S-3698.1

SENATE BILL 5895

BySenators Nobles, Stanford, Conway, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Nguyen, Randall, Saldaña, Trudeau, and Valdez

AN ACT Relating to collective bargaining for certain employees who are enrolled in academic programs at public institutions of higher education; adding a new section to chapter 41.56 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 41.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) In addition to the entities listed in RCW 41.56.020, this chapter applies to all employees who are enrolled in an academic or certificate program on any campus of Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College.

(b) For the purposes of collective bargaining under this section, an employee is considered enrolled in an academic or certificate program during campus academic breaks, including any winter, spring, or summer break, if the employee is employed by an institution of higher education covered by (a) of this subsection over the course of the campus academic break and is enrolled in an academic or certificate program on any campus of the institution of higher education in the quarter or semester immediately preceding, or subsequent to, the campus academic break.

(c) For the purposes of this section, "employee" does not include employees eligible for collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.021, 41.56.0215, 41.56.022, 41.56.024, 41.56.203, or 41.56.205 or chapter 28B.52, 41.76, or 41.80 RCW.

(2) A bargaining unit of all employees covered by this section is the only appropriate unit for the purposes of collective bargaining under this section. A bargaining unit is not appropriate if it includes more than one institution of higher education.

(3)(a) The scope of bargaining for employees under this section excludes:

(i) The ability to terminate the employment of any individual if the individual is not meeting academic requirements as determined by Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College;

(ii) The amount of tuition or fees at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College. However, tuition and fee remission and waiver is within the scope of bargaining;

(iii) The academic calendar of Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College; and

(iv) The number of students to be admitted to a particular class or class section at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College.

(b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection, provisions of collective bargaining agreements relating to compensation must not exceed the amount or percentage established by the legislature in the appropriations act. If any compensation provision is affected by subsequent modification of the appropriations act by the legislature, both parties must immediately enter into collective bargaining for the sole purpose of arriving at a mutually agreed-upon replacement for the affected provision.

(ii) Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College may provide additional compensation to student employees covered by this section that exceeds that provided by the legislature.

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