BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to rights regarding union security; amending RCW 28B.52.045, 41.06.150, 41.56.122, 41.59.100, 47.64.160, 53.18.050, 54.04.170, 41.56.020, and 42.41.020; adding a new section to chapter 28B.52 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.06 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.56 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.59 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.64 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 53.18 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 54.04 RCW; and repealing RCW 54.04.180.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.52.045 and 1987 c 314 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon filing with the employer the voluntary written authorization of a bargaining unit employee under this chapter, the employee organization which is the exclusive bargaining representative of the bargaining unit shall have the right to have deducted from the salary of the bargaining unit employee the periodic dues and initiation fees uniformly required as a condition of acquiring or retaining membership in the exclusive bargaining representative. Such employee authorization shall not be irrevocable for a period of more than one year. Such dues and fees shall be deducted from the pay of all employees who have given authorization for such deduction, and shall be transmitted by the employer to the employee organization or to the depository designated by the employee organization.

(2) A collective bargaining agreement may include union security provisions, but not a closed shop. If an agency shop or other union security provision is agreed to, the employer shall enforce any such provision by deductions from the salary of bargaining unit employees affected thereby and shall transmit such funds to the employee organization or to the depository designated by the employee organization. However, each employee organization shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that employers are authorized to negotiate under this chapter.

(3) An employee who is covered by a union security provision and who asserts a right of nonassociation based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employee is a member shall pay to a nonreligious charity or other charitable organization an amount of money equivalent to the periodic dues and initiation fees uniformly required as a condition of acquiring or retaining membership in the exclusive bargaining representative. The charity shall be agreed upon by the employee and the employee organization to which such employee would otherwise pay the dues and fees. The employee shall furnish written proof that such payments have been made. If the employee and the employee organization do not reach agreement on such matter, the commission shall designate the charitable organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.52 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every employer shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

Bargaining unit employees cannot be required to join a union or maintain membership in a union to retain their jobs. Under certain circumstances, the law permits a union and an employer to enter into a union security agreement requiring employees to pay uniform periodic dues and initiation fees. However, employees who are not union members can only be required to pay their share of union costs relating to collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment.

If you believe that you have been required to pay dues or fees used in part to support activities not related to collective bargaining, contract administration, or grievance adjustment, you may be entitled to a refund and to an appropriate reduction in future payments.

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Public Employment Relations Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Suite 300, Olympia, Washington 98504-0919."

(2) The employer shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each bargaining unit employee upon ratification of any collective bargaining agreement covering the employees that includes union security provisions.

(3) Each notice given to an employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The employer shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the commission determines, upon petition by an employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the commission shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the employer may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the commission's order.

(4) The employer shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) An employer action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter.

Sec. 3. RCW 41.06.150 and 1996 c 319 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The board shall adopt rules, consistent with the purposes and provisions of this chapter, as now or hereafter amended, and with the best standards of personnel administration, regarding the basis and procedures to be followed for:

(1) The reduction, dismissal, suspension, or demotion of an employee;

(2) Certification of names for vacancies, including departmental promotions, with the number of names equal to six more names than there are vacancies to be filled, such names representing applicants rated highest on eligibility lists: PROVIDED, That when other applicants have scores equal to the lowest score among the names certified, their names shall also be certified;

(3) Examinations for all positions in the competitive and noncompetitive service;

(4) Appointments;

(5) Training and career development;

(6) Probationary periods of six to twelve months and rejections of probationary employees, depending on the job requirements of the class, except that entry level state park rangers shall serve a probationary period of twelve months;

(7) Transfers;

(8) Sick leaves and vacations;

(9) Hours of work;

(10) Layoffs when necessary and subsequent reemployment, both according to seniority;

(11) Determination of appropriate bargaining units within any agency: PROVIDED, That in making such determination the board shall consider the duties, skills, and working conditions of the employees, the history of collective bargaining by the employees and their bargaining representatives, the extent of organization among the employees, and the desires of the employees;

(12) Certification and decertification of exclusive bargaining representatives: PROVIDED, That after certification of an exclusive bargaining representative and upon the representative's request, the director shall hold an election among employees in a bargaining unit to determine by a majority whether to require as a condition of employment membership in the certified exclusive bargaining representative on or after the thirtieth day following the beginning of employment or the date of such election, whichever is the later, and the failure of an employee to comply with such a condition of employment constitutes cause for dismissal: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no more often than once in each twelve-month period after expiration of twelve months following the date of the original election in a bargaining unit and upon petition of thirty percent of the members of a bargaining unit the director shall hold an election to determine whether a majority wish to rescind such condition of employment: PROVIDED FURTHER, That for purposes of this clause, membership in the certified exclusive bargaining representative is satisfied by the payment of monthly or other periodic dues and does not require payment of initiation, reinstatement, or any other fees or fines and includes full and complete membership rights. However, each employee organization shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that the agency is authorized to negotiate under subsection (13) of this section: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That in order to safeguard the right of nonassociation of public employees, based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such public employee is a member, such public employee shall pay to the union, for purposes within the program of the union as designated by such employee that would be in harmony with his or her individual conscience, an amount of money equivalent to regular union dues minus any included monthly premiums for union-sponsored insurance programs, and such employee shall not be a member of the union but is entitled to all the representation rights of a union member;

(13) Agreements between agencies and certified exclusive bargaining representatives providing for grievance procedures and collective negotiations on all personnel matters over which the appointing authority of the appropriate bargaining unit of such agency may lawfully exercise discretion;

(14) Written agreements may contain provisions for payroll deductions of employee organization dues upon authorization by the employee member and for the cancellation of such payroll deduction by the filing of a proper prior notice by the employee with the appointing authority and the employee organization: PROVIDED, That nothing contained herein permits or grants to any employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his or her official duties;

(15) Adoption and revision of a comprehensive classification plan for all positions in the classified service, based on investigation and analysis of the duties and responsibilities of each such position.

(a) The board shall not adopt job classification revisions or class studies unless implementation of the proposed revision or study will result in net cost savings, increased efficiencies, or improved management of personnel or services, and the proposed revision or study has been approved by the director of financial management in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW.

(b) Beginning July 1, 1995, through June 30, 1997, in addition to the requirements of (a) of this subsection:

(i) The board may approve the implementation of salary increases resulting from adjustments to the classification plan during the 1995-97 fiscal biennium only if:

(A) The implementation will not result in additional net costs and the proposed implementation has been approved by the director of financial management in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW;

(B) The implementation will take effect on July 1, 1996, and the total net cost of all such actions approved by the board for implementation during the 1995-97 fiscal biennium does not exceed the amounts specified by the legislature specifically for this purpose; or

(C) The implementation is a result of emergent conditions. Emergent conditions are defined as emergency situations requiring the establishment of positions necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, which do not exceed $250,000 of the moneys identified in section 718(2), chapter 18, Laws of 1995 2nd sp. sess.

(ii) The board shall approve only those salary increases resulting from adjustments to the classification plan if they are due to documented recruitment and retention difficulties, salary compression or inversion, increased duties and responsibilities, or inequities. For these purposes, inequities are defined as similar work assigned to different job classes with a salary disparity greater than 7.5 percent.

(iii) Adjustments made to the higher education hospital special pay plan are exempt from (b)(i) through (ii) of this subsection.

(c) Reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments to be implemented during the 1997-99 and subsequent fiscal biennia are governed by (a) of this subsection and RCW 41.06.152;

(16) Allocation and reallocation of positions within the classification plan;

(17) Adoption and revision of a state salary schedule to reflect the prevailing rates in Washington state private industries and other governmental units but the rates in the salary schedules or plans shall be increased if necessary to attain comparable worth under an implementation plan under RCW 41.06.155 and that, for institutions of higher education and related boards, shall be competitive for positions of a similar nature in the state or the locality in which an institution of higher education or related board is located, such adoption and revision subject to approval by the director of financial management in accordance with the provisions of chapter 43.88 RCW;

(18) Increment increases within the series of steps for each pay grade based on length of service for all employees whose standards of performance are such as to permit them to retain job status in the classified service;

(19) Providing for veteran's preference as required by existing statutes, with recognition of preference in regard to layoffs and subsequent reemployment for veterans and their surviving spouses by giving such eligible veterans and their surviving spouses additional credit in computing their seniority by adding to their unbroken state service, as defined by the board, the veteran's service in the military not to exceed five years. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means any person who has one or more years of active military service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States or who has less than one year's service and is discharged with a disability incurred in the line of duty or is discharged at the convenience of the government and who, upon termination of such service has received an honorable discharge, a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record, or a release from active military service with evidence of service other than that for which an undesirable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge shall be given: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the surviving spouse of a veteran is entitled to the benefits of this section regardless of the veteran's length of active military service: PROVIDED FURTHER, That for the purposes of this section "veteran" does not include any person who has voluntarily retired with twenty or more years of active military service and whose military retirement pay is in excess of five hundred dollars per month;

(20) Permitting agency heads to delegate the authority to appoint, reduce, dismiss, suspend, or demote employees within their agencies if such agency heads do not have specific statutory authority to so delegate: PROVIDED, That the board may not authorize such delegation to any position lower than the head of a major subdivision of the agency;

(21) Assuring persons who are or have been employed in classified positions before July 1, 1993, will be eligible for employment, reemployment, transfer, and promotion in respect to classified positions covered by this chapter;

(22) Affirmative action in appointment, promotion, transfer, recruitment, training, and career development; development and implementation of affirmative action goals and timetables; and monitoring of progress against those goals and timetables.

The board shall consult with the human rights commission in the development of rules pertaining to affirmative action. The department of personnel shall transmit a report annually to the human rights commission which states the progress each state agency has made in meeting affirmative action goals and timetables.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 41.06 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every agency shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

Bargaining unit employees cannot be required to join a union or maintain membership in a union to retain their jobs. Under certain circumstances, the law permits bargaining unit employees to vote on whether all bargaining unit employees will be required to pay uniform periodic dues. However, employees who are not union members can object to the use of their payments for certain purposes and can only be required to pay their share of union costs relating to collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment.

If you believe that you have been required to pay dues used in part to support activities not related to collective bargaining, contract administration, or grievance adjustment, you may be entitled to a refund and to an appropriate reduction in future payments.

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Washington Personnel Resources Board, 521 Capitol Way South, Olympia, Washington 98504-7500."

(2) The agency shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each bargaining unit employee following an election in which a majority of the employees have voted to require the condition of employment authorized in RCW 41.06.150(12).

(3) Each notice given to an employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The agency shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the board determines, upon petition by an employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the board shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the agency may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the board's order.

(4) The agency shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) An agency action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter.

Sec. 5. RCW 41.56.122 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 296 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

A collective bargaining agreement may:

(1)(a) Contain union security provisions((~~: PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall authorize~~)), but not a closed shop provision((~~: PROVIDED FURTHER, That~~)). Each employee organization shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that the public employer is authorized to negotiate under this chapter.

(b) Agreements involving union security provisions must safeguard the right of nonassociation of public employees based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such public employee is a member. Such public employee shall pay an amount of money equivalent to regular union dues and initiation fee to a nonreligious charity or to another charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the public employee affected and the bargaining representative to which such public employee would otherwise pay the dues and initiation fee. The public employee shall furnish written proof that such payment has been made. If the public employee and the bargaining representative do not reach agreement on such matter, the commission shall designate the charitable organization.

(c) When there is a conflict between any collective bargaining agreement reached by a public employer and a bargaining representative on a union security provision and any charter, ordinance, rule, or regulation adopted by the public employer or its agents, including but not limited to, a civil service commission, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement shall prevail.

(2) Provide for binding arbitration of a labor dispute arising from the application or the interpretation of the matters contained in a collective bargaining agreement.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 41.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every public employer shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Public Employment Relations Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Suite 300, Olympia, Washington 98504-0919."

(2) The public employer shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each bargaining unit employee upon ratification of any collective bargaining agreement covering the employees that includes union security provisions.

(3) Each notice given to an employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The public employer shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the commission determines, upon petition by an employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the commission shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the employer may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the commission's order.

(4) The public employer shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) A public employer action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter.

Sec. 7. RCW 41.59.100 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 288 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A collective bargaining agreement may include union security provisions including an agency shop, but not a union or closed shop. If an agency shop provision is agreed to, the employer shall enforce it by deducting from the salary payments to members of the bargaining unit the dues required of membership in the bargaining representative, or, for nonmembers thereof, a fee equivalent to such dues. However, each employee organization shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that employers are authorized to negotiate under this chapter.

(2) All union security provisions must safeguard the right of nonassociation of employees based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employee is a member. ((~~Such~~)) An employee who asserts a right of nonassociation shall pay an amount of money equivalent to regular dues and fees to a nonreligious charity or to another charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employee affected and the bargaining representative to which such employee would otherwise pay the dues and fees. The employee shall furnish written proof that such payment has been made. If the employee and the bargaining representative do not reach agreement on such matter, the commission shall designate the charitable organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 41.59 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every employer shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Public Employment Relations Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Suite 300, Olympia, Washington 98504-0919."

(4) The employer shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) An employer action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter.

Sec. 9. RCW 47.64.160 and 1983 c 15 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(2) All union security provisions shall safeguard the right of nonassociation of employees based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employee is a member. ((~~Such~~)) An employee who asserts a right of nonassociation shall pay an amount of money equivalent to regular dues and fees to a nonreligious charity or to another charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employee affected and the bargaining representative to which such employee would otherwise pay the dues and fees. The employee shall furnish written proof that such payment has been made. If the employee and the bargaining representative do not reach agreement on such matter, the commission shall designate the charitable organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 47.64 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Ferry system management shall upon hiring a ferry employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Marine Employees' Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Olympia, Washington 98504-0902."

(2) Ferry system management shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each ferry employee in a bargaining unit upon ratification of any collective bargaining agreement covering the employees that includes union security provisions.

(3) Each notice given to a ferry employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. Ferry system management shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the marine employees' commission determines, upon petition by a ferry employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the commission shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the employer may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the commission's order.

(4) Ferry system management shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all ferry employees.

(5) Ferry system management action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter.

Sec. 11. RCW 53.18.050 and 1967 c 101 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

A labor agreement signed by a port district may contain:

(1) Provisions that the employee organization chosen by a majority of the employees in a grouping or unit will be recognized as the representative of all employees in the classification included in such grouping or unit;

(2) Maintenance of membership provisions including dues check-off arrangements. However, each employee organization shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that employers are authorized to negotiate; and

(3) Provisions providing for binding arbitration, the expenses being equally borne by the parties, in matters of contract interpretation and the settlement of jurisdictional disputes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 53.18 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every port district shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Public Employment Relations Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Suite 300, Olympia, Washington 98504-0919."

(2) The port district shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each bargaining unit employee upon ratification of any collective bargaining agreement covering the employees that includes union security provisions.

(3) Each notice given to an employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The port district shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the public employment relations commission determines, upon petition by an employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the commission shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the port district may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the commission's order.

(4) The port district shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) A port district action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter or chapter 41.56 RCW.

Sec. 13. RCW 54.04.170 and 1963 c 28 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Employees of public utility districts are hereby authorized and entitled to enter into collective bargaining relations with their employers with all the rights and privileges incident thereto as are accorded to similar employees in private industry and a public utility district may enter into collective bargaining relations with its employees in the same manner that a private employer might do and may agree to be bound by the result of such collective bargaining.

(2) Each employee organization representing employees of a public utility district for collective bargaining purposes shall establish a procedure by which any employee so requesting may pay a representation fee no greater than the part of the membership fee that represents a pro rata share of expenditures for purposes germane to the collective bargaining process and contract administration, and to pursuing matters that employers are authorized to negotiate.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. A new section is added to chapter 54.04 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Every public utility district shall upon hiring an employee for bargaining unit work provide the following notice in writing to the employee:

"NOTICE TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

For further information concerning your rights, you may contact the Public Employment Relations Commission, 711 Capitol Way, Suite 300, Olympia, Washington 98504-0919."

(2) The public utility district shall provide the notice required in subsection (1) of this section to each bargaining unit employee upon ratification of any collective bargaining agreement covering the employees that includes union security provisions.

(3) Each notice given to an employee under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be signed by the employee in acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The public utility district shall keep a copy of the signed notice or notices on file during the employee's employment. If the public employment relations commission determines, upon petition by an employee, that notice was not given as required by this section, the commission shall order such relief as will effectuate the purposes of this section, including relief that could be ordered by a court, except that the public utility district may not be ordered to pay damages that exceed the amount of the dues and fees paid by the employee to the employee organization from the date that notice was required to the date of the commission's order.

(4) The public utility district shall post and keep posted a copy of the notice required by this section in a place or places reasonably accessible to all employees.

(5) A public utility district action required under this section does not constitute and is not evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter or chapter 41.56 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. RCW 54.04.180 and 1963 c 28 s 2 are each repealed.

Sec. 16. RCW 41.56.020 and 1994 c 297 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

This chapter shall apply to any county or municipal corporation, or any political subdivision of the state of Washington, including district courts and superior courts, except as otherwise provided by RCW 54.04.170((~~, 54.04.180,~~)) and chapters 41.59, 47.64, and 53.18 RCW. The Washington state patrol shall be considered a public employer of state patrol officers appointed under RCW 43.43.020. The Washington state bar association shall be considered a public employer of its employees.

Sec. 17. RCW 42.41.020 and 1994 c 210 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1)(a) "Improper governmental action" means any action by a local government officer or employee:

(i) That is undertaken in the performance of the officer's or employee's official duties, whether or not the action is within the scope of the employee's employment; and

(ii) That is in violation of any federal, state, or local law or rule, is an abuse of authority, is of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety, or is a gross waste of public funds.

(b) "Improper governmental action" does not include personnel actions including but not limited to employee grievances, complaints, appointments, promotions, transfers, assignments, reassignments, reinstatements, restorations, reemployments, performance evaluations, reductions in pay, dismissals, suspensions, demotions, violations of the local government collective bargaining and civil service laws, alleged labor agreement violations, reprimands, or any action that may be taken under chapter 41.08, 41.12, 41.14, 41.56, 41.59, or 53.18 RCW or RCW 54.04.170 ((~~and 54.04.180~~)).

(2) "Local government" means any governmental entity other than the state, federal agencies, or an operating system established under chapter 43.52 RCW. It includes, but is not limited to cities, counties, school districts, and special purpose districts.

(3) "Retaliatory action" means: (a) Any adverse change in a local government employee's employment status, or the terms and conditions of employment including denial of adequate staff to perform duties, frequent staff changes, frequent and undesirable office changes, refusal to assign meaningful work, unwarranted and unsubstantiated letters of reprimand or unsatisfactory performance evaluations, demotion, transfer, reassignment, reduction in pay, denial of promotion, suspension, dismissal, or any other disciplinary action; or (b) hostile actions by another employee towards a local government employee that were encouraged by a supervisor or senior manager or official.

(4) "Emergency" means a circumstance that if not immediately changed may cause damage to persons or property.