Woodland Park Zoo workers plan to picket Tuesday

Workers at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo plan to picket on Tuesday, August 13, after a union representing the employees says contract negotiations with the zoo failed.

SEATTLE - Workers at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo plan to picket on Tuesday, August 13, after a union representing the employees says contract negotiations with the zoo failed.

A release from Teamsters Local Union 117 claims the Woodland Park Zoo refused to agree to the workers' proposals for "equitable wages and provisions to stave off the rising cost of healthcare."

Workers say they will hold a picketing action at the zoo's south entrance at 3 p.m., in conjunction with the Woodland Park Zoological Society’s Board of Director’s meeting.

The zoo employees are represented by the Joint Craft Council of Unions (JCC), a multi-union coalition that has been trying to reach a contract agreement with Woodland Park Zoo for the past 10 months.

On Monday, August 5, the JCC brought up the possibility of a future strike in response to the zoo's inability to reattain experienced workers. The union raised concerns over a potential loss of accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) due to "low wages, the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, low morale, and high turnover."

"With the latest round of negotiations, the Zoo has pushed us closer than ever to a strike," said Janel Kempf, a union shop steward and learning coordinator, who has been with the Zoo for 25 years. "We have already lost many valuable, experienced staff who found they could no longer afford to work here. A fair contract now is the only thing that can prevent a flood of resignations right before we come up for AZA accreditation renewal. Low staff morale and high turnover has been a common factor in loss of accreditation at other zoos. We are prepared to withhold our labor not just for our own livelihoods, but ultimately to guarantee the best care for the animals and keep Woodland Park Zoo a place our community can be proud of."

Teamsters added that union members at the zoo presented a petition to the Seattle City Council in February, calling for a fair contract. In March, a group of 29 zoo admissions workers joined Teamsters 117.

FOX 13 Seattle has reached out to Woodland Park Zoo for a statement.