HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESCR 8403

BYSenators West, Smitherman, Lee, Warnke, McMullen and Fleming

Providing for a joint select committee on employer-employee relations.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Vekich, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair;, Patrick, Ranking Republican Member; Jones, R. King, Leonard, O'Brien, Prentice, Smith, Walker and Wolfe.

House Staff:Chris Cordes (786-7117)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR MARCH 28, 1989

BACKGROUND:

The Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act provides collective bargaining procedures for local government employees, with some specified exceptions, and the Washington State Patrol. The act is administered by the Public Employment Relations Commission.

In 1969, an interim Committee on Public Employee Collective Bargaining was created by the Legislature.  The committee met from 1969 to 1973, and published a formal report and recommendations to the Legislature.  The committee ceased to function in 1973 and was allowed to sunset in 1986.

SUMMARY:

A Joint Select Committee on Public Employee Collective Bargaining is established to study the operation of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, except for the provisions relating to uniformed personnel, and the administration of the act by the Public Employment Relations Commission.  The committee consists of 10 members:  two Senators, two members of the House of Representatives, and six persons equally representing public employers and employees.  In addition, the Public Employment Relations Commission will maintain a nonvoting liaison member.

The committee must make a status report to the Legislature during the 1990 legislative session and report its final findings and recommendations to the Legislature in 1991.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Sam Kinville, Washington State Council of County & City Employees; Don Heyrich, Amalgamated Transit Union; and Dave Westberg, International Union of Engineers.

NEUTRAL:  Marvin Schurke, Public Employment Relations Commission; and Kathleen Collins, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The purpose of the committee is to provide a forum for discussion and resolution of controversial local government collective bargaining issues, and to review the timeliness of enforcement activities.

NEUTRAL:  The committee's focus may be too narrow to permit an adequate review of the local government collective bargaining process.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.