8d. Memo

CBA Port of Seattle Firefighters

COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          8d 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting     September 27, 2022 
DATE:     September 8, 2022 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Mikel O’Brien, Interim Senior Director of Labor Relations 
Milton Ellis, Labor Relations Manager 
SUBJECT:  New Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Port of Seattle and the
International Association of Firefighters, Local 1257, representing Firefighters at the
Port of Seattle 
Total Port Cost Increase for the Duration of the Agreement: $2,967,985 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute a new collective
bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Port of Seattle and the International Association of
Firefighters, Local 1257, representing Firefighters at the Port of Seattle covering the period from
January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024. 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Good faith bargaining between the  International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1257,
representing Firefighters and the Port of Seattle resulted in a fair collective bargaining agreement
consistent with Port’s priorities. 
The IAFF, Local 1257 Firefighters bargaining unit consists of 92 employees consisting of 66 
Firefighters, 17 Captains, 5 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Fire Alarm Inspector, 1 Fire Mechanic, 1 Training
Chief and 1 Fire Marshall. Members of the bargaining group provide Emergency Services for
Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting, Structural Fire Fighting, Emergency Medical Incidents, Hazardous
Material Response, Confined Space Rescue, Fire Prevention Activities involving Building
Inspection, Fueling Inspection, Construction Inspection and all other fire safety oversight for the
Port of Seattle Properties on and around Sea-Tac Airport. 
This agreement is for a three-year period from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024. The
estimated total additional cost for increase is $2,967,985. 
Members of the bargaining group will receive a six and a half percent (6.5%) increase in wages in
the first year of the agreement and a cost-of-living increase in the second and third year of the

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                   Page 2 of 4 
Meeting Date: September 27, 2022 
agreement. Members of the bargaining group also changed medical plans within Northwest
Firefighters Trust by moving from a high premium low deductible health plan to a low premium
high deductible health plan. The change resulted in saving for the Port, thereby allowing the Port
to make contributions to a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) plan for Fighters
in which members of the bargaining group who are employee only will receive an annual Port
contribution of $2,078 and members who are employee dependent will receive an annual Port
contribution of $4,078 to their VEBA account, which includes all administrative cost. All
contributions will be used to offset medical expenses. 
The total cost also includes a one hundred dollar ($100) per month Port contribution to the
Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP) of each employee in the bargaining unit effective
the second year of the agreement.  MERP contributions are accessible for Firefighters post
retirement and are used to outset medical expenses. Day shift Battalion Chiefs will be paid the
same as the Shift Battalion Chiefs under the agreement effective the second year of the
agreement. This only impacted three members of the bargaining group. The seniority provision
of the contract was modified to distinguish between lateral firefighters and new recruits.  The
holiday provision for Day Shift Firefighters was modified to include Martin Luther King holiday in
exchange for one of the four floating holidays for Day shift Firefighters.
All other provisions in the collective bargaining agreement remain the same. 

JUSTIFICATION 
RCW Chapter 41.56 requires the Port of Seattle to collectively bargaining wages, hours and
conditions of employment with the exclusive bargaining representative designated by the
employees. 
DETAILS 
Term of the Agreement – January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Wages 
Classification      Current Rate       Effective           Effective           Effective 
1/1/22           1/1/23           1/1/24 
Base              Base              Base 
Hourly Rate       Hourly Rate       Hourly Rate 
(6.5%)             (Est. 3.0%)        (Est. 3.0%) 
Firefighter A       $8,805/Month     $9,377/Month     $9,658/Month     $9,948/Month 
Captain           $10,390/Month   $11,065/Month   $11,397/Month   $11,739/Month 
Battalion Chief    $12,151/Month   $12,941/Month   $13,329/Month   $13,729/Month 

Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                   Page 3 of 4 
Meeting Date: September 27, 2022 


Wage 
Members of Local 1257 received a six and a half percent (6.5%) wage increase in the first year of
the agreement. In addition, members of the bargaining group will also receive a cost-of-living 
increase in the second and third year of the agreement. 
Health and Welfare 
Members of the bargaining group are currently enrolled in the Northwest Firefighters Trust, Plan
100, medical insurance plan which is a high premium, low deductible plan. Effective the second
year of the agreement, members of the bargaining group will move to NWFFT medical plan 1500
which is a low premium, high deductive medical plan resulting in savings for the Port. Members
of the bargaining group will also enroll in a VEBA plan effective the second year of the agreement
where the Port will make annual contributions of $2,078 per single employee and $4,078 per
employee dependent, which includes all administrative cost. 
There was no increase in health insurance in the first year of the agreement.  There is an
estimated five percent increase in health insurance in the second and third year of the
agreement. Members of the bargaining group are currently contributing a range between $0 for 
employee only and $126.84/month for full family toward the cost of their medical insurance. 
Effective the second year of the agreement, members of the bargaining group, except for 
employee only, will commence making a ten percent (10%) monthly premium contribution
toward the cost of health insurance. 

Other Changes 
• Effective the second year of the agreement, the Port will contribute one hundred dollars 
($100) per month per employee toward the Medical Expense Reimbursement plan
(MERP) for Firefighters. Firefighters will be able to use the savings associated with the
MERP contributions to offset medical expenses post retirement. 
• Effective the second year of the agreement, the Battalion Chief day shift rate will be the
same as the Battalion shift rate. This change will impact three Day Shift Battalion Chiefs.
• The seniority provision of the contract was modified to distinguish between lateral
firefighters and new recruits. 
• The holiday provision for Day Shift Firefighters was modified to include Martin Luther King
holiday in exchange for one of the four floating holidays for Day shift Firefighters.


Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                   Page 4 of 4 
Meeting Date: September 27, 2022 
Cost Impact $         Year 1                 Year 2                 Year 3 
Benefits               $0                     -$25,485               $53,003 
Total New Money     $656,700            $305,980            $385,926 
Total Cumulative     $656,700             $962,680             $1,348,605 
Cost 

The estimated total additional cost to the Port of Seattle for the duration of the contract is
$2,967,985. 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
1.  Collective Bargaining Agreement
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None. 











Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.



Limitations of Translatable Documents

PDF files are created with text and images are placed at an exact position on a page of a fixed size.
Web pages are fluid in nature, and the exact positioning of PDF text creates presentation problems.
PDFs that are full page graphics, or scanned pages are generally unable to be made accessible, In these cases, viewing whatever plain text could be extracted is the only alternative.