(1) The employer shall post a copy of the petition and a notice, in the form specified by the commission, to inform employees of the existence of proceedings under this chapter. The agency shall furnish the employer with copies of the petition and notice, and the employer shall post them in conspicuous places on its premises where notices to affected employees are usually posted. The petition and notice shall remain posted until a certification or interim certification is issued in the proceeding.

(2) Changes of the status quo concerning wages, hours or other terms and conditions of employment of employees in the bargaining unit are prohibited during the period that a petition is pending before the commission under this chapter.

(3) The employer shall not express or otherwise indicate any preference between competing organizations, where two or more employee organizations are seeking to represent its employees.

(4) Where a petition filed under this chapter involves employees who are represented for the purposes of collective bargaining, the employer shall suspend negotiations with the incumbent exclusive bargaining representative on a successor collective bargaining agreement involving employees affected by the petition. The employer and incumbent union may proceed with negotiations covering employees not affected by the petition, and shall resume negotiations on a successor agreement covering the affected employees after the question concerning representation is resolved, if the incumbent exclusive bargaining representative retains its status.

(5) When an order of dismissal issued under WAC 391-25-390 (1)(a) is served upon the parties, the obligations to maintain the status quo under subsection (2) of this section and suspend negotiations with the incumbent exclusive bargaining representative under subsection (4) of this section are lifted.

(a) If a party to the proceeding files a timely notice of appeal of the order of dismissal, then the obligations under subsections (2) and (4) of this section shall be reinstated once the parties to the proceeding are served the notice of appeal. Those obligations shall remain in effect until a final order is issued by the commission under WAC 391-25-670, unless governed by (b) of this subsection.

(b) Where a timely filed notice of appeal reinstates the obligation to maintain the status quo or suspend bargaining, any party to the proceeding may petition the commission to stay either of those obligations where the petitioning party demonstrates a need for a change in terms and conditions of employment due to circumstances that are beyond that party's control, or where the failure to resume bargaining would substantially harm the petitioned-for employees and leave them without an adequate administrative remedy. A petition filed under this subsection shall be accompanied by affidavits and evidence.

(c) Following the receipt of a petition under (b) of this subsection, the due date for any counter-affidavits from other parties is seven days following the date on which that party is served with the petition.

(d) The executive director shall forward all petitions and affidavits to the commission, who shall determine whether to stay the obligations under subsections (2) and (4) of this section at the next regularly scheduled commission meeting.

(e) If the commission uses its authority under (b) of this subsection, any party seeking review of the commission's decision shall seek relief through the courts.