FINAL BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1081

                         C 398 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Redefining uniformed personnel for public employee collective bargaining.

By Representatives Heavey and Eide.

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce

Background:  Employees of cities, counties, and other political subdivisions of the state bargain their wages and working conditions under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA).  For uniformed personnel, the act recognizes the public policy against strikes as a means of settling labor disputes.  To resolve disputes involving these uniformed personnel, the PECBA requires binding arbitration if negotiations for a contract reach impasse and cannot be resolved through mediation.

Uniformed personnel include fire fighters in all cities and counties and law enforcement officers in the larger jurisdictions - in cities with a population of 15,000 or more, and in counties with a population of 70,000 or more.  Law enforcement officers include county sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, city police officers, or town marshals.

The binding interest arbitration provisions also apply to publicly employed advanced life support technicians, except those employed by a public hospital district.

Port district employees also collectively bargain under the PECBA, unless different collective bargaining procedures are specified in the port district authorization statutes.  Except for certain fire fighters in the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighter's (LEOFF) Retirement System, these employees are not covered by the PECBA's binding interest arbitration procedures.

Summary:  The binding interest arbitration provisions of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act for uniformed personnel are extended to:

(1)employees of port districts performing fire fighting duties if the port district is in a county with a population of 1 million or more;

(2)public fire department employees who dispatch exclusively for fire or emergency medical services;

(3)advanced life support technicians who are employed by public hospital districts; and

(4)security forces established by a municipal corporation authorized to construct or operate nuclear power plants.

Beginning on July 1, 1995, the binding interest arbitration provisions are also extended to:

(1)the law enforcement officers of cities and towns with a population of 7,500 or more, and counties with a population of 35,000 or more; and

(2)peace officers employed by port districts in counties with a population of 1 million or more.

For arbitrations involving law enforcement officers in newly covered jurisdictions - cities between 7,500 and 15,000 population and counties between 35,000 and 70,000 population, the arbitrator must consider regional differences in the cost of living.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  97 1

Senate 32 16 (Senate amended)

House  96 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1993

              May 15, 1993(Sections 1, 2, 4 and 6)

              July 1, 1995(Sections 3 and 5)