New round of bargaining, new state negotiator

• Published May 16, 2008

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It's official: Diane Leigh will head the state Labor Relations Office. Leigh has been acting director since November, handling early negotiations with unionized state workers and nearly-state workers.

Leigh was deputy director of the LRO, and has worked there since it began operation in 2003. She replaces Steve McLain, who handled the last round of talks for two-year contracts. And McLain took over for Eva Santos, who handled the first round in 2004. That's one director per round so far.

"Diane has an excellent grasp of labor and management issues in Washington, as well as our state’s collective bargaining processes," Victor Moore said, annoucing the appointment. Moore is head of the Office of Financial Management, which must figure out how to pay for whatever deals Leigh strikes.

"I am confident she will work collaboratively with state agencies and labor organizations to negotiate labor agreements that meet the state’s priorities, goals and objectives," Moore said.

Washington Federation of State Employees Executive Director Greg Devereux also had a statement ready for the occasion: "We have always had good relations with Diane in the past, and I look forward to continuing to work with her as we negotiate our collective bargaining agreements."

We'll see how cozy they all are in August, after another economic forecast. Leigh, for her part, pledged to work hard to represent Gov. Chris Gregoire and the state.