State civil service law governs the appointment, promotion, transfer, layoff, removal, discipline, and other personnel matters of most state agency employees.  The Washington Management Service (WMS) is a separate personnel system for managers within the executive branch of state government.  Agencies determine if a position is appropriate for WMS. 

A "manager" means any employee who:  (1) formulates statewide policy or directs the work of an agency or agency subdivision; (2) administers one or more statewide policies or programs of an agency or agency subdivision; (3) manages, administers, and controls a local branch office of an agency or agency subdivision; (4) has substantial responsibility in personnel administration, legislative relations, public information, or the preparation and administration of budgets; or (5) functionally is above the first level of supervision and exercises authority that is not merely routine or clerical and that requires consistent use of independent judgment.

The Personnel System Reform Act (PSRA) provides for collective bargaining of wage, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with classified employees of state agencies and institutions of higher education.  Employees covered under the PSRA include all state civil service employees, unless an exemption applies.  One such exemption is members of the WMS. 

The provisions prohibiting WMS members from being included in a collective bargaining unit and excluding WMS members from the definition of employee in the PSRA are removed, thereby granting WMS employees the right to collectively bargain.