Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Labor & Workplace Standards Committee

HB 1530

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Allows represented state ferry employees to continue to accrue unused vacation leave in excess of the statutory maximum but not to exceed 320 hours, if the existing collective bargaining agreements allow for such accrual.

Background:

Generally, state employees earn no less than one paid vacation day for each month of employment, if employment is continuous for six months. The amount of vacation leave a state employee earns increases depending on the number of years the employee is continuously employed. State employees may accrue up to 30 working days of unused vacation leave. An employee may accrue vacation leave in excess of 30 days under limited circumstances, and the excess leave may only be extended for a limited time. Vacation leave that is in excess of the statutory maximum will be extinguished if not used by the employee's anniversary date. Employees who have accrued vacation leave may cash out their leave when their employment ends upon retirement, resignation, termination, or death. Accumulated annual leave is not included in the computation of retirement benefits. State ferry employees are employees of the Marine Transportation Division (MTD) of the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT). Prior to 2006, state ferry employees who were members of a ferry employee organization bargained with the MTD. The Legislature changed the collective bargaining process for state ferry workers in 2006 and, among other things, provided that the employer, for the purposes of collective bargaining, is the state, which is represented by the Governor or the Governor's designee. The Office of Financial Management's Human Resources/Labor Relations Section manages the collective bargaining process with represented state employees on behalf of the Governor.

Summary of Bill:

State ferry employees covered by collective bargaining agreements containing provisions in effect on June 30, 2017, that allow accrual of unused vacation leave up to 320 hours are allowed to continue the higher accrual limit until those provisions in the agreement are modified or the bargaining unit changes its exclusive representative or is decertified.