: You can make a difference!
W
hen I walked into an employer’s
health-benefits presentation the
week before Labor Day weekend, I could not have imagined leaving so
inspired.
A young union member sitting next to
me turned and asked what my plans were
for the three-day weekend. “Not a thing,"
I said. "And you?” He went on to list a
remarkable number of activities, all of
which were civic volunteer events. I asked
him how and why he became so involved
in union and community activism. He explained that community participation had
always been central in his life, and that his
degrees in economics and psychology only
affirmed his passion.
From his cell phone, he shared a graph
that showed the distribution of wealth
in America (see above). The three-rowed
graph shows the actual distribution of
wealth; what Americans think it is, and
what they would like it to be.
“It's the perfect tool to demonstrate
the wealth gap," he said. "It allows me to
emphasize to everyone I encounter how an
unequal distribution of wealth damages
communities.”
I asked him for an example of unequal
wealth distribution, and he talked about
the cap on Social Security. He began
to explain the disproportionate level of
contributions made by annual wage earners to the Social Security fund. Workers
who earn up to $117,000 pay 6.2 percent
of their wages to Social Security, while a
worker who earns $250,000, for example,
wll pay only 2.9 percent. This places an
unequal demand on the middle class and
the poor.
Insight12
I was so intrigued by this young union
activist. The encounter left me thinking
about what compels a person to become
involved in their community. Or perhaps
more to the point, what keeps people from
engaging in their communities?
In a February 2014 announcement
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
only 25 percent of people in the United
States over the age of 16 participated in
some sort of volunteerism between 2008
and 2013.
Some people will get involved, while
others will not – and their reasons are
probably as varied and unique as each
individual. But a couple of obvious barriers
to volunteering come to mind: 1) people
have too many demands on their time, like
work and family obligations; and 2) people
don't think that their personal participation will have any effect in the grand
scheme of things.
But just think about what could be
accomplished in our schools, churches,
unions, workplaces, and society if the other
75 percent of people participated in their
communities!
How can one person make a difference? And where to start?
By Annie Costello
Local 17 Union
Representative
A fine place to
start is right where
you are – like in your
neighborhood or
workplace. If you are
reading this article, chances are that you
are already within an organized structure
– your union: Local 17.
Recognizing that one person can make
a difference – and that you are that person –
can feel like a stretch, but try it! There are
so many opportunities for every member
to participate.
You can sign up for a union leadership training, join the contract bargaining
team, or participate on workplace committees. If you are already an active member,
you can encourage your fellow members to
participate. Or if you're passionate about a
public issue, like the inequitable distribution of wealth, you can work in your community to educate your neighbors.
Over the years, I have had the privilege
to work with many remarkable union
leaders and community activists. Each has
stepped forward with a desire for fairness
in their community, and to help make a
better world. There is a place for everyone in this effort and many challenges to
tackle. Join us! 
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much!”
-Helen Keller
Public Affairs
L
Local 17 Supports Prop 1 and Prop 1B in Seattle
ocal 17 is supporting two important
ballot measures this November
for members who live in the City
of Seattle — Proposition 1, the Seattle
Transportation Benefit District (STBD)
and Proposition 1B, titled 'Quality Seattle
Preschool.'
The STBD supports the work of Local
17 members who employed in transportation and allows for continued additional
transportation services in our communities.
The STBD may sound familiar. It is
similar to a measure that King County voters failed to pass in April 2014. But while
it failed on the ballot in King County,
it showed strong support in the City of
Seattle.
The measure would increase the
vehicle-license fee by $40 and increase
sales tax by 0.1% raising approximately
$45 million. The newly generated revenue
will be used to preserve and add service for
City of Seattle routes, to create a Regional
Partnership Fund to partner with other
cities to maintain cross-jurisdiction routes,
and will establish a $20 low-income vehicle
fee rebate.
The Quality Seattle Preschool proposition will fund preschool for Seattle’s 3- and
4-year-olds using a sliding payment scale.
It also provides subsidies to families based
on financial need, making preschool free
for 4-person households making less than
$71,000 per year. It is funded through a
modest property tax levy increase of $14.5
million a year over four years, which translates to about $43 a year for a family living
in a $400,000 home. 
Why Vote?
As public-sector employees, your job and the vital services you provide are dependent on your elected
officials at the state and local levels. Funding for transportation, public health, and even your pension,
are subject to the political will of who we choose to elect.
Over the past two years we have faced a divided legislature and little has gotten accomplished. In
the next two years we will face big issues, like how to fund the Supreme Court mandated McCleary
decision on education, or how to fund vital transportation infrastructure projects. Everyone will have
an opinion on how to do it – finding new revenue, raising taxes, cutting non-mandated services, etc.
– but the political reality is that the people we elect on November 4 will be the ones making these
decisions.
Two years ago, three state legislative races had very narrow margins – with just 78, 139 and 147
vote differences – while the primary in August hit an all-time low in voter turnout. We all need to
remember that voting is a right and a privilege in our democratic society. It's the only way to make
our voices heard!
There are important measures at both the state and local levels this year, so when you receive your
ballot in October, make sure to vote on all candidates and measures. If you want to learn more about
an issue or candidate, read your voter’s guide, utilize the Local 17 endorsements list (p.14-15), or find
other informational resources.
Who we elect really does matter!
Exercise your right and your voice, and vote on November 4!
Insight Insight
13
13
Public Affairs
Local 17 Recommends: 2014 Election Endorsements
Local 17 has a thorough endorsement process and makes
recommendations on issues and races that impact Local 17
members. A printable list of endorsements is also available online
at www.pte17publicaffairs.org. The General Election is on Nov. 4. 
Clark County
Commissioner
Craig Pridemore
Skagit County
Commissioner
Lisa Janicki
Snohomish County
Executive
John Lovick
Spokane County
Commissioner
Mary Lou Johnson
Portland Ballot Measures
Parks Bond
YES
Local 17 members Anne Alfred and Kathy Pierson with Snohomish County Executive Candidate
John Lovick.
Spokane Chapter President Tammy McCauley (right) talks with Spokane County Commissioner
candidate Mary Lou Johnson.
State Legislature
Seattle Ballot Measures
Prop 1:
Seattle Transportation
Benefit District
YES
Prop 1B:
Quality Seattle Preschool
YES
14
Insight
Legislative District 1
House 1 – Derek Stanford
House 2 – Luis Moscoso
Legislative District 3
House 1 – Marcus Riccelli
House 2 – Timm Ormsby
Legislative District 5
House 1 – Essie Hicks
Legislative District 6
Senate – Rich Cowan
Legislative District 11
House 1 – Zach Hudgins
House 2 – Steve Bergquist
Legislative District 17
House 1 – Monica Stonier
Legislative District 19
House 1 – Dean Takko
House 2 – Brian Blake
Legislative District 21
Senate – Marko Liias
House 1 – Lillian Ortiz-Self
House 2 - Strom Peterson
Legislative District 22
House 1 – Chris Reykdal
House 2 – Sam Hunt
Legislative District 23
House 1 – Sherry Appleton
House 2 – Drew Hansen
Legislative District 24
House 1 – Kevin Van De Wege
House 2 – Steve Tharinger
Legislative District 25
House 1 – Dawn Morrell
Legislative District 26
Senate – Judy Arbogast
House 1 – Nathan Schlicher
House 2 – Larry Seaquist
Legislative District 27
House 1 – Laurie Jinkins
House 2 – Jake Fey
Legislative District 28
Senate – Tami Green
House 1 – Mary Moss
House 2 – Christine Kilduff
Legislative District 29
Senate – Steve Conway
House 1 – David Sawyer
Legislative District 30
Senate – Shari Song
House 1 – Greg Baruso
House 2 – Roger Freeman
Legislative District 31
Senate – Pam Roach
Legislative District 32
Senate – Maralyn Chase
House 1 – Cindy Ryu
House 2 – Ruth Kagi
Legislative District 33
Senate – Karen Keiser
Public Affairs
House 1 – Tina Orwall
House 2 – Mia Gregerson
Legislative District 34
Senate – Sharon Nelson
House 1 – Eileen Cody
House 2 – Joe Fitzgibbon
Legislative District 35
Senate – Irene Bowling
House 2 – Tammey Newton
Legislative District 36
Senate – Jeanne Kohl-Welles
House 1 – Reuven Carlyle
House 2 – Gael Tarleton
Legislative District 37
Senate – Pramila Jayapal
Legislative District 38
Senate – John McCoy
House 1 – June Robinson
House 2 – Mike Sells
Legislative District 40
House 1 – Kris Lytton
House 2 – Jeff Morris
Legislative District 41
House 1 – Tana Senn
House 2 – Judy Clibborn
Legislative District 42
Senate – Seth Fleetwood
House 2 – Joy Monjure
Legislative District 43
Senate – Jamie Pedersen
House 1 – Brady Walkinshaw
House 2 – Frank Chopp
Legislative District 44
Senate – Steve Hobbs
House 1 – Hans Dunshee
Local 17 members Bill Angel (left) and Betsy Pernotto (right) with State Senate candidate Seth
Fleetwood, 42nd District.
House 2 - Michael Wilson
Legislative District 45
Senate – Matthew Isenhower
House 1 – Roger Goodman
House 2 - Larry Springer
Legislative District 46
Senate – David Frockt
House 1 – Gerry Pollet
House 2 – Jessyn Farrell
Legislative District 47
House 1 – Chris Barringer
House 2 – Pat Sullivan
Legislative District 48
Senate – Cyrus Habib
House 1 – Ross Hunter
House 2 - Joan McBride
Legislative District 49
House 1 – Sharon Wylie
House 2 – Jim Moeller
Insight
15
Periodicals
Postage
P A I D
at Seattle WA
Professional and
Technical Employees,
Local 17
2900 Eastlake Ave. East, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98102 www.pte17.org
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Elizabethe Geier
Local 17 Trustee
Executive Board
Point of View
M
usic is a powerful tool for conveying a sense
of unity through shared experience, and
giving people in adverse situations a sense
of hope for a better tomorrow. It’s no wonder then
that song has such a rich history within the labor
movement.
Some of labor's earliest and best known songs were
written by members of the Industrial Workers of the
World, or “Wobblies.” They include songs that are
often still sung in labor halls today. Songs like Ralph
Chaplin’s Solidarity Forever and Joe Hill’s There Is
Power In A Union, that stressed the importance of
organizing and helped to build the American labor
movement in the early part of the 20th Century.
The soundtrack continues beyond these early
favorites. Song has seen us though lack of job
security in tough economic times with everything
from “Yip” Harburg’s Depression-era Brother Can You
Spare A Dime, to later-century works like Styx’s Blue
Collar Man, or the Clash singing of dead-end jobs
with no prospects in Career Opportunities, and Todd
Rundgren fearing the things he might do for lack of
Honest Work. Music has lamented the loss of industry
with songs such as Bruce Springsteen’s Youngstown
and Billy Joel’s Allentown. It’s described how exposure
to hazardous working conditions goes beyond a
building and its workers, to be brought home to family
members as well, in Sweet Honey In The Rock’s a
capella song More Than A Paycheck. It’s railed against
sexism and the glass ceiling in songs like Dolly Parton’s
9 To 5 and, one of my favorites, Peggy Seeger’s Gonna
Be An Engineer. And Jonny Paycheck minced no words
when push finally came to shove.
Many of these later songs might not specifically call
for unionizing. But maybe that’s because when most
of them were written, a large chunk of America was
blinded to the value of unions, buying into the myth
that if we just made companies richer, wealth would
“trickle down” to the workers. But each of them implies
that there’s a solution to be found when others who’ve
shared these experiences join in their objections. And
that’s what unions are all about; joining together, like
a well-orchestrated song, and working collectively to
improve the job conditions and economic security of
workers.
In Solidarity,