HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5380

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to collective bargaining for Washington state patrol officers.

Brief Description:  Concerning collective bargaining for members of the Washington state patrol.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, West, Pelz, Winsley, A. Smith, L. Smith, Snyder, Roach, Owen, Talmadge, Skratek, Niemi, Haugen, Spanel, Drew, Moyer, Jesernig, Sutherland, Rinehart, Williams, Vognild, Sheldon, Loveland, Hargrove, M. Rasmussen, Bauer, Gaspard, Wojahn, Sellar, Quigley and McAuliffe).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, March 24, 1993, DPA.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; G. Cole, Vice Chair; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Conway; King; Springer; and Veloria.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives Lisk, Ranking Minority Member; and Horn.

Staff:  Chris Cordes (786-7117).

Background:  Washington State Patrol officers bargain collectively with their employer over non-wage related matters under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act.  The officers are prohibited from striking, but the parties are authorized to use mediation and fact-finding to resolve bargaining disputes.  The fact-finder's findings and recommendations are advisory only.

Summary of Amended Bill:  The mediation and arbitration provisions of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act for "uniformed personnel" are also made applicable to Washington State Patrol officers.  The mediator and arbitration panel may not consider wages or wage issues.  The procedures for using fact-finding are deleted.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The amended bill retains provisions that prohibit the mediator from considering wages or wage-related matters and establishes standards for the arbitration panel to consider in making its determination, which do not include wage issues.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This bill has been shown to be necessary by recent experience during the last round of bargaining.  After fact-finding, the employees accepted the fact-finder's recommendations but the employer rejected them.  The dispute could not be resolved without outside intervention.  Arbitration will provide a mechanism for resolving these disputes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Dan Davis, Washington State Patrol Troopers Association.