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Adam Wilson expounds on Washington state government, workers and politics. Wilson began covering those issues for the Olympian in 2004. He can be reached at: awilson@theolympian.com.

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First state worker contract: 1.6, 1.7 percent

• Published August 22, 2008 Modified August 22, 2008

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The Washington Public Employees Association has reached an agreement with Gov. Chris Gregoire's bargaining team for a 1.6 percent general pay raise in 2009, followed by 1.7 percent in 2010. Union members must approve the deal.

The union closed bargaining on the contract primary election night, Aug. 19, said Diane Leigh, Gregoire's lead negotiator.

It's news to me. I didn't hear from the WPEA about it (no news on their Web site, either), and hadnt been able to connect with Leigh until today. The largest general government union, the Washington Federation of State Employees, is still at the bargaining table, but if past experience is any indication, all pay raises will follow a very similar scale.

This contract also includes the salary survey adjustment; meaning workers more than 25 percent behind their peers in other sectors will be caught up.

Several groups are in arbitration, in which a third party will decide what's fair. That includes two groups of state-paid contractors represented by the Service Employees International Union.

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