FINAL BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1067

                         C 397 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Providing for correctional employees collective bargaining.

By Representatives Orr, Mielke, Dellwo, King, Franklin, Ludwig, Riley, Brown, Jones, Holm, Chappell, Pruitt and J. Kohl.

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce

Background:  County employees bargain their wages and working conditions under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA).  For uniformed personnel, the act recognizes the public policy against strikes as a means of settling labor disputes.  To resolve disputes involving these uniformed personnel, the PECBA requires binding arbitration if negotiations for a contract reach impasse and cannot be resolved through mediation.

Correctional employees working in county jail facilities are not "uniformed personnel" covered by the PECBA's binding interest arbitration procedures.  Uniformed personnel are defined as fire fighters in all cities and counties and law enforcement officers in the larger jurisdictions - in cities with a population of 15,000 or more, and in counties with a population of 70,000 or more.  Law enforcement officers include county sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, city police officers, or town marshals.

Summary:  The binding interest arbitration provisions for uniformed personnel in the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act are extended to correctional employees of counties with a population of 70,000 or more, who are trained for and charged with responsibility for custody of inmates in a jail.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  91 2

Senate 30 16 (Senate amended)

House  94 2 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1993