Santos appointed as state's new chief labor negotiator

June 21, 2004

Governor Gary Locke named Eva Santos the state’s chief labor negotiator and director of the Washington State Labor Relations Office, replacing Gary Moore who has resigned to take a position with a Seattle public relations firm, Pacific Public Affairs.

Santos has been serving as deputy director of the Labor Relations Office and has played a leading role in negotiations now underway with state labor unions.

Locke said that Santos already has demonstrated her leadership ability in contract talks scheduled for completion in October.

“I have full faith and confidence in Eva’s ability to negotiate new labor contracts that are fair to both state employees and the taxpayers of Washington State,” the governor said.

Santos has both private and public sector experience related to labor negotiations. Before joining the state Labor Relations Office last year, she was a key administrator in the state Department of Labor & Industries for 17 years. Prior to entering state service, she was human resources manager for Tacoma Boat.

As director of the Labor Relations Office, Santos will lead the state’s labor negotiations team in collective bargaining over seven master agreements with unions that represent state employees in general government. Her team also represents The Evergreen State College and most of the state’s community colleges in negotiations with unions representing employees on those campuses.

“I look forward to establishing collective bargaining agreements that make Washington State a better government, and a better place to work,” Santos said.