HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5105

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to collective bargaining for superior court employees.

Brief Description:  Revising collective bargaining provisions for superior court employees.

Sponsor(s):  Senators Rasmussen, Moore and West.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, February 20, 1992, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; G. Cole, Vice Chair; Fuhrman, Ranking Minority Member; Lisk, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Franklin; Jones; R. King; O'Brien; Prentice; Vance; and Wilson.

Staff:  Chris Cordes (786-7117).

Background:  The Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) covers all municipal and county employees, unless specifically exempt.  Collective bargaining for district court employees is authorized in two phases.  For wage issues, bargaining is with the county, which is considered the employer for these issues.  For non-wage issues, bargaining is with the judge.

Under court decisions, superior court employees who are paid by the county are covered under the PECBA only with respect to bargaining over wages.  For the purposes of hiring, firing, and working conditions, the employer of these employees is the judicial branch.  Superior court judges are not included under the PECBA as employers who are subject to collective bargaining requirements.

Summary of Bill:  The Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act is made applicable to superior courts. The public employer of the superior court employees for collective bargaining over wage‑related matters is the county legislative authority.  The public employer for bargaining over nonwage‑related matters is the judge or judge's designee.  Each judge may exclude one personal assistant from a bargaining unit.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Superior court employees should be covered for collective bargaining like all other court employees.  This issue has been before the Legislature for several years and both houses have passed identical bills.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Senator Slim Rasmussen, prime sponsor; and Sam Kinville, Washington State Council of County and City Employees.