Tenacious Hanford union leader fought for Tri-Cities and more

A tireless Mid-Columbia union leader who was equally passionate about promoting and supporting his community died Thursday.

Jim Watts, 82, was involved in so many projects and organizations in the Tri-Cities that it would be hard to single out his efforts on just one thing, said his longtime friend, Dick French Sr.

"He certainly did a lot for the Tri-Cities and will be missed," French said.

But Watts' primary legacy "would be everything he contributed to union leadership in the Tri-Cities over the last 30 or 40 years," said his friend.

Watts worked his way up to regional president of the 30,000-member Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Local 1-369, the largest union in the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council.

He was 5 when his father, a metallurgist, came to Richland from Butte, Mont. He later would laugh about his youthful misadventures, including when he was expelled from Richland High School his senior year for riding a motorcycle down the hallway.

Watts considered becoming a teacher, but after some stumbles ended up graduating from Columbia Basin College in 1957 and went on to the University of Washington before dropping out to marry his high school sweetheart, Sharon Templeman. They raised two sons and a niece.

He went to work in 1960 at the Chevron Chemical plant in Finley, where he was motivated to join a union that would become his passion for years to come.

He was such a Tri-City advocate and skilled negotiator that he took charge of the Hanford division of the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) in 1970.

During the Hanford cutbacks of the '90s and 2000, it was Watts who persuaded the powers-that-be at Hanford that its pension reserves were overfunded. That led to enhanced retirement packages that helped persuade older workers to retire and kept younger workers on the job, saving an estimated 750 to 900 jobs.

Watts was "a heck of a negotiator," said French, who often found himself on the opposite side of the table in a management role.

"He drove it home and got it done," he added. "(Watts) was quiet, persistent, and he sure knew how to get a good deal. All you have to do is look at the HAMTC benefit package to know that."

French recalled how Watts could "more or less aggravate you into making a deal."

An artist, Watts would pull out a drawing pad and start doodling, leading others around the negotiating table to believe he wasn't listening. "Of course he was and it was a strategy and it worked well," French recalled.

Watts also was listened to by powerful Democrats at the state and federal levels.

"A poet, author and accomplished artist, Watts understands a community does not live off bread alone and was the one who chaired the committee that brought together the divergent business, environmental and governmental interests that drafted a management plan for the Hanford Reach National Monument area and parlayed that into a group that spearheaded the idea of the interpretive center," a Herald editorial said nine years ago when Watts was named outstanding CBC alumnus.

Watts' community involvement was extensive, ranging from work with the Boy Scouts, United Way and Washington State University Tri-Cities to the Columbia Basin Badger Club, Tri-Cities Cancer Center, Hanford Advisory Board and many state advisory boards.

"Economically, recreationally and culturally, he has had — and continues to have — an under-the-radar effect on all those important aspects of Tri-City Life," wrote the Herald.

In 2006, Watts and French were recognized at the American Red Cross for rescuing a 78-year-old Richland man who fell into the Columbia River when his boat capsized. He was in the water about two hours clutching a floating ice chest and his dog, Maggie, when he was spotted by Watts and French.

Watts also authored books like The Magic Bag trilogy with "The Quest Begins," "The Dwarves of Saran" and "The Ice King, and "The Animal" — in which he revealed the childhood nickname of Watt-Doggie.

Einan's at Sunset in Richland his handling arrangements.

Kristin M. Kraemer: 509-582-1531, @KristinMKraemer

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Tenacious Hanford union leader fought for Tri-Cities and more."