Brief Description: Implementing a collective bargaining agreement with Western Washington University.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Sommers, Hasegawa, Linville, P. Sullivan, Quall, Kenney and Conway).

House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Collective bargaining agreements must be submitted to the Office of Financial Management and to the Legislature as part of the Governor's budget proposal. The Legislature must accept or reject the request for funds necessary to implement the agreements as a whole.

In 2004, the Washington Public Employees' Association (WPEA) was certified to represent Bargaining Unit C in collective bargaining with Western Washington University (WWU). The WPEA reached an agreement with WWU, which was submitted to the Governor, and funded and approved by the Legislature in the 2005-07 biennial operating budget. Among other things, the agreement provided cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) effective July 1 of 2005 and 2006, along with salary survey adjustments.

By June 2005, the employees in Unit C decertified WPEA as their bargaining representative and certified the Public School Employees (PSE) to represent them. At this time, Bargaining Unit C was renamed Professional Technical Employees (PTE). This action negated the agreement between the WPEA and WWU. Additionally, since the employees in this bargaining unit elected a new union to represent them, they were not covered by the September 1 COLA that was provided in the 2005-07 biennial operating budget for non-represented employees.

An agreement was reached between the PSE and WWU in October 2005, and a contract was submitted to the Legislature for approval. Western Washington University currently has an appropriation sufficient to fund the economic terms of the new contract.

Summary:

The collective bargaining agreement between the PTE, represented by the Public School Employees of Washington, and Western Washington University is approved. Economic provisions of the agreement include a 3.2 percent salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2005, a 1.6 percent increase effective July 1, 2006, until June 30, 2007, and implementation of a salary survey adjustment.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   98   0
Senate   47   0

Effective: March 7, 2006