Wage Series Part 4: The Impact of COVID on Recent Wage Settlement Trends in Washington Public Safety Labor Contracts

Wage Series Part 4:  The Impact of COVID on Recent Wage Settlement Trends in Washington Public Safety Labor Contracts

By Jim Cline and Kate Kremer

This is the fourth part of our early 2021 wages series. In the last article in our 2021 wage series, we looked at all Washington public safety settlements from 2019 to 2021. That report showed a downward trend in 2021 settlements.

[Read more…]

Wage Series Part 2: Trends in CPI and its Impact on Your Contract Negotiations

By: Jim Cline and Kate Kremer

In part one of our early 2021 Wage series, we reported on the latest CPI data. That was a look backward at the more recent data. In this article, we look forward to what you might expect for inflation over the near term.  Given the goal of achieving a wage increase that at the very least doesn’t fall behind the cost of living, knowing where inflation may be heading is important.

[Read more…]

Wage Series Part 1: Latest CPI Reports

Wage Series Part 1:  Latest CPI Reports

By: Jim Cline and Kate Kremer

Launch of the 2021 Winter Wage Series

This is the first of a multi-part series addressing current economic conditions and wage settlement trends.  In this Winter 2021 Wage Series, we’ll bring you an update on CPI and economic developments, wage settlements, interest arbitration trends, statewide wage rankings for public safety classifications across the State, and an in-depth analysis of what factors appear to be impacting those rankings and settlements.

[Read more…]