Update June 3, 2021
A Discrimination Complaint has been filed with the City of Bellingham HR Dept. Click here to read it.
Update June 2, 2021
An Unfair Labor Practice has been filed against Court Administrator Peterson & Judge Debra Lev with the Public Employment Relations Commission. You may click here to read it.
Seven grievances have been filed – Judge Debra Lev accepted delivery of the documents on June 2, 2021. Click here to read them.
Some of the public have contacted us regarding where they can find a copy of our contract. Find it here on the City’s website. The signature page can be accessed by clicking here.
Crisis in Municipal Court
On May 27, 2021 six of our members working in Bellingham Municipal Court exercised their contractual right to refuse to perform work in an unsafe environment. Fortunately, this unusual action was not opposed by city leaders—who understood why we believed this action was necessary.
Our members need your support and we are doing everything we can to resolve this situation and get them back to work in a safe and professional work environment. Mayor Fleetwood has agreed to keep our members on paid status until this issue is resolved. We are grateful for the City leaders in the Human Resources department and City Attorney’s office for their attempts to resolve this issue and to support a healthy and safe working environment.
Oppressive Working Conditions
As many of you may know, tension has been building in the Court Administrator’s office. Our members have been forced to work in the most bizarre and oppressive conditions imaginable. After learning our member’s concerns, the Bellingham Human Resources department prudently hired an outside investigator to interview all parties. During the investigation, the city required all employees to refrain from retaliating against others. This is standard procedure for any investigation. Clearly, this directive was not followed by some.
Concern for Member’s Safety
What prompted the Local’s action on May 27, 2021 was the unauthorized presence of a court administration employee who had been placed on administrative leave, in part, for retaliating against our members who had reported allegations of misconduct in the office. We should note that we are not aware of any investigation by Judge Lev to address the complaints pertaining to conduct of employees under her supervision.
Lawsuit Filed by Judge
Local 1937 is aware of the dispute between Judge Lev and the City of Bellingham which has culminated in a lawsuit between the Judge and the City. As always, Local 1937 stands by its employees and will be closely monitoring the situation to make sure the rights of the workers are protected.
Email us if you have information to share regarding the situation.
pnweguild@gmail.com