By MALLORY GRUBEN
A recent compensation study for Clark County, Washington, validated what union representatives have been saying for many years: The county’s wages lag other surrounding public sector employers.
The study paves the way for raises for county employees, and the four unions representing the bulk of the workers in the county have started bargaining for those boosts.
“For many, many union members who are represented by multiple unions, the study will be impactful and put them where they should have been,” said Karyn Morrison, representative with Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 11. Local 11 represents about 200 workers in Clark County. It bargains some parts of its contract as part of a coalition with PROTEC17, Laborers Local 335, and AFSCME Local 307. Together those unions represent about 600 workers.
Wisconsin-based consulting firm Baker Tilly conducted the study under a $184,900 contract with the county. Clark County Council members approved that contract in August 2022, citing a high vacancy rate and “several years” of difficulty hiring and keeping staff.
PROTEC17 representative Rachel Whiteside said the unions told county officials for many years that their wages haven’t been competitive enough to keep workers around. Whiteside represents about 125 Clark County workers, mostly in engineering and appraisals.
The way the county previously determined “market rate” — the usual pay rate offered for a given job — left out some of the biggest competitors for talent, Whiteside said. For example, county calculations did not consider the City of Vancouver.
“For our members, they could literally walk a couple of blocks down the road and get paid significantly more money,” Whiteside said.
Baker Tilly used 15 regional public employers and three published surveys from private employers to generate a market rate. Their sample included the cities of Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Portland, and Washougal, and the counties of Clackamas and Multnomah. The data shows that on average, Clark County wages trailed wages at other employers by 4.7% to 9%, depending on where workers fell in the salary scale.
Baker Tilly recommended that the county increase wages for all employees up to at least the market rate, capping increases at the higher of 15% or the minimum market rate for their job. Anyone making the same or more than market rate should keep the same wage, the consultants said.
On July 18, county commissioners approved those pay increases for county workers who aren’t represented by a union, about a quarter of its workforce. Morrison and Whiteside said the four-union coalition expects to secure similar raises in negotiations for their members.
