SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6350

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Commerce & Trade, February 4, 2004

Title: An act relating to allowing the state patrol to bargain for rates of pay and wage levels.

Brief Description: Allowing the state patrol to bargain for rates of pay and wage levels.

Sponsors: Senators Prentice, Winsley, Roach, Hargrove, Keiser, Rasmussen, Fairley, Kline, McAuliffe and Kohl-Welles.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Commerce & Trade: 2/4/04 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & TRADE

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6350 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Honeyford, Chair; Hewitt, Vice Chair; Franklin, Keiser and Mulliken.

Staff: Jennifer Strus (786-7316)

Background: Employees of cities, counties and other political subdivisions of the state bargain their wages and working conditions under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA). The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is also subject to the PECBA with respect to its appointed officers.

Under the PECBA, the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative have a mutual obligation to negotiate in good faith over specified mandatory subjects of bargaining: grievance procedures and personnel matters, including wages, hours and working conditions. With respect to negotiations between WSP and its appointed officers, the subjects of bargaining include wage-related matters, but negotiations are prohibited over rates of pay, wage levels, or matters relating to retirement benefits, health care, or other employee insurance benefits. If wage-related provisions are entered into before the Legislature approves the necessary funding, then these provisions must be conditioned on subsequent approval of the funds.

Summary of Substitute Bill: For purposes of negotiating wages and wage-related matters, the state shall be represented by the Governor or the Governor's designee. For non-wage related matters, the state shall be represented by the WSP.

The state's bargaining representative must periodically consult with the subcommittee of the joint committee on employment relations about the appropriations necessary to implement the wage and non-wage related provisions in a collective bargaining agreement involving appointed officers of the WSP. The subcommittee consists of the four legislative members of the joint committee, as well as the chair and ranking minority members of the House Transportation Committee and the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The original bill was not considered.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: Most state employees have the right to bargain wage and wage-related issues and the Washington State Patrol should be given the same opportunity. Entry-level troopers are paid much less than some county or local police officers and permitting collective bargaining for wages would allow WSP to attract and retain qualified personnel.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Bob Thurston, Troopers' Association; Rick Jensen, Troopers' Association.