If the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative of a bargaining unit enter into))A collective bargaining agreement ((that:(a) Includes a union security provision authorized under RCW 49.39.090, the employer must enforce the agreement by deducting from the payments to bargaining unit members the dues required for membership in the exclusive bargaining representative, or, for nonmembers thereof, a fee equivalent to the dues; or (b) Includes requirements for deductions of payments other than the deduction under (a) of this subsection, the employer must make such deductions upon written authorization of the employee))may include provisions permitting employers to deduct union dues or representation fees from employees who directly authorize the employer to make such deductions, provided that the employer only makes such deductions consistent with the requirements of this section.
(2) Authorization to deduct union dues or representation fees must be made directly by an employee to the employer, and must be on a form submitted to the employer that reads as follows:
AUTHORIZATION TO DEDUCT UNION DUES OR REPRESENTATION FEES
By providing the following information and permissions, your employer, (employer name), is authorized to deduct union dues or representation fees. This authorization is valid until revoked in writing at any time during the employer's regular business hours. If you choose to revoke this authorization, deductions will cease no later than the end of the month following the revocation.
I, (employee name), authorize my employer named above to deduct union dues or representation fees from my earnings to my bargaining representative, (name of employee bargaining representative organization), consistent with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated by this organization on my behalf.
In the event that this authorization, or revocation of authorization, conflicts with any contractual agreement that I have previously made with an employee representative organization, I understand that the conflict is a matter of private contract, and that it is in no way the responsibility of my employer to resolve or intervene in the conflict.
(3) At such time as an employee no longer desires association with the bargaining representative, any dues or representation fee authorization may be revoked. The employer must terminate any deductions for which authorization has been revoked in writing no later than the end of the month following the month in which the written revocation of authorization was received.
(4) Because it involves the protection of employees' fundamental right to freedom of association under the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the employer, through a collective bargaining agreement or otherwise, may not delegate the administration of the authorization process for union dues or representation fees to a private entity. To the extent that an employer uses a business agent, such as a payroll, billing service, or accounting firm, the mere administration of authorizations made by an employee to an employer are not prohibited. An employer is prohibited from expending public funds to resolve private contract disputes between employees and employee representative organizations on matters involving union dues or representation fees."
EFFECT: The language of the substitute bill is stricken, replaced with language that does the following: Union security provisions are removed from public employees, state employees, community college faculty, educational employees, university faculty, and marine employees sections, and replaced with language requiring employees to directly authorize public employers to make deductions for union dues on a form specifically prescribed in the language. Authorizations are effective until revoked in writing during an employer's regular business hours, and the employer must cease making deductions no later than the end of the month following the revocation.
Employers are required to consider authorizations made by employees to their unions as matters of private contract between those parties, and are prohibited from expending public funds to resolve disputes between employees and unions on matters involving union dues or representation fees.
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