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City Prosecutors Seek to Form Union

City Hall, Politics   August 18, 2010 at 5:13 pm Erica C. Barnett

Twenty-five prosecuting attorneys—the majority of the criminal division—at City Attorney Pete Holmes’ office are seeking union representation, reportedly in anticipation of upcoming layoffs at the city attorney’s office. The attorneys filed a petition to organize with the Public Employment Relations Commission on August 6.

Union members in other city departments, including the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, and the Department of Planning and Development, are challenging Mayor Mike McGinn’s request that they forgo a cost-of-living pay increase next year; instead, they want the city to cut back on outside contracts and eliminate hundreds of strategic-advisor and upper management positions. The city faces a budget shortfall of about $56 million next year, and McGinn has asked most departments to come up with cuts between 10 and 15 percent.

Holmes spokeswoman Kimberly Mills says the city attorney’s office will post a notice that the prosecuting attorneys have filed a union petition and “noting our respect of all employees’ rights to bargain collectively.” The petition with PERC is the first step toward forming a union;  next, 70 percent of employees in the bargaining unit will have to sign union cards to demonstrate support for the union.

Mills did not characterize Holmes’ reaction to the union drive, but it seems—unlike similar efforts under former city attorney Mark Sidran—to be more in response to potential layoffs than to Holmes’ leadership of the office.




  • Barleywine

    If this keeps up there’s soon going to be a mayor’s union, and they won’t leave until they’re sixty five. Elections will be seen as harassment.

  • Bistro44

    Holmes fired a fourth of the attorneys in the criminal division. At Christmas. With about a day’s notice. And these were people who had dedicated years to the City, under several administrations, some of whom were near retirement.

    The office went through layoffs under Carr and there was never talk of a union. This is in direct response to how Holmes treats people and how he runs the office.

  • Barleywine

    Professionals don’t have unions. Unless they aren’t.

  • Cedar

    Great, more unions, just what we need.

  • law firm manager

    Oh boo hoo go into private practice and rake in the dough. Is there seriously one attorney who was fired who can’t make more money out of government than in it? Are you kidding me?

    A mediocre criminal law attorney usually gets on a charge like vehicular assault a $5000 fee up front. Even if no charge is filed. If the charge is filed, there’s $10K to pay to do the trial. Usually there is no trial and there is a plea — the total of $15K however is a flat fee, not refunded. Are you telling me the attorneys who were let go can’t find ten clients a year like this a year to pull in $150K pay $50K in expenses and clear 100 large a year, so we should feel sorry for these experienced criminal law lawyers who know all the judges and reams of defense lawyers and who are supposedly hurt by being fired, being unable to make money in the private sector?

    Well boo hoo. If they can’t make it in the private sector, I’m glad they got fired from the city because the city attorneys’ office should not be a lifeboat for crappy lawyers who can’t make it in the private sector.

  • just sayin’

    In a social setting, I recently met a small group of attorneys from the City Attorney’s office, and their dislike for Holmes was palpable.

  • Ericahasnosource

    Erica, what support do you have for your claim that the petition for unions is re layoffs, not Holmes? Anyone other than Holmes’ press secretary? Because that’s not remotely what I hear from people who actually work in the office.

  • Classof80

    This is in response to Holmes policies and managment. He dismissed a several experience attorneys who served the city well. If money were the issue, he could have at least given them an opportunity to accept a pay cut. The firings were based on personal vedettas launched by public defenders and certain community groups. The only way Seattle will appreciate the damage he has done to the office and the public is to feel his policies and remember next time he runs. Hopefully someone with better ideas will run against him next time.

  • anon

    I don’t agree with this. Unions aren’t JUST about increasing pay and improving benefits for blue-collar workers. They can be about protecting employees from a management structure that is perceived as arbitrary/politically motivated/unfair. I don’t know the specifics about the city attorney’s office, but from reading about how Holmes started his tenure in the office, my guess is that’s what this is about.

  • JohnSchochetinmyPocket

    I work in the office and can tell you flat out that the petition is absolutely about Holmes, and his out of control chief of staff, and their lousy personnel and communication skills. I don’t know where Erica got her info to the contrary and have to wonder if she made it up or just repeated what Mills/DuComb told her.

  • MVH

    Prosecutors are political hires and can be fired at will (see the city charter). A new politician took office and some of the old politician’s people were sent packing. That’s life.