Locke said he is hoping for a resolution today. But he is moving ahead with contingency plans if there are walkouts or other actions that disrupt state services. Locke created a Job Action and Information Coordination Team under the leadership of Labor and Industries Director Gary Moore to serve as a clearinghouse of information. One of the hardest-hit services could be the University of Washington, which employs about 2,000 union workers. About half work at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Positions range from cook to electrocardiograph technician.
An e-mail sent to UW managers and department heads warned that anyone absent the day of a walkout will not be paid and may be disciplined. All departments, schools, and programs are being advised not to approve new leave requests until the situation is resolved. A walkout could paralyze affected departments because the university can't shuffle people from various jobs, said spokesman Bob Roseth. About 1,300 federation workers are employed by the Department of Transportation, which has contingency plans in the event of a strike. Ken Kirkland, an engineer with the department, said it will try and communicate with its offices statewide and cover the phones.