Drafter
Clerk 10/09/2025
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to standardizing benefits that were bargained in the Coalition Labor Agreement; amending Ordinance 12014, Section 19, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.190 and Ordinance 12014, Section 20, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.215, and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 3.15.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. In June 2025, a tentative Coalition Labor Agreement ("CLA") was reached. The 2025 CLA further builds upon the efficiencies originally established in the 2018 Master Labor Agreement and the subsequent 2021 CLA by standardizing additional common benefits and practices for employees.
2. Standardization between the 2025 CLA and the King County Code furthers those achievements and supports the county government operating more efficiently and effectively.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 12014, Section 19, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.190 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
A. Employees eligible for comprehensive leave benefits shall accrue vacation leave benefits as described in and further qualified by this section. Elected officials are not employees and are therefore not entitled to vacation leave benefits.
|
Months of Service |
Hourly Accrual Rate |
Approximate Days/Year |
|
0 |
((0.04620)) 0.05384 |
((12.01200)) 13.9984 |
|
((60)) 48 |
0.05770 |
15.00200 |
|
96 |
0.06160 |
16.01600 |
|
120 |
0.07700 |
20.02000 |
|
192 |
0.08080 |
21.00800 |
|
204 |
0.08470 |
22.02200 |
|
216 |
0.08850 |
23.01000 |
|
228 |
0.09240 |
24.02400 |
|
240 |
0.09620 |
25.01200 |
|
252 |
0.10010 |
26.02600 |
|
264 |
0.10390 |
27.01400 |
|
276 |
0.10780 |
28.02800 |
|
288 |
0.11160 |
29.01600 |
|
300 |
0.11540 |
30.00400 |
B. Vacation accrual rates for an employee who works other than the full-time schedule standard to the employee's work unit shall be prorated to reflect the employee's normally scheduled work week. No adjustment to vacation accrual rates for a furloughed employee shall be made as a result of a budgetary furlough.
C. Employees eligible for comprehensive leave benefits shall accrue vacation leave from their date of hire into a comprehensive leave benefit eligible position.
D.1. Employees hired before December 31, 2017, who are eligible for vacation leave may accrue up to four hundred eighty hours of vacation leave, prorated to reflect their normally scheduled work week.
2. Employees hired January 1, 2018, or thereafter, who are eligible for vacation leave may accrue up to three hundred twenty hours of vacation leave, prorated to reflect their normally scheduled work week.
3. All employees shall use vacation leave beyond the employee's maximum accrual amount before the end of the pay period that includes December 31 every year. Failure to use vacation leave beyond the employee's maximum accrual amount before the end of the pay period that includes December 31 shall result in forfeiture of the accrued vacation leave beyond the employee's maximum accrual amount unless the appointing authority has approved a carryover of the vacation leave because of cyclical workloads, work assignments, or other reasons in the best interests of the county.
E. Employees eligible for comprehensive leave benefits may use vacation leave hours in the pay period after they are accrued. Employees who leave county employment before successfully completing their first six months of county service shall forfeit their vacation leave hours and are excluded from the payout provisions in this section.
F. An employee who is eligible for comprehensive leave benefits shall be paid for accrued vacation leave to the employee's date of separation up to the employee's maximum accrual amount if the employee has successfully completed the employee's first six months of county service and is in good standing. Payment shall be the accrued vacation leave multiplied by the employee's base rate of pay in effect upon the date of leaving county employment less mandatory withholdings.
G. In lieu of payment for fifty percent of unused accrued vacation leave at retirement, the director may, with equivalent funds and in accordance with the procedures in K.C.C. 3.12.220.E.2.b., provide eligible employees with a voluntary employee beneficiary association plan that provides for reimbursement of retiree and other qualifying medical expenses. The remaining fifty percent of eligible unused accrued vacation leave at retirement shall be paid as outlined in subsection F. of this section.
H. Employees shall not work for compensation for the county in any capacity during the time that the employees are on vacation leave.
I. When a current employee dies with accrued vacation leave and the employee has successfully completed the employee's first six months of county service, payment of the unused vacation leave up to the employee's maximum accrual amount shall be made to the employee's estate, or, in applicable cases, as provided for by state law, Title 11 RCW.
J. If an employee resigns, is laid off, or is separated for nondisciplinary reasons from a regular or term-limited temporary position with the county in good standing and subsequently returns to county employment within two years from the resignation, layoff, or nondisciplinary separation, the employee's prior county service shall be counted in determining the vacation leave accrual rate under subsection A. of this section.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 12014, Section 20, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.215 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
The appointing authority shall allow an employee eligible for comprehensive leave benefits who is voluntarily participating as a donor in a life-giving or life-saving procedure such as, but not limited to, a bone marrow transplant, kidney transplant, or blood transfusion to take ((five)) ten days of paid organ donor leave, but only if the employee:
A. Gives the appointing authority reasonable advance notice of the need to take time off from work for the donation of bone marrow, a kidney, or other organs or tissue where there is a reasonable expectation that the employee's failure to donate may result in serious illness, injury, pain, or the eventual death of the identified recipient; and
B. Provides written proof from an accredited medical institution, organization, or individual as to the need for the employee to donate bone marrow, a kidney, or other organs or tissue, or to participate in any other medical procedure where the participation of the donor is unique or critical to a successful outcome.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 3.15 a new section to read as follows:
A. Nonrepresented employees in positions designated by the department of human resources to have non-English language or American Sign Language proficiency as a desired or required skill for the position are eligible to receive bilingual pay premiums.
B. Eligible employees whose job posting or other written notice for the position include as a desired skill the use of one or more specific non-English language or American Sign Language will receive a one dollar per hour premium on actual hours worked.
C. Eligible employees whose job posting or other written notice for the position includes as a required skill the use of one or more specific non-English language or American Sign Language will receive a two dollar per hour premium on actual hours worked.
D. To qualify for the bilingual pay premium, eligible employees must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency as determined by the county.
E. The department of human resources may end or modify the assignment of job duties and the designation of a position that qualifies for bilingual pay premiums at any time, which will result in the immediate termination of the bilingual pay premium.
F. Any employee deemed ineligible for a bilingual pay premium shall not be required to provide bilingual services.
G. Bilingual pay premiums for represented employees shall be subject to the employees' applicable collective bargaining agreement. Unless otherwise provided in an
applicable collective bargaining agreement, the bilingual pay premium shall not apply to represented employees.